Welsh Rowing

Llongyfarchiadau mawr to all of our winners at HIRR 2026 at London Docklands over the weekend!

The Juniors gave an outstanding performance with the Junior Men’s team winning the John Hartland cup and the Junior Women’s coming second.

This is only the third time Wales has won a trophy with Junior Men’s winning in 2010 and Senior Men’s winning in 2012.

All of our winners from the event are:

JW1x (B) Grace J

JM1x (B) Hamish G

JW1x (A) Matilda H

JM1x (A) Fred B

JM2x Dylan L & Max R

JW4x 500m Lydia S, Matilda H, Grace J, Naomi W

JM4x 2000m & 500m Hamish G, Dylan L, Max R, Fred B

WPR1/2 1x 2000m & 500m Chloe Hughes

M2- Robbie Prosser & George Cowley

Well done to all of our athletes who took part in the event, wore the Welsh jersey proudly and sung the Welsh anthem passionately!

All of this success wouldn’t be possible without the support Welsh Rowing receives from The National Lottery and Sport Wales / Chwareaon Cymru.

Diolch yn fawr!

Some behind the scenes footage of the Wales team at HIRR 2026 in London Docklands over the weekend.

Stay tuned for our results!

Welsh rowers relish Swiss role with Rotsee medals

WELSH rowers raced to four golds, a silver and a bronze at the recent World Cup III Regatta on Lucerne's 'Lake of the Gods', reports NICK HARTLAND.

Cedol Dafydd and the GB Men's Quad scull was joined at the top of the podium by Katherine George and cox Jack Tottem in the Women's 8 and Paralympic PR1 singles champion Benjamin Pritchard.

Matt Rowe in the Men's 8s also took silver, while Llandaff RC graduate Angharad Broughton took a battling bronze in the Women's Coxless Four.

Dafydd, Callum Dixon, Tobias Schröder and Rory Harris quickly surged to the front of the pack to lead by 1/2L from Estonia at 500m and had stretched out to just over a length at halfway.

The Netherlands then came through to challenge in the third quarter, just getting an overlap at the 1500m mark.

But the 2025 World silver medallists held on to take the gold by 1/3L in 5.54.92, with Germany in bronze 1/2L back on the Dutch.

GB's Women's 8 turned the tables on World Cup I winners Australia, taking a canvas lead at 500m, edging out to 3/4L at halfway and going through the three-quarter way mark with just over a length.

Australia pressed hard in the last 500m, but with Old Monmothian Oxford Boat Race winner Tottem calling the race from the cox's seat, GB held off their challenge to win by 1/3L in 6.08.54, with the US third another length back.

City of Swansea Paralympic and World champion Pritchard dominated his final after overhauling early leader Erik Horrie in the second quarter, winning by more than 14 seconds from the Australian.

Shanghai World silver medallist Matt Rowe came back into the GB Men's 8 after racing the Pair in World Cup I and helped them to a close repeat silver behind the Dutch 2025 World Champions.

The Dutch stole a march leading by 1/2L at 500m and had 2/3L at half-way over the Brits, who in turn had 1/4L on the Aussies.

That remained the margin through 1500m before the Brits launched a furious charge, just running out of water finishing six feet behind the Netherlands in 5.36.93, with Australia taking bronze a length back.

Following a fourth-place finish in Seville, Angharad Broughton and the GB Women's Four went one better to win bronze.

The US and Australia pulled away from the field, leaving the British in a fight for third before a decisive move in the third 500m saw them surge past the Dutch and pull away to cross in 6.37.14.

"Since we raced in Seville, we’ve had a really good block of training, and we feel we’ve improved so much," said Broughton.

"We’re a young crew, so we see that improvement every day and in every session.
“Coming into the race today, it was an exciting opportunity to see where we are now and where we can progress to for next time.

"It’s my first senior medal and my first World Rowing medal, so I’m really excited. It’s been a cool experience and a fun race to do it in.”

