OXFORD Brookes University women’s eight claimed another victory on the London Tideway, writes John Wiggins.

Competing in the Women’s Eights Head of the River, which attracted nearly 3,000 rowers, the Oxford Brookes eight of Louise Hart, Christie Duff, Imogen Mackie, Jess Brown, Danni Shrosbree, Grace Macdonald, Susie Dear, Annie Withers and cox Aisling Humphries-Griffiths were fourth overall.

They won the Intermediate Pennant, finishing one second ahead of the Cambridge University Boat Race crew in fifth place.

Headington School produced one of the best home school results at the event with ninth place, though they were pipped to the School/Junior Pennant by a visiting Italian junior crew that came in 0.5 seconds quicker.

Wallingford RC were 16th and City of Oxford 32nd. Wallingford’s Masters C crew were fourth in the veteran boats.

Meanwhile, Headington School’s J15 squad had multiple wins in the Gloucester Spring Head.

Racing up an age group, they triumphed on the longer 4km course in J16 eights (Alex Peach, Charlotte Brooks, Alice van Onselen, Tarine van der Merwe, Jaz Barker, Mya Nott, Rachel Grainger, Beth Jones and cox, Izzy Rooney) as well as the J15 double (Charlotte Brooks and Alice van Onselen).

Headington’s quad scull of Alex Peach, Emily Waldron, Charlotte Barker, Rachel Grainger and cox Lizzie Townhill and the J14s (Trudie Marks, Anouk Barnes, Cassia Belardo, Anna Pettit at stroke and Katherine Pango, cox) also won.

The J14 boys from Abingdon RC won in their quad, pushing Magdalen College School into second.

MCS took the titles in the J18 single with John Kosobucki who, then with Ben Blower, also shared the victory in the IM3 double scull with Abingdon, who came in with equal time of 16mins 25.7secs MCS also won in the J15 double (Orlando Riviere and James Gant).

Much to the delight of Head of Rowing, Jane Taylor, there was a first victory for the J13 coxed quad of Laurie Macfarlane, Freddie Basil, James Pullinger, Martin Huang and Daniel Bradbery, who only started sculling last September.