Headington ruled the roost at the National Schools Regatta last weekend, not just domestically but nationally.

The Headington girls won nine medals – six gold, two silver and one bronze – at Nottingham beating the Eton in the overall medal table by one silver.

Two of Headington’s golds were in the championship events, the eights which they dominated from start to finish, and the coxless fours.

They also took a silver in the championship girls coxless pairs.

Ryan Demaine, who took over as Headington’s director of rowing in 2004 and has, in the last two years, also acted as chief coach, was a delighted man.

He said “It was a really good National Schools for Headington this year – the best ever. It’s definitely down to the hard work the girls put in over the harsh winter mon-ths.”

Although overshadowed by Headington, other Oxfordshire schools and clubs amassed a further 19 medals.

Radley College ended up with eight medals, the one gold coming in the ‘flagship’ junior 16 eights.

Coach John Gearing’s view that his first crew could medal in the championship eights proved correct with a silver achieved behind Eton.

Abingdon School were beaten for the bronze medal by Shrewsbury in the same event.

Abingdon’s tally was four medals, the only gold coming for their new men in the junior 14 octuples where they pipped Radley.

But silvers for Abingdon’s second eight and junior 16 eight bode well while a bronze in Championship coxless fours is not to be sneered at.

St Edward’s School ach-ieved five medals, but only one – a bronze in the junior 15 eights – came in a ‘big boat’ event.

Two clubs – Wallingford and City of Oxford – broke into the medal tally.

Wallingford took gold in the girls under 14 double sculls through Lianne Reeves and Hannah Whelan, and City lan-ded a bronze in the championship girls coxless fours.