Cambridge crews announced: Henley Royal Regatta and Henley Women’s Regatta 2025
In its most ambitious entry in years, Cambridge will field three eights and two pairs to take on the best domestic and international competition at Henley Royal Regatta 2025, with three additional entries at Henley Women’s Regatta. We wish all our crews, and also our many alumni, great racing.
Cambridge Men | Henley Royal Regatta
Grand Challenge Cup
Olympic Champion Tom Ford and winning Goldie 5-man Tom Macky will join forces with seven athletes from the victorious Men’s Blue Blue, in what is expected to be the strongest Cambridge entry in some years. With an assertive performance at Metropolitan Regatta, taking gold in the Open Championship Eights, this crew has already demonstrated the strength of their base speed.
Commenting on the announcement, Chief Men’s Coach Rob Baker said: “I’m delighted to name our two eights to race at Henley Royal Regatta this year. After making the final of the Ladies Plate in 2024, we have been able to push our summer training even further this season. To have two eights racing is a great testament to the work the guys have put in. Entering the Grand in a year when there will be international crews is a tall order, but we feel it’s a unique crew, and we want to race the best. Selecting Tom Ford after a tough year for him is a particular pleasure. Please come and support our crews; we look forward to roars of Cambridge from the enclosures.”
Stroke: Douwe de Graaf (St Edmund’s)
7: George Bourne (Peterhouse)
6: Tom Ford (Peterhouse)
5: Simon Hatcher (Peterhouse)
4: James Robson (Peterhouse)
3: Tom Macky (St Edmund’s)
2: Noam Mouelle (Hughes Hall)
Bow: Luca Ferraro (Peterhouse)
Cox: Ollie Boyne (Downing)
Following the announcement of his selection, victorious Blue George Bourne remarked: “The men’s squad is super excited to be attacking Henley with some real purpose this year!
We are really looking forward to racing against some of the world’s best in the Grand Challenge Cup. We know it’s incredibly ambitious to choose to take on these national teams, but we truly believe we can be right in the mix, and it is a unique opportunity to make CUBC history that doesn’t come around all too often!
We’ve been training hard since The Boat Race and have had some really positive individual and crew performances in training, with erg personal bests and some great water work.
We know the challenge is enormous, but we are incredibly motivated to show that Cambridge is a programme that competes at the very highest level — this year and for years to come.”
Temple Challenge Cup
Five athletes from the victorious 2025 Goldie crew (Men’s Reserves) will team up with 2025 Blue Luke Beever, spare Sean Hayes and trialist Tom Connor, ably led by Isabella Fiske Harrison — cox of the winning Men’s Lightweight crew. The lineup sees just a single change from their triumph in the Open Academic Eight at Metropolitan Regatta, with Simon Nunayon ineligible due to his previous Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup victory in 2019.
Commenting on the crew’s progress, Rob Baker remarked: “Our (mostly) Goldie crew is a strong entry racing the Temple Challenge Cup, with the majority in the fastest eligible crew when we raced at Met Regatta. They have been steadily developing since then.”
Stroke: Luke Beever (Emmanuel)
7: Matt Edge (St Catharine’s)
6: Brett Taylor (Queens’)
5: Tom Connor (Churchill)
4: Matt Morgan (Pembroke)
3: Connor Attridge (Hughes Hall)
2: Joe Travis (Jesus)
Bow: Sean Hayes (Jesus)
Cox: Isabella Fiske Harrison (Trinity)
Cambridge Women | Henley Royal Regatta
The Bridge Challenge Plate
The full Cambridge Women’s Blue Boat is set to compete in the inaugural Bridge Challenge Plate. According to Henley Royal Regatta, “This will be the first-ever women’s event in the Intermediate category — for crews placed below the top-tier Premier category but above the Club and Student events.” This new event “reinforces Henley Royal Regatta’s commitment to achieving gender parity on the water and marks the first women’s event added since additional races were introduced in 2017 and 2021.”