Olympic medallist Matt Aldridge raced a new Pair with Fergus Woolnough placing second in the B final for eighth after the Norwegians edged in front with 400m to go and won by a length, with GB crossing in 6.40.02.

“We had no pressure and no expectations,” said Aldridge. “Coming into the regatta, we wanted to make the A/B semis and being disappointed with second in the B Final is a very good thing because there’s perhaps a little bit more in there than we initially thought.

"It’s a very fast Norwegian Pair out there, so it’s good to be racing with them the whole way. Very good for a first campaign.”

Photos: Benedict Tufnell/ World Rowing

Are you a Rower? Aged between 12-21? We want you!

Welsh Rowing has a vision to develop our younger members into the future leaders of Wales through the sport of rowing, volunteering and physical activity. Our Youth Panel Programme aims to support, upskill, and recognise the commitment young people (aged 12–21) give to the sport of rowing. We want to provide a platform for their voices to be heard at all levels.

We are seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from our younger members who think they may enjoy being a Youth Panellist. Completing the EOI form does not commit you to the process but offers a chance to find out more. We hope to recruit approximately 8 panellists through an application process and really want representation from all over Wales and in all the different rowing disciplines – sea rowing, river rowing, coastal rowing, adaptive rowing and indoor rowing.

Please sign up using the QR code or the Expression of Interest link below.

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=kjUdJXEwjUiwQvwX01JCkW8lTC_PO-pBhnL1YTG_I0NUOERYT0xLWjM3TEJFSTU3UFFHV1lBOFdKOC4u&origin=lprLink&route=shorturl&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGn_k5j7mptzg3vinqh41sGpuXx7pRUsM1TuuRBsuTkMsF3zCK4RReTpCl5Ods_aem_HsfZeQo-erliC7zfIMCPVw

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Welsh Rowing are pleased to announce our Welsh Senior & Junior Teams for the Home International Regatta 2026 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

The teams will race at the London Royal Docks on Saturday 25th July 2026.

Llongyfarchiadau Pawb!

Henley Royal Regatta Day 6: Welsh rowers on Cloud Nine in sizzling finals

WELSH rowers were on Cloud Nine after winning that many medals on a scorching hot Henley Royal Regatta finals day, reports NICK HARTLAND.

There was also Henley heartache for some, with 16 competitors in total racing for a coveted red-box Royal Regatta medal.

A Welsh medal was guaranteed in the third race of the day, with 2024 National Schools’ singles champion Elliot Donovan-Davies from Llanharan and his Nautilus/Edinburgh GB U23 squad Quad up against the Leander boat of Wales and GB cap Aidan Thompson in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup.

The former's crew had a foot at the top of the Island and had edged to 1/2L at the Barrier, where both crews were rating 37.

And the composite kept the foot on the gas to hit the start of the enclosures just over a length up before crossing the line 1 1/4L to the good in six minutes 23 seconds.

The daddy of them all - the Grand Challenge Cup for International Men’s 8s, dating back to 1839 and the start of the regatta – saw Welsh duo Matthew Aldridge and Matt Rowe line up just before the lunch break in the GB Oxford Brookes/ Leander composite against the Italian national squad, who had won World Cup II.

Crews are only officially listed as two clubs, but can be entered as more, so Aldridge wore his home club Christchurch colours and Rowe his Kingston kit, as the GB crew quickly put themselves in pole position, taking a canvas at the top of the Island and 1/2L at the Barrier.

And they just kept moving out – 1L at the 1/2-Mile, 2L at the Mile and 3L at the finish, reached in 5.59.

Aldridge said: “That was a really good row, and to be honest we expected it to be a lot closer. There’ll be more seat racing now, but it’s a good boost heading up to altitude training at Silveretta before the worlds in Amsterdam.”

Next Welsh rower joining them on the podium was Imogen Wolstencroft, whose Thames A Wargrave Cup Women's Club 8 faced the potential banana skin of their B boat, who stunned the Molesey A boat of Welsh trio Della Luke, Efa Wilson and Emilia Regan rowing them down in the closing stages the day before.

