After an incredibly successful Schools Head of the River, the Shiplake rowers were eager to get back into the boats and prove their salt. However this time, instead of taking on other schools, the crews kept the competition within the Shiplake walls and rowed against crews from other houses. Shiplake rowers came together to compete in the annual House Head of the Rover race, which is held from Sonning Lock to Phillimore Island, just downstream of the College boathouse.
Each house offered up a crew of eight, make from pupils from across all year groups. The standard of rowing has notably increased, and it was incredibly encouraging to see every house fielding a competitive eight! It was a close race, with the crews throwing themselves into it with the utmost gusto, despite the less-than-tropical climate. The reigning champions, Skipwith, were hoping to hold onto their title of a number of years. However, this was not to be; scarping the win by a margin of just three seconds was Burr house. The crew of Matt Godwin, Ben Pogmore, Tom Scott, Hugo Oglina, James Love, Sunny Pong, Andy Turnill, Matt Brown and cox Alex Webster were clearly very pleased. This comes on the back of Burr’s victory in the House ergo competition earlier in the year, so spirits were high!
Despite the chilly weather, the race was a great success, with seconds between the houses. Everyone gave it all their all, showing great dedication and enthusiasm. As we head towards Regatta season, races like this are the perfect opportunity to practice and gain experience.
