🌊 Southern Waters Roar - Oxford Brookes Dominate! 🌊
Updated 20:00 - 30th November 2025
Twenty-four hours after Durham and Newcastle battled on the freezing Tyne, the Winter Rowing League moved south to the Thames. And what a response from the southern crews!
At Wallingford 4s and 8s Head, the message from Thames Valley was clear and emphatic: the North may have broken the ice, but the South commands these waters.
Oxford Brookes University Boat Club produced the most dominant single-event performance in recent Coldwater history, amassing a staggering 440 points to rocket to the top of the overall standings. This wasn't just a victory - it was a statement of intent that echoed up and down the Thames.
🎯 Oxford Brookes - A Masterclass in Depth
The numbers tell an extraordinary story. Oxford Brookes didn't just win at Wallingford - they overwhelmed the field:
- 7 crews in the Open top 50 contributing 302 points
- 6 crews in the Women's top 50 adding 138 points
- 440 total points - more than any club scored at Rutherford Head
This is the kind of depth that wins Coldwater crowns. OXB-1 claimed the top Open spot, but it was the relentless wave of OXB-2, OXB-3, OXB-4, OXB-5, OXB-6, and OXB-7 that truly made the difference. In the Women's category, OXB-HILL and OXB-LUCK led a similarly impressive charge.
🏛️ The Dark Blues Respond
Not to be outdone by their cross-town rivals, Oxford University Boat Club put on their own show, securing 279 points and fourth place overall in the league standings.
OUBC demonstrated beautiful balance with 112 Open points and an impressive 167 Women's points. Their OUBC-W-A crew took top honors in the Women's category, while Mars claimed second in the Open - a Dark Blue sandwich with just one OXB crew between them at the top of the results.
The Oxford rivalry is alive and well, and both neighbouring clubs now sit in the top four of the overall Coldwater standings.
📊 Current Leaderboard - North vs South
After two events, here's how the battle lines are drawn:
Top 5 Overall: 1. Oxford Brookes University Boat Club - 440 points 🍷 2. Durham University - 320 points 🗡️ 3. Newcastle University - 318 points 🗡️ (Defending champions) 4. Oxford University Boat Club - 279 points 🍷 5. Marlow - 204 points 🍷
🗡️ = Sword region 🍷 = Chalice region
The top three clubs have all competed in just one event so far. Durham and Newcastle will be watching Oxford Brookes' total with interest - and planning their southern campaigns carefully.
🌟 Other Notable Performances
Marlow showed why they're perennial Chalice contenders, scoring 204 points with perfectly balanced attacks (94 Open, 110 Women) to claim fifth overall and third at Wallingford. MAR-DOLEMAN took fifth in Open while MAR-BERRY secured third in Women - textbook Coldwater racing.
Headington School made their mark with a women's-only assault, scoring 139 points from their female crews to sit eighth overall. Specialist strength like this can be deadly in Coldwater's cumulative scoring system.
City of Cambridge traveled to claim 136 points and ninth overall, with well-distributed scoring across both categories showing the depth Cambridge rowing brings to the table.
The schools were out in force too - St Paul's School and Radley College both posted exactly 104 points from pure Open performances, while St Edward's School balanced their 95 points across both categories.
🔥 The Story So Far
Two events, two regions, and already we're seeing the narrative unfold:
- Oxford Brookes have made the most emphatic opening statement in years
- Durham and Newcastle remain locked in their northern battle, separated by just 2 points
- Oxford University have shown they're ready to challenge all comers
But here's the critical detail: the top three clubs in the standings have each competed in just one event. When these titans finally meet at multi-regional events, or when the northern crews venture south and vice versa, the real battles will begin.
Plus - we've yet to see the Tideway clubs awaken!
💬 From the Coldwater Elders
"Oxford Brookes have rewritten what we thought possible in a single event," proclaimed the Elders. "But Coldwater crowns are not won in November on home waters. They are won in March, in foreign territory, in conditions that test character as much as fitness."
"Durham and Newcastle sit and wait. They have raced once, in the freezing North, and shown their quality. Now they must choose: defend the Sword on home waters, or take the fight to the Thames? Oxford Brookes must answer the same question in reverse."
"The chess match has begun. Eight events remain before the finales. The ice is not just broken now - it's melting."
🔜 What's Next?
The league now enters a brief pause before the next qualifying event, the UBBC Head Race on 6th December 2025. It won't be all quiet on the Western front for long...
Will we see Sword and Chalice contenders alike, sneaking out West to top up their points?
View the current standings on our League Table page, and check out detailed results from both events: Rutherford Head | Wallingford 4s and 8s Head
The Thames has spoken. The North is listening. Winter deepens.
Follow us on Instagram for live updates throughout the season, and check back here for analysis after each qualifying event!