Oxford and Cambridge will both field substantial squads at Henley Royal Regatta this summer, with a record 862 entries from 21 nations creating one of the most competitive fields in the regatta's history.
Cambridge University Boat Club has announced one of its largest Henley entries in recent years. The Light Blues will race across several events, including the Ladies' Challenge Plate, two Temple Challenge Cup eights, a Prince Albert Challenge Cup four and a Diamond Challenge Sculls entry.
A composite crew entered for the Ladies' Challenge Plate is drawing particular attention. With several athletes already identified as future Cambridge rowers, the boat doubles as an early look at the squad being assembled for the 2027 Boat Race campaign. Men's Head Coach Rob Baker has described the crew as an opportunity to begin building towards next season while remaining competitive in one of Henley's premier events.
Cambridge's Temple Challenge Cup campaign draws athletes from the Blue Boat, Goldie, lightweight programme and wider squad across two eights. On the women's side, the Light Blues will race two Island Challenge Cup eights drawn from across the Blue Boat, Blondie and Lightweight crews that competed in The CHANEL J12 Boat Race, with the top crew having placed seventh at the Metropolitan Regatta in the Championship Eights. Cambridge have also entered the Hambleden Challenge Cup pairs in an all-Canadian line-up of Izzy Campbell and Lyndsey Brydon.
Oxford's most eye-catching women's entry is Kyra Delray and Esther Briz Zamorano in the Hambleden Pairs. Winners at Henley Women's Regatta, both senior internationals and 2026 victorious Blues, they are the form women's crew from the Dark Blues. Should both Oxford and Cambridge win their opening races on Saturday, the rematch in this event would come in the semi-final, also on Saturday.
On the men's side, Oxford's leading entry is a three-quarters Blue Boat combination in the Visitors coxless fours: Alex Underwood, Fergus Pim and Alexander Sullivan, joined by senior Austrian international Bruno Bachmair. The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, for academic coxed fours, has two Oxford entries drawn largely from the 2026 Isis crew. Oxford recorded one of the fastest performances of the weekend in the Championship Coxed Four category at Marlow Regatta, albeit with a crew change, which bodes well for their Prince Albert entries.
The knockout format will test both programmes across the week. International crews, leading British clubs and established powerhouses including Oxford Brookes, Molesey and Leander are all expected to feature strongly, meaning a favourable draw and sharp tactical racing will matter as much as raw speed.
Henley offers a broader stage than The Boat Race. Athletes who may never sit in a Blue Boat or Dark Blue Boat still have the chance to win one of rowing's most prestigious trophies.
It has been many years since a single-entry crew from either CUBC or OUBC took home a Henley trophy. Whether 2026 changes that remains to be seen.