But alphabet order prevailed, with the A crew leading by 1/2L out of The Island and 1 1/2L at Fawley before crossing 2 1/2L up in 7.01.

Not to be outdone by GB’s Grand winners, the Women’s National squad containing no less than three Welsh rowers, also dominated their Remenham Cup final, beating Team Italia by 2 1/4L in 6.51.

Welsh Olympic medallist Eve Stewart returned to the boat for her first GB appearance of the year after injury, joining Wales caps Katherine George and cox Jack Tottem, who were both on board when the Brits won gold at last month’s World Cup III regatta in Lucerne.

They were level to the 1/4-Mile, but Leander and Molesey had 1/2L by the Barrier and 3/4L at the 1/2-Mile.

Team Italia rating higher had no answer to the relentless British momentum, and the lead was 1 1/2L at the 3/4-Mile before they stretched away down the enclosures.

For the second time in the day, there was a guaranteed Welsh medal in the final of the Prince Albert Cup college Men’s Coxed Fours, as Tom Powell’s Imperial boat took on Gwilym Johnson’s Newcastle crew.

With the temperature touching 30C, things were bubbling on the water as the Tyne outfit blasted out to a 3/4L lead at the 1/4 Mile.

But Imperial, with Powell at two, quickly surged back and were bowball to bowball by the Barrier two minutes in.

The London boat led by just feet at Fawley and despite a steering warning at Remenham, moved out to a length by the Mile Post.

Newcastle got a slight overlap hitting the packed enclosures, but Imperial resisted their final charge to take the trophy for the fifth time – which they originally donated to the regatta – by 1L in 6.50.

Tom's win followed triumph for fellow Monmouth Comprehensive alumni Darcy Birkett in the Wargrave Cup Women's Club 8’s alongside Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank's winning Wycliffe Quad in 2024, and Eleanor Lawrence-Preston matching Violet last year.

And in the penultimate race of the whole regatta, Megan Knight and her BUCS-winning Reading Quad scull, coached by Welsh Olympic medallist Chris Bartley, became the first ever winners of the intermediate Princess of Wales Challenge Trophy.

Facing Hartpury/Leander, the crews were level at the end of the Island before Reading edged out to go through the Barrier 1/2L up in a new record 2.04.

Stroked by Knight, they continued to move away to lead by 2 1/2L at Fawley, and despite several steering warnings they crossed 2 1/4L up in 7.20.

But there was Henley heartbreak for other Welsh rowers alongside Thomson and Johnson.

Early in the day, former Cardiff & Vale and Monmouth Comprehensive juniors Katie Gardner and Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank saw victory clutched from their Washington University 8's grasp in the final 300 yards by fellow Americans Brown, who came back from 3/4L down to take the Island Cup women's college 8s by 1/2L in 6.57.

Two races later, fellow Welsh rower Laura Thomson and her Leander crew had to give second best to Molesey in the new Danesfield Cup club quads, won in a new record 7.13.

Cedol Dafydd and the GB Leander/Twickenham Quad faced Team Italy in a Queen Mother's Cup 2025 world silver medallists v world champions final.

The Italians were warned for their steering off the blocks but blasted into an early lead to reach Fawley a length to the good.

And holding 40+ all the way, they resisted the Brits' final charge to hold on by 1/2L in 6.20.

And there was real disappointment for Rhiannon Luke and her Nautilus GB U23 squad Coxless Four in the final of the Town Cup, when they clashed with Dutch opponents Hollandia off the start, rowed away to cross the line 3L in front and were then disqualified for their earlier transgression.

Photos: Ben Rodford Photography/ Henley Royal Regatta/ Oarstruck

Henley Royal Regatta Day Five: Cedol and Co hold out double Olympic champion to set up Italian final

TEN Welsh rowers will go for medal glory on Henley finals day, including 2025 Welsh World silver medallist Cedol Dafydd and the GB Quad scull, who were pushed all the way by the Skibbereen/Naval Remo Portugal combination of two-time Irish Olympic champion Fintan McCarthy, reports NICK HARTLAND.

