A year defined by depth, ambition and breakthrough performances

The 2024/25 season will be remembered as one in which the Rob Roy Junior Performance Squad showed not only strength at the top end, but remarkable depth across every age group. From J14 athletes taking their first strokes in small boats, to J18s racing at Henley Royal Regatta and a course record at Henley Women’s, this was a year where the identity of the squad, it’s technical excellence, composure under pressure, and fearless racing became impossible to miss.

Across heads, regattas and national championships, Rob Roy produced results that placed the club firmly amongst the most competitive junior programmes in the country. But more importantly, the season revealed a squad of young rowers who train hard, support one another and step up to challenges far beyond the Cam.

A Year In The Making

Autumn – Laying the Foundations

The season opened with the Rob Roy Small Boats Head, a day that gave the first real indication of what was to come. Robs dominated the single sculling categories across J18, J16, J15 and J14, with multiple intra-squad podium lockouts. For many athletes it was their first serious test of the year; for some, their first race ever. The technical standard was immediately obvious, strong steering, clean long strokes and the confidence to race hard on home waters.

Through Winter League legs 1–3, that form only solidified. The J16 coxed four not only won their category but ended up the fastest coxed four of the entire competition and Lucas G repeatedly posted times fast enough to challenge older age groups. The women’s side also accelerated quickly, with Amalia sweeping wins in both the WJ17 1x and WJ17 2x while the WJ18 4+ outpaced senior college women by over a minute.

The early months showed the depth Jo regularly speaks about: a squad with athletes capable of racing and beating those above their age class.

Early Spring – Momentum Builds

March brought one of the highlights of the early season: the City Junior Sculling Head. Rob Roy won so many categories that Jo joked most defeats were simply “to another Rob Roy crew.” The WJ14 quad took their first ever win, Felix stormed to victory in the J16 single, Lucas and Max won the J15 double and both Lara and Martha topped the WJ18 sculling divisions. It was a statement of intent and an illustration of the club’s technical imprint — clean starts, smart steering and composed racing.

Two crews then qualified at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta Trials — the WJ15 4x+ and the J16 4+. JIRR qualification is never guaranteed and for both crews to secure their Eastern Region spots reflected months of consistent winter work.

April saw the annual Easter Holiday training camp on the Great Ouse, an apportuity for coaches and crews to maximise time on the water with light traffic and straight wide waters for many km.

May – National Stage, National Results

At the Junior Sculling Regatta, one of the toughest fixtures of the year, all four Rob Roy crews made their A finals — an extraordinary achievement for any club, let alone one travelling with so many first-timers.

The WJ15 quad delivered a superb gold, Lara & Martha took bronze in the WJ18 double after missing silver by 0.3 seconds and Oisin and Jamie both secured top-five finishes in Championship singles. Heavy crosswinds forced organisers to cancel all finals except the A finals, making qualification itself a mark of genuine speed.

The squad then enjoyed a triumphant home-water sprint day at the City Sprints, taking 4 event wins from 10 crews and reaching 7 finals. Stakeboat handling, steering and clean starts earned repeated praise from coaches and spectators.

Meanwhile, the Radegund Mile produced a 100% medal rate, with Lucas (J14 1x) and the Max/Kaya combination sweeping gold.

Nat Schools – A Test of Nerves and Grit

The National Schools’ Regatta, the biggest junior event in the UK, was hit by severe weather, cancelling the entire Sunday programme. For Lara & Martha and the J18 pair Auguste & Lukas, that meant no racing at all. But those who raced on Saturday put down exceptional performances despite brutal crosswinds.

Jamie finished 2nd in the Championship B final in a time that would have medalled in the A final. Oisin rowed a gutsy C final. Amalia, forced to race up in the absence of a para category, delivered a strong D final performance. And the J16 four, lightweight athletes competing in a heavyweight event, came 2nd in the C final, one of the best results the club has produced in that category.

It was not the weekend the squad had hoped for, but the resilience they showed and the maturity with which they handled cancellation would pay off later in the season.

June – Henley and a Turning Point

June was a month that placed Rob Roy firmly on the national map.

At Henley Women’s Regatta, Amalia produced one of the club’s most extraordinary results in recent history:
Winner of the Grosvenor Cup (PR3 1x) and new course record holder.
In grim headwind conditions, she rowed with such control and determination that umpires and commentators highlighted her maturity and technical command.

Lara & Martha raced brilliantly in their WJ18 double, winning their heat before exiting in a tight race in the knockouts setting the stage for even greater things.

At Marlow Regatta, the J18 coxed four of Oisin, Milo, Will and Jay (coxed by Lili) stepped onto the national multi-lane stage and delivered: finishing in the top junior bracket despite being mixed into combined senior/junior fields. The day provided essential experience for their future eight-rowing ambitions.

Then came one of the defining achievements of the decade for the club:
Lara and Martha qualified for the Stonor Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta.

The Stonor is an elite event featuring international Olympic doubles. To qualify is rare. To race the Spanish Olympic double and receive televised praise from Dame Katherine Grainger for “how sculling should be done” is something very few juniors ever experience.
It was a moment of genuine pride for the entire Cambridge rowing community.

Peterborough – Records and Recognition

Peterborough delivered two very different but equally brilliant days.

At Peterborough Regatta, Lara & Martha won the WJ18 double and broke the course record, a fitting reward after their Nat Schools disappointment.

At the Peterborough Junior Championships, the younger end of the squad stepped up magnificently.
The WJ14 4x+ won the Watermanship Award, recognising not racing speed but technical mastery, handling, control and professionalism, a huge compliment to the squad’s culture.

In the afternoon, the WJ15 quad of Zia, Anita, Olivia and Alice (coxed by Josie) not only won gold but broke the course record, having already equalled it in the time trial.

It was a day that showed the future of the squad is very bright indeed.

British Rowing Junior Championships – Four Days of Excellence

The season culminated at Brit Champs, where Rob Roy took 27 juniors, around half the squad and achieved 24 A and B finals, one of the strongest overall club performances in recent years.

Friday:

Gold for Lara & Martha in the WJ18 2x
Strong results in J18 singles from Jamie, Oisin and Nicolo
J16 4+ finishing 5th in the B final after a season interrupted by illness and injury
Flora (W Club 1x) highlighted by commentators as “one to watch”

Saturday:

Silver and Bronze for Martha and Lara in the Championship 1x — finishing within 0.6 seconds of each other
Jamie & Will returned to win their D final
Amalia delivered another strong performance racing up

Sunday & Monday:

Gold for the WJ15 4x+, a superb end to their season
Lucas G won the J14 1x B final in a time that would have medalled in the A final
Max & Kaya raced strongly in the J15 double
Zia, racing four times across two days, was named “outstanding athlete of the day”
Amalia returned for PR3 1x gold, completing her championship campaign with style

It was a fitting close to a year of hard work and growing ambition.

The 2024/25 season cemented Rob Roy as a club with:

Depth across every junior age group
Technical excellence recognised externally
National-level ambition
International-level performances
A culture of resilience, teamwork and professionalism
2 Junior athletes with university scholarship offers to row in the States, life-changing opportunities

It was powered by an exceptional coaching team and an army of parent volunteers who drove trailers, fixed equipment, fed children, erected gazebos in storms and somehow kept everyone warm and organised.

Most importantly, it was driven by a group of young athletes who train hard, race bravely and support each other, whether that’s on the Cam, at Dorney, or passing the Olympic booms at Henley.

The season created momentum, belief and a clear pathway for years to come.