Our journey to the most prestigious regatta in the world began back in March. On the water at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, our Schoolgirl 1st VIII made history at Head of the River, winning gold in a record-breaking time of 6.37. Overall, our team of 75 girls finished fourth overall on the points table, with an amazing four gold and two bronze medals.
From there, our girls flew to Perth to compete in the Australian Rowing Championships. At the competition, they won gold in the Under19 VIII+ final, making the team national champions. It was a thrilling race with the team winning by 0.75 seconds. The following day, our rowers won silver in the Schoolgirl VIII, returning to school with a gold and two silver medals in three races.
After a stellar season, we were honoured to be invited to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta. Founded in 1839 and patronised by each reigning Monarch, Henley is the most prestigious regatta in the world, attended by over 300,000 each year. Held over six days, the regatta is an intense knockout competition, divided into five categories and 26 events, with each race consisting of two crews rowing side by side up the course.
After an extra term and a half of training, our Schoolgirl 1st VIII, coaches and families made the long flight to the UK a week before the regatta began. As soon as they arrived, girls were straight on the water, training at Sandford-on-Thames as they prepared to take the international stage for the first time.
Although nerves were certainly high, our rowers were all smiles as they boarded the boat at Henley-on-Thames on race day. Competing for the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy, the girls calmly dominated their first race against Tideway Scullers School, one of Britain’s most successful Rowing clubs. In fast conditions, they easily set a record for the Barrier (2.04) and equalled the record to Fawley (3.29). It was wonderful to see the tireless hard work of our girls truly paying off.
But as the team began to prepare for the next stages of the competition, the flu swept through their ranks, taking out rowers and alternates alike. Sadly, as a result of this sickness, we were eliminated in the quarter-finals against Deerfield Academy.
Although it would have been nice to win the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy, our girls left proud of all they achieved. The strength, determination and skill our rowers showed at Henley will not be easily forgotten and the journey they made to England is nothing short of remarkable. Rowing at St Catherine’s began in 2011 with a handful of boats, and in just 12 years, our girls have transformed themselves into an international force to be reckoned with, supported by our coaches and families every step of the way. We can’t wait to see what next season brings!
