Clubman wrote:

Ultimately I think the whole Team Keane thing now doesn't really matter. 

A couple of the guys came out at the start saying that they were just a group of mates getting together to represent their home town club and enjoy themselves. What better opportunity to do that, than in one of Henley's premier events. If they have always rowed for Oriel they may not have had a chance to row at HRR before which again they get to do now. 

Appreciate that most people are also joking but TK were never going to be genuine competitors to Thames for the cup.  Their times haven't been quick enough at met or Marlow.  Competition is more likely to come from the international crews. So bumping them up hasn't exactly gifted the cup to Thames. 

True, hasn't changed the destination of the Thames cup, but it has clarified the rules nicely for us and opened up another slot in the draw for a crew who will be delighted to race at hrr.

Ricardo wrote:

Insidertrading wrote:

One for under the radar.....The Britannia Challenge Cup.......Rule 1 (a)......No crew of a boat club of any university, college or secondary school shall be qualified to contend for this prize.......Crew 457 UTS Haberfield Rowing Club, Australia.......translated = University of Technology Sydney Haberfield Rowing Club, Australia.

No one seems to have picked up on Insidertrading's spot of a rogue entry in the Brit.

Looking at the various UTS websites it seems the rowing part* of the club is an elite centre for university athletes.

"The UTS Rowing Club is one of Australia’s leading rowing clubs and is recognised as a centre of rowing excellence in Australia. This is significantly demonstrated through 25 of its members were included in the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic rowing teams, and the Club has produced five world champions and several under-23 champions."

* the rest of the site promotes the club bar and restaurant

A baffling entry though there may well be a good reason why the Stewards allowed them in the club event instead of putting them in the student event. Perhsps some of the crew have recently finished their studies so no longer qualify as full time students. I'm sure someone on the forum will know the back story.

Good luck to all of you competing at Marlow and at the regatta in a fortnight. Is there going to be a forum discussing the speed of the crews entered now that the Stewards have decided upon eligibility?

Having seen my Quintin crew (I'm the fat old coach) royally thumped by the Haberfield Brit entry I feel I must redress my earlier entry.

Haberfield were an Australian club who went bust. The University stepped in and bailed them out. It was and still is a club - though it obviously has a strong university attachment and option for students to be rowing scholars as part of its elite programme.

The Brit entry is a mixture of current students, lads in an effective gap year. They're huge, they row well and they entirely qualify to row in the Brit. I, and my crew, will be happily cheering them on for the rest of the competition.

So whereas I'm sure there are some crews the Stewards let slip through that we can all miss about this isn't one. They're just a very good crew.