Henley Rowing Club

Founded 1839

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Home Countries International Regatta

This weekend saw Henley Rowing Club Junior girls competing and winning for England when they picked up one Gold and a second place at the Home Countries International Regatta in Cardiff. 

The Home Countries is contested between England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland with each Country taking it in turns to host the Match. This is the first time though for 20 years that the match has been held in Wales and the first time ever in Cardiff. The Welsh having previously had to borrow courses from other countries including holding it in Belgium a few years ago. The new course in Cardiff is 1500 metres and runs parallel to and inside the Cardiff Bay barrage. 

The match is split into four categories with a team prize for Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Senior Men and Senior Women. Whilst only winning crews receive Gold Medals the finishing positions are important as these receive points for the Team Prize which all leads to a very competitive match and some very hard fought racing. 

Lucy Lewington and Hannah Read won the Gold Medal in Junior Girls pairs. This was the fifth race of the day and at which point England had not won a race. The girls though came storming of the start to take an early lead rating 38 which they never let drop below 35 and by 750 had a two length lead which they maintained to take the Gold Medal. 

In the Junior Girls coxed fours Lucy Lewington, Caitlin Bennett, Becci Griffiths, Natalie McIntosh and cox Alice Skinner new they were in for a difficult race Wales where represented by Haberdashers Monmouth who had beaten them once this year and Scotland by George Heriots who had beaten them in the finals of Henley Women's Regatta. Off the start Heriots for Scotland took an early lead followed by Wales then the Henley girls and Ireland trailed in fourth position. The Scottish crew maintained there lead off just over a length to win the race but the Welsh and English crews where neck and neck over the last 500 metres with the Henley girls for England clinching the extra point for second place a canvas ahead of Wales. 

The girls match finished with England and Scotland level on points but with England winning the trophy as they had won the girls eights event. England also won all three other matches. 

Most of the Junior squad will be taking a break for the summer though if you want to come and see some of them in action they will be competing on Saturday in the Henley Town & Visitors Regatta which is also well worth supporting.

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