It was nip and tuck all the way down, with the GB crew holding a slight lead that was continually challenged, before just holding off their rivals’ final charge by 2/3L to set up a final with the Italian national boat.

Meanwhile, GB and Wales cap Aidan Thompson proved the comeback kings in their Prince of Wales Cup semi-final with Oxford Brookes, trailing by 1 1/4L at the Barrier before pushing back to hit the front by Remenham, and going on to win by 1L.

And facing them in the final will be the Nautilus/Edinburgh University GB U23 Quad of Stanford USA student Elliott Donovan-Davies from Llanharan, who just held off the challenge of BUCS champions Reading University by 2/3L.

There will also be Welsh interest on the Bucks and Berks stations in the final of the Prince Albert Cup, with two members of last year’s Home International team facing each other.

Monmouth Comprehensive alumni Tom Powell and his Imperial College Four stormed into the final beating Dutch outfit Triton by nearly 4L.

And they now face Gwilym Johnson’s Newcastle University crew, who edged Oxford’s Dark Blues by 2/3L in a time three seconds quicker.

Meg Knight also stroked her Reading University BUCS-winning Princess of Wales Quad, coached by Welsh Olympic medallist Chris Bartley, to a commanding 3 1/4L win over Edinburgh University/Leeds, with Leander/Hartpury their final opponents.

There was plenty of interest in the first semi-final of the Island Cup Women’s college 8s, as Washington USA took on Durham, with a Welsh quartet battling it out.

Monmouth Comprehensive alumni Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank and former Llandaff/ Cardiff & Vale junior Katie Gardner’s Stateside boat led by just a foot at the 1/4-Mile and Barrier.

They then had the ‘relative comfort’ of a 1/3L at Fawley from Old Monmothian cox Ben Jennery and Megan Hadfield, who also came through the C&V ranks.

But it was still just a 1/4L at the Mile Post where it looked as though Durham might come through, only for Washington to resist the Wear outfit’s final surge and take the win by 2/3L.

It was similarly tight in the other semi-final, where Americans Brown held off the challenge of Millie Hurrell’s Oxford Brookes boat by the same margin, meaning an all-US club medal race.

Kai Schlottmann’s Temple Cup run was halted by Cambridge’s Boat Race boys by 1 1/2L though, while Gethin Balkwill and the Hartpury Fawley Cup Quad also bowed out by the same margin to Tideway Scullers.

And Csombor Hanczar and the favourites tag for Radley’s Princess Elizabeth Cup 8 may have hung too heavy as St Pauls – the crew they beat into second at the National Schools – turned the tables.

The London outfit, having benefitted from some technical sessions from Welsh former Cambridge and GB coach Robin Williams, fought tooth and nail to lead by a canvas at Fawley.

They then edged to 1/2L at the 3/4-Mile and although Radley pushed before the Mile to get back to 1/3L, St Pauls held their composure to move away down the packed enclosures and win by 1L.

Meanwhile, alphabet order prevailed for Texas-based student Rhiannon Luke and her Nautilus A GB development squad crew as they downed their B boat by 3 1/4L to set up a final clash with Dutch outfit Hollandia.

But the wait for a Henley final must go on for fellow US student Osian James, as the California Berkeley-based World junior gold medallist’s Nautilus Ladies Plate boat were edged by 1/2L by Leander.

And fellow Llandaff product Cari Meredith and her Birmingham University Queen Victoria Cup Quad’s run was also ended by Reading A by 5L.

Laura Thomson’s Danesfield Cup Leander Quad scull were comprehensive winners over Thames though, leading by more than 4L with 20 strokes to go before paddling in at 26 to win by 2 1/2L, with Molesey standing between them and a Henley red box in the final.

