News

Posted: 22 June 2026

Scottish clubs and athletes enjoyed a memorable Henley Women's Regatta, returning home with five victories, an all-Scottish Championship final and a number of other notable performances across the three-day regatta.

Success came across Championship, Aspirational, Academic and PR3 events, with athletes from St Andrew Boat Club, University of St Andrews Boat Club and Glasgow University Boat Club all stepping onto the top of the podium.

Aldridge and Marshall contest all-Scottish Championship final

One of the standout stories of the regatta came in the George Innes Cup for Championship Women's Single Sculls, where St Andrew Boat Club's Rachel Aldridge defeated University of St Andrews Boat Club's Hansine Marshall in an all-Scottish final.

Aldridge crossed the line in 5:38.60 to claim one of Henley Women's Regatta's most prestigious honours.

Recently featured in Henley Royal Regatta's Closing the Gap series,

Aldridge spoke about leaving a career in medicine and the Royal Navy, relocating to pursue rowing more seriously and balancing training with A&E shifts in Livingston as she works towards her ambition of representing Great Britain.

Marshall's appearance in the Championship final was equally significant. Having won the Aspirational Women's Single Sculls title in 2025 during her first year in the sport, she returned 12 months later to compete for one of the regatta's top honours.

Three Scottish athletes featured in the event, with Charley Faint of St Andrew Boat Club also reaching the semi-finals in a field that included competitors from Leander Club, Vesta Rowing Club, City of Oxford Rowing Club and Dutch club Willem III.

Marshall defeated Vesta's Iona Maxwell before overcoming fellow Scot Charley Faint in the semi-finals to set up the all-Scottish decider, while Aldridge booked her place in the final with victories over Leander Club's Anna Hempleman-Adams and a strong semi-final performance.

Robertson follows in Marshall's footsteps

Ava Robertson of Glasgow University Boat Club won the Bernard and Pauline Churcher Cup for Aspirational Women's Single Sculls, adding another Scottish name to the trophy just a year after University of St Andrews' Hansine Marshall claimed the same event.

Robertson had to come through a demanding five rounds of racing across the three days of competition, showing real determination throughout the regatta. At times she was forced to fight back from behind, but repeatedly found another gear when it mattered most.

Her campaign began with victory over Cambridge University's Hannah Major before further wins over Chester-le-Street's Sophie Youlton and a host of strong domestic and international opposition.

In Sunday's final, Robertson defeated Flora Turnbull of Rob Roy Boat Club in a time of 5:55.30 to secure the title, capping a successful regatta for Glasgow University Boat Club, coached by Chris Rae.

Beach Sprint specialists shine on flat water

University of St Andrews Boat Club's Tash Phillips and Natacha Searson won the Rosie Mayglothling Trophy for Aspirational Women's Double Sculls.

Known for representing Great Britain in the Beach Sprints discipline, the pair showed they are equally at home on flat water, combining their speed and race craft to impressive effect.

Their campaign gathered momentum across the regatta, including a semi-final victory over Oxford University Boat Club before they defeated Dutch crew RV Skadi by four lengths in Sunday's final, crossing the line in 5:19.80.

St Andrews secure second victory in Academic Fours

The University of St Andrews Boat Club, led by Director of Rowing Lewis McCue, claimed a second victory by winning the Cathy Cruickshank Trophy for Aspirational Academic Coxless Fours.

The crew of Charlotte Mickelborough, Alexia Shynkevich, Leyla McKinley and Grace Davison came through a strong field of university crews to take the honours, defeating Imperial College in Sunday's final by 1¾ lengths.

Their route to victory included a notable semi-final win over Oxford Brookes University.

Gough regains the Grosvenor Cup

St Andrew Boat Club's Sam Gough regained the Grosvenor Cup for PR3 Single Sculls, a trophy she previously won in 2024.

Fresh from being awarded an MBE in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours for services to sport and to the visually impaired community, Gough's route to victory was far from straightforward. She revealed afterwards that she had capsized on her way to the start and experienced technical issues with her headset, relying on verbal direction from her support team on the bank.

Gough went on to defeat University of York's Milda Ambra in the final in a time of 6:51.60 to reclaim the title.

The victory also ensured St Andrew Boat Club finished the regatta with honours in both Championship and PR3 events, with Club Captain and Senior Women's Coach Lindsay Flockhart supporting athletes across multiple events.

Further notable performances

There were also notable performances elsewhere across the regatta.

Edinburgh University Boat Club reached the final of the Colgan Foundation Cup for Aspirational Academic Eights. Their campaign included victories over the University of Warwick, Boston College (USA) and Nottingham University before they finished runners-up to Oxford Brookes University in the final.

 Laura Bates, who has previously represented Scotland at the Home International Rowing Regatta, won the Haslam Trophy for Championship Lightweight Double Sculls representing London Rowing Club alongside Erin Meredith. The pair defeated Reading University in Sunday's final after progressing through a strong field.

Tom Young, Head of Performance at Scottish Rowing, said: