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All you need to know ahead of Henley Women’s Regatta from the Chairman

Henley Women’s Regatta is ready to welcome a record entry for the Ron Needs Cup, as more than 500 crews set to race over three days

2,110 athletes are making their final preparations for one of the great festivals of rowing as Henley Women’s Regatta (HWR) gears up for another blockbuster weekend. 213 clubs will be represented across three days of jam-packed racing down the world-famous Henley stretch of the Thames.

On Friday, the first of the 510 crews will kick off racing with time trials before progressing into knockout racing over 1500m. Saturday morning will see the juniors enter the regatta ahead of finals taking place throughout Sunday afternoon.

Entries for the Ron Needs Challenge Cup for Championship Eights are at an all-time high, with 29 crews looking for one of the 16 places in side-by-side racing. The record entry continues an upward trend, alongside the expansion of women’s eights events at Henley Royal Regatta in recent years.

Speaking about this year’s bumper draw, HWR Chairman Naomi Ashcroft said, “Henley Women’s Regatta continues to set the benchmark for competitive women’s rowing, showcasing strength, depth and continued international appeal.

“Because it offers a race for everybody, I think that’s why it’s so special for so many crews. It’s thanks to all the volunteers who are engaged with organising it and also thanks to the athletes who still want to compete, particularly all our overseas entries who put the regatta on the global map.”

HWR will welcome 27 international crews, representing Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the USA, as well as a sculler all the way from Argentina.

For many in the rowing world, Henley Women’s holds a special place in the rowing calendar and it’s no different for the regatta’s Chairman.

“Because HWR is such a favourite regatta for me, I think my best races have always been on that stretch of the Thames, side by side with one other crew,” said Ashcroft.

“I’ve got a lot of fond memories there and it’s the same for everyone involved with the organisation of the regatta. We’ve all got a lot of fond memories and myself, and the rest of the Executive Committee are a bit like custodians to making sure that the regatta remains on the racing calendar and we’re there to give all the other women and junior women opportunities to enjoy the same racing experience that we had.

“So, there’s a lot of responsibility. It’s a fantastic honour to be asked to be Chairman but it does come with a lot of responsibility and you want to make sure it’s there and still providing the same racing arena and remains a premier regatta. I’m mindful we’re in a very different world to when it was established in 1988,” explained Ashcroft.

The club events, the Copas Cup for Eights, and the Lester Trophy for Coxless Fours – have both seen a rise in entries this year compared to 2024. The Chairman’s Trophy for Aspirational Quadruple Sculls has also matched its record entry of 31 crews.

The junior events have again attracted high entry numbers. Notably, there has been a 42% increase in entries for the Bea Langridge Trophy for Junior Quadruple Sculls, with 47 entries this year compared to 33 in 2024. Some of this reflects relaxing the age restrictions for competitors entering the junior events with the removal of the two J16 events from the programme this year to help ease timetabling issues.

Para-rowing entries have also soared for the Grosvenor Cup for PR3 Single Sculls, which has eight entries compared to three in 2024.

With nearly 30 hours of racing across the weekend across more than 20 events, there are so many events to keep an eye on.

“I’ve got an interest in all the sculling and sweeping events.” said Ashcroft. “I think the main thing, obviously we want good conditions so that racing is fair, but I’d really like to see some close racing. It’s great when you see crews come back because having raced for many years, we were never the quickest off the start so I quite enjoy seeing the races when the winner comes from behind!”