But there was heartbreak for Welsh trio Della Luke, Efa Wilson and Emilia Regan and their Molesey Wargrave Cup Women’s 8 as they led through every marker until the Mile and the 1/8th where Thames B surged through to win by 3/4L.

Molesey had 1/2L at Fawley and the 3/4-Mile, but couldn’t break clear, as Thames slowly edged back approaching the enclosures.

The lead was only a canvas at the Mile, and Thames’ pressure put them a foot in front at the final marker before powering clear over the last 20 strokes.

Carys Pryce and her Leander crew had their race postponed to the end of the first session owing to equipment failure, but Thames A then seized the early initiative to race out to win by 1 1/4L to meet their B boat.

And Royal Chester’s bid to make the Britannia Cup final for a second year running also came to an end at the hands of London A, but not without a tremendous fight.

In what is the last holding of the Men’s Club Coxed Fours event, which is being removed as Henley Royal moves towards gender parity with the introduction of more Women’s events, a tremendous Royals finish almost put them through after trailing by 2 1/2L to the Putney outfit at the Barrier.

It may have looked like race over early on, but called on by cox Sarah Armstrong and stroked by fellow Welsh rower Ed Press, they started to edge back heading into the enclosures.

And suddenly with 30 strokes to go, London looked under significant pressure, with Chester eating up the deficit with every stroke only to run out of water just 1/2L down.

Tune into https://www.youtube.com/henleyroyalregatta for live coverage and highlights and https://www.hrr.co.uk for up to date results.

Henley Royal Regatta Day Four: Comeback kings Gwilym and Gethin surge through to semi-finals

GWILYM Johnson's Newcastle University college Coxed Four faced fellow Welshman Carwyn Davies' Brookes boat in the second race of day four and the latter looked in the box seat with a 3/4L advantage at the Barrier, reports NICK HAARTLAND

But in a classic tussle, the lead was only 1/3L at Fawley and just six inches at the Mile Post, where the Tyne outfit broke through and rowed away to win by 1L, with Oxford University next in Saturday's Prince Albert Cup semi-final, after a 1/2L win over Harvard.

Former Monmouth Comprehensive pupil Tom Powell and his Imperial crew also made it through to the last four later in the morning with a 1L victory over Cambridge's Light Blues, to set up a last-four battle with Dutch outfit Triton.

Another epic comeback late in the day saw Welsh junior Gethin Balkwill's Hartpury Fawley Cup junior Quad scull surge back from 1/2L down at Fawley to lead before the Mile Post, before going on to beat Marlow by 2 1/2L, with a semi-final tilt against Tideway Scullers next.

But while Wales Home International-2025 winner Robbie Prosser and his Leander A Visitors Cup Four had sight of victory against their B boat after surging back from nearly a length down at the 3/4-Mile Mark, they were held out by a canvas.

Cardiff & Vale and Llandaff graduate George Cowley's bid for a third Henley medal was ended by Leander as well, after a fantastic Ladies Plate 8s race with his London boat, the Pink Palace edging it by 1/2L.

Llandaff World junior gold medallist Osian James, back from California Berkeley, made it through with the Nautilus GB U23s though, beating a Molesey/Nereus boat by 2L to face the Leander crew.

And it was just as tight for Toby Lassen's Brookes boat at the end of the day in the other side of the draw, squeezed out by 2/3L by the Cambridge/Harvard composite.

But National Schools' Singles record holder Elliott Donovan-Davies from Llanharan helped the Nautilus/Edinburgh University GB U23 Prince of Wales Cup squad Quad keep their Leander/Leeds opponents at arm's length, to come home 1 1/2L up in the first race of the day.

And the Stanford University US student now faces BUCS champions Reading University for a place in Sunday's final.

GB cap and Welsh Rowing graduate Aiden Thompson also made it through with Leander, beating Reading D by 2 1/4L, with a semi-final clash against Brookes their reward.

