ST EDWARD’S warmed up for the National Schools Regatta with a sparkling display in the shadow of Hampton Court Palace, writes John Wiggins.

Their young guns picked up five victories at the Thames Ditton Regatta, along with a consolation win in the plate event for boys J14 quads.

Teddies secured wins in both the girls J14 quad events, the J15 girls fours and the boys J14 octuple band 2 category, where they narrowly defeated Radley College’s B boat.

They went on to complete their five-trophy haul with success for one of their three J14 boys’ quads.

Radley’s A crew took heart ahead of this weekend’s schools’ event with a win in the band 1 octuple, defeating a number of schools with hopes for medals.

The National Schools’ Regatta will again be hotly-contested – not just by the local schools, but also clubs with ambitious junior sections.

These include Wallingford, with ten entries over the three days, and City of Oxford, who have just the three.

Magdalen College School are also well represented, while Hinksey Sculling School have 14 sculling boats.

Also with 14 entries are Abingdon and Headington Schools, while St Edward’s hopes to be lucky with some of their 13 crews.

Radley College will feature in 12 categories, but by holding multiple entries have a total of 16 crews.

The regatta sees a number of changes, including some technical innovations such as close-circuit TV broadcast to supporters in the many marquees lining the bank of this Olympic-class venue.

Elsewhere, City of Oxford’s women travelled to Worcester for the Spring Regatta and while frustrated to have only two races, won both in the eight and the coxless four.

Meanwhile, the Oxford University Summer eights bumping races got under way yesterday.

The start order resumed as it finished in 2017 with Wadham and Pembroke at the head of the women’s event – as they have been for the past three years.

In the men’s event, Christ Church last year deposed Oriel, but Keble were close behind and they will be going all out to regain the title last held in 1977.

  • There was good news for a number of Oxfordshire rowers when the Great Britain team was announced for the first World Cup of 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The event, which runs from June 1-3, sees a number of new senior internationals as well as the elevation of more familiar names to higher status boats.

Wallingford’s Ellie Piggott has been selected in the Olympic class lightweight double scull, with Jamie Copus, once of Abingdon School and still Oxford Brookes University, in the lightweight single.

Matt Tarrant (Oxford Brookes), rows in the key seven seat of the men’s eight with Ollie Wynne Griffiths (formerly Radley College) at four and Oxford Blue Josh Bugajski in the No 2 seat.

The women’s eight will be a second event for two Oxfordshire competitors – Headington’s Fiona Gammond also in a four and Oxford Blue, Anastasia Chitty in the pair.

The men’s pair features Abingdon School’s George Rossiter.

The second World Cup will be in Austria (June 21-24) and the third in Lucerne (July 13-15) after many of the GB team have competed at Henley Royal Regatta.