Following a dramatic victory in The Boat Race and a fifth-place finish in the Women’s Championship Eights at Metropolitan Regatta, the crew is eager to deliver a strong performance and demonstrate the power of their base rhythm.
Reflecting on the significance of race, Chief Women’s Coach Paddy Ryan said: “Henley Royal Regatta holds a special place in my heart—not just as a rower, but personally too. It played a big part in why I decided to change my plans and stay in the UK.
Getting the chance to race with the full Blue Boat in the new women’s event is incredibly exciting. It’s also a real honour to be competing alongside so many strong domestic crews at such a historic event.”
Stroke: Samantha Morton Van Eybergen (Hughes Hall)
7: Tash Morrice (Jesus)
6: Claire Collins (Peterhouse)
5: Carys Earl (Gonville & Caius)
4: Annie Wertheimer (St Edmund’s)
3: Sophia Hahn (Hughes Hall)
2: Gemma King (St John’s)
Bow: Katy Hempson (Christ’s)
Cox: Jack Nicholas (Pembroke)
Sophia Hahn, the victorious Blue who will be remembered for her composure during The 2025 Boat Race clash, spoke about her selection: “The crew is really excited for Henley this year. After having a fantastic Boat Race season and race, we are thrilled that we get to continue training together as a crew to attack a new project.
Henley preparation is an entirely different ball game compared to Boat Race preparation: from the race strategy to piecing and physiological systems. However, as a crew we are very process-oriented, and it has been so fun bringing our minds and experience together to deliver a final product that we hope will be successful over the course of Henley week.
The women are racing the Bridge event this year — the latest addition to Henley Royal’s racing program. Several of the crews that we spared against in the lead up to the Boat Race will be entering, all of which are incredibly impressive, and we are very eager to race them again.
Over recent weeks, we have found an exponential amount of speed, so we are eyeing a path to Sunday’s finals. Regardless of the race outcome, we are thrilled to be a part of the Bridge’s historical debut and HRR’s efforts to broaden the horizon of opportunity for women in elite-level rowing.”
Hambeldon Challenge
- 2025 Blue Claire Collins (Peterhouse) will be doubling up with a former teammate, Maddie Wannamaker, racing for New York Athletic Club.
- Victorious in the Blondie 2-seat, Mia Freischem (Darwin) joins winning Lightweight 7-seat Arden Berlinger (Pembroke). The pair are hoping to have a strong performance after taking silver in this event at Met Regatta.
- After coming fourth in this event at Met Regatta, winning Blondie crewmates Carina Graf (Emmanuel) and Ellie Sillar (Emmanuel) are set to race, with the pair representing both the oldest and youngest members of the CUBC Women’s squad.
Cambridge Women | Henley Women’s Regatta
The Parkside Trophy
After winning silver in the Lightweight Women’s Pair at Met Regatta, finishing 2nd overall in the C Final, Madeline Jackson (St Edmund’s) and Freya Clarkson (Emmanuel) will team up in the Championship Lightweight Pair.
Maddy shared her excitement about racing, and revisiting a familiar course: “I’m really excited to get back on the Henley stretch. It’s one of the most famous stretches of water in the world for the rowing community, and it’s a privilege to compete alongside one of my closest friends, teammates, and classmates — Freya! We’ve both been preparing for our upcoming medical school exams, so the time on the water has been such a welcome break and a great chance to let off some steam.
This event means a lot to me, too. I raced here as a junior, years ago, and I love that it’s a celebration of women in sport. The Parkside Trophy for Championship Lightweight Pairs is one of the few remaining events for lightweight competitors on the rowing calendar. We’re so grateful to Henley Women’s for continuing to support lightweight rowing, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to see what we can do alongside other lightweight rowers this weekend. It truly feels like a celebration of our sport, and I just love that!”
Godfrey Rowsports Trophy
Claire Cooper (Sidney Sussex) will look to challenge again in the Lightweight Championship Single after a great showing in this event in 2024.
The George Innes Cup
Victorious Blondie athlete Polly Shorrock (Trinity) will compete in the Championship Single for the first time, after participating in the Development Squad in 2024.