Meg Knight and her BUCS champion Princess of Wales Cup Reading University Quad scull prevailed over the Molesey boat of fellow Welsh sculler Heloise Wormleighton by some 5L to secure a last-four slot against the GB U23 Leeds/Edinburgh combination.

And back from top US programme Texas, Rhiannon Luke – daughter of Olympic medallist Miriam Batten and Llandaff RC GB cap Dave Luke – went through in her Nautilus A Town Cup Women's Coxed Four by some 3L from UL/Molesey to face their own B boat next.
Cardiff & Vale graduate Megan Hadfield and Old Monmothian Ben Jennery fought out a tough Island Cup Women's college 8s race with Durham against Dutch raiders Aegir, but edged it by just 2/3L.

And the Wear crew's reward is a semi-final tilt at Washington University USA, containing former Monmouth Comprehensive pupil Violet Holbrow-Brooksband and Cardiff & Vale's Katie Gardner, who secured an equally tight 2/3L win over Cambridge's Boat Race squad.

Also through to the last four in the other side of the draw is Wales' Millie Hurrell and her Oxford Brookes crew, who had slightly more breathing space beating Cambridge's B boat by 1 1/4L, with Brown USA, who beat London by a similar margin, their semi-final opponents.

Llandaff’s Cari Meredith is another semi-finalist after her Birmingham University Women’s college Quad scull secured a 3L win over Reading C, although next up in the Queen Victoria Cup are Reading A.

Csombor Hanczar and his Radley National Schools’-winning Princess Elizabeth Cup school 8 were 1 1/2L winners over Bedford to set up a mouth-watering semi with NS silver medallists St Pauls, who edged out Australians Sydney University.

But Mathilda Hudson-Hulls and Gracie Janes had to give second best to Marlow A by 2L in their Diamond Jubilee Girls' Quad scull.

Tune into https://www.youtube.com/henleyroyalregatta for live coverage and highlights and https://www.hrr.co.uk for up to date results.

Photos: Ben Rodford Photography/ Oarstruck

Henley Royal Regatta Day Three: Right Royal encore as Ed and Sarah produce epic last race comeback

IT proved worth the wait for Ed Press and Wales cox Sarah Armstrong as their Royal Chester Britannia Cup Coxed Four secured a brilliant comeback victory in the last race of the day.
Thames B led through the Barrier and Fawley, but couldn't shake off Royals, who edged back from /34L down to a canvas at the Barrier, reports NICK HARTLAND.

And with Press at stroke lifting the rating along the enclosures, they broke through before the Progress Board to storm home to win by 1/2L to set up a semi-final clash with London A.

Wales cap Chris Clarke in the cox's seat in the Thames RC Four led through the Barrier (1.56) and Fawley (3.15) in new record times.

But in another epic, Dutch raiders De Hoop dug deep to surge through up the enclosures to win by 3/4L in a course best 6.41.

Tomos Sidorowicz's Molesey crew bowed out to Americans Potomac by 2 1/4L though.

And Paris Olympic Pairs silver medallist Ollie Wynne-Griffith racing in a stacked Peterhouse, Cambridge Ladies Plate 8 found Brookes A, containing Wales cap Toby Lassen a couple of lengths too quick, who next face a mouth-watering last-eight clash with the seeded Cambridge/Harvard composite.

But Cardiff & Vale and Llandaff graduate George Cowley stayed on course for a third Henley medal with a 1 1/4L win in his London Ladies Plate 8 over Germans Marbacher/Rostock, with seeds Leander standing in their way next.

Back from Stanford University in the US, Llanharan's Elliott Donovan-Davies and his Nautilus/ Edinburgh University GB U23 Prince of Wales Cup squad Quad powered home 2 1/4L ahead of Windsorian/Marlow to set up a last-eight battle with Leander/Leeds.

Swansea University and Welsh Rowing graduate Aiden Thompson, who sculled for GB in last year's World Championships in Shanghai, was another winner with Leander, although they were pushed into 3/4L by Reading B, coached by Welsh Olympic medallist Chris Bartley, and will have to do it all again next against Reading D.

Alphabet order prevailed for Wales' Efa Wilson, Emilia Regan and Della Luke's Wargrave Cup Molesey A 8 as they beat former Monmouth Comprehensive student Katie Kearsey's Molesey C crew by 2 1/2L, securing a clash with Thames B, who put out seeds City of Cambridge by 3/4L.

And they were joined by Carys Price's Leander boat who sent Australians Mercantile out by 2 1/4L to go up next against Imogen Wolstencroft's Thames A boat, who had 1 1/4L too much for Kiwis Avon.
Laura Thomson's Leander Danesfield Cup Women's Quad also won by just under 3L against Imy Bantick's Marlow crew, to set up a clash with the Molesey boat who put out Llandaff's Erin Meredith and her London A crew by some 4L.

Gwilym Johnson's seeded Newcastle University Prince Albert Cup college Coxed Four cruised home 3 1/2L clear of local rivals Durham to set up a quarter-final clash with Carwyn Davies' Oxford Brookes crew, who fought out a tough battle with University College Dublin before prevailing by 1 1/2L.

Former Monmouth Comprehensive student Tom Powell also made it through with his seeded Imperial boat, easing home from Keir Palmer's Birmingham University outfit, with their reward a tilt at Cambridge's Light Blues, who put out Dutch raiders Njord.

Meanwhile, Llandaff RC's Kai Schlottmann and his Oxford Brookes Temple Cup college 8 brushed aside schoolboys St Paul's, winding down and paddling over the line 1 1/4L up, with Durham – 3/4L conquerors of Americans Yale – up next.

Welsh world junior medallists Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank and Katie Gardener and their Washington US Island Cup college 8 went through by 1 1/2L from Newcastle A to secure a clash with Cambridge Light Blues' A crew, who put our Miami.

And Cardiff & Vale graduate Megan Hadfield and Old Monmothian cox Ben Jennery also went through in their Durham BUCS medal-winning boat by 1 1/2L against Edinburgh A to set up a next round clash with Dutch outfit Aegir.

Millie Hurrell's Brookes A boat joined them with a regulation 3L win over Edinburgh B, with Cambridge B their last-eight opponents, who rowed through Yale to win by 1/2L.

Gethin Balkwill's Hartpury Fawley Cup Boys' Quad found themselves down at half-way but rowed down Kiwis Aramoho Whanganui to win by 1 1/2L, with Max Roughton's Marlow Fawley Cup Boys' Quad up next, who saw off Canadians Ridley by 2 1/2L.

And Matilda Hudson-Hulls and Gracie Janes' Hartpury A Diamond Jubilee Girls' Quad came through by 2L from Wallingford to face Marlow next, although Faith Thorpe-Williams' B boat bowed out by 2 1/2L to Maidenhead.

Tune into https://www.youtube.com/henleyroyalregatta for live coverage and highlights and https://www.hrr.co.uk for up to date results.

Henley Royal Regatta Day Two: Welsh Women make a slash in the Wargrave

FORMER Monmouth Comprehensive pupil Katie Kearsey and her Molesey C Wargrave Cup Women's 8 caused an early Day Two shock, coming back from 3/4L down at the 1/4-Mile against Australian seeds Sydney before surging past by Fawley and rowing away to win by 1 1/4L.

Their reward is a tilt at the Hampton club's A boat containing Welsh rowers Della Luke, Efa Wilson and Emilia Regan, who cruised home by 5L against East Enders Lea.

And Wales' Imogen Wolstencroft also went through in an all-Putney clash, her Thames A boat comfortably easing home by 2L from Thames B, while Carys Price's Leander boat were 3L winners from Molesey B.

They next face Melbourne Aussies Mercantile – 2L victors over the City of Bristol boat of Wales, Llandaff and Old Monmothian cox Richard Summers, who had steered them to a 4 1/2L day one win over York City.

GB U23 medalist Wilf Kimberley - a Wales record holder with three Home International wins in one day – fought out an epic Thames Cup tussle with London B against Dutch seeds De Maas, with never more than 2/3L between them.

The Dutch led by two feet at the top of the Island and 1/2L at the Barrier before London hauled it back to 1/4L at Fawley.
The Dutch edged out, but it was back to 1/4L at the Mile Post with the race coming right to the boil.

But De Maas resisted all London's pressure along the enclosures and squeezed away in the last 20 strokes to cross 2/3L to the good.
Llandaff RC twins Rob and John Davies plus fellow Welshman Phil Nesom and their Thames B boat also put up stiff resistance against Australian seeds Sydney.

The overseas crew had 1/4L at the 1/4-Mile and a length at Fawley before the Welsh trio's crew made a charge, getting back to 2/3L at the Mile, only for the Aussies to repel the move to finish a length up.

Seeking to go one better than last year when Royal Chester were losing finalists in the Britannia Challenge Cup coxed fours, Ed Press and crew led all the way to see off the challenge of Fairmount USA by 1 1/4L, with Thames B up next.

And Tomos Sidorowicz's Molesey boat also beat a handy Vesta crew by just over a length to face Potomac USA next.
But the alphabet order prevailed as Monmouth cox Taryn Birkett and her London B boat bowed out to their A crew by a length after a tight battle.

Llandaff RC's Kai Schlottmann – part of last year's Wales Home International-winning Coxless Four – had the best seat in the house at bow in the Oxford Brookes A Temple Cup college 8, as they put out Dutch raiders Orca by 2L to land a last-16 race with the St Pauls' 2nd 8.

But Brookes Welsh club mate Luke Dillon in the B boat went out to Americans Yale by the same margin, following Finlay Thomson and the Newcastle University boat who lost by 1 1/2L to London University.

Leander's Laura Thompson and her seeded Dansefield Cup Women's club Quad broke the Barrier and Fawley records in the new event as they beat Tideway Scullers by 2 1/2L, although Molesey lowered both marks again next race.

Waiting for Thompson's boat in the last eight is fellow Welsh rower Imy Bantick and her Marlow Quad, who prevailed by 1 1/4L in a tough battle with Kiwis Avon.

And the luck of the draw set up a London v London first round clash for Llandaff graduate Erin Meredith, whose A boat won by a length, with their reward a clash with new record holders Molesey.

But after their epic one-foot last stroke win over Americans Fairmount, it was a big ask for Old Monmothian Will England and his Wyfold Cup Minerva Bath club four against Australian seeds Sydney.

And so it proved despite keeping the Aussies honest, as they bowed out by just over 2 3/4L, while Will Fraser's Marlow boat also went out by 2 1/4L to Thames A, following Fishguard's Jerry Owen in Nottingham RC colours by 2 1/2L at the hands of London.

Scarlett Dundas and her Newcastle University Island Cup Women's college 8 won a tough battle with Americans Yale B by 3/4L.

But a battle of the Bs for club mate Megan Davies saw the Newcastle 2nd boat bow out to Brookes seconds by a length in another good race.

Csombor Hanczar's National Schools' champion Radley boat breezed through by 4 1/2L against local rivals Abingdon to secure a last-eight clash with Bedford though.

But fellow Llandaff graduate Oliver Coombes and the Radley 2nds 8 had to give second best to mighty Americans Washington by 2 1/2L in the Temple Cup college 8s.

Esther Walker and her St Edwards National Schools' silver medal 8 cruised through against TBC USA by 3L to set up a mouth-watering Prince Phillip Cup school 8s clash with NS champions Shiplake in the last eight.

But Wallingford's Matilda Phillips and her crew mates lost out to Irish outfit Enniskillen by 3 1/4L.

The six-day regatta finishes with finals on Sunday.

Tune into https://www.youtube.com/henleyroyalregatta for live coverage and highlights and https://www.hrr.co.uk for up to date results.

Photos: Oarstruck