MEDFORD, MA (June 25, 2025) – The Tufts University women's rowing team, fresh off winning its second straight NCAA championship a month ago, is in England this week to compete at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta (HRR).
Held annually, the Henley Royal Regatta was established in 1839 and features racing on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The regatta attracts international crews to compete and hundreds of thousands of spectators. The course stretches one mile and 550 yards (6,930 feet) from the start just below Temple Island to the finish a few hundred yards below Henley Bridge.
This is the first time in 20 years for Tufts Women's Rowing to be sending a crew to race in a Henley regatta. Previously, the 2005 crew raced at the Henley Women's Regatta, as at the time, HRR did not include women's races. The Women's Henley races are on the same course as HRR, but earlier in the month, shorter, and only for women's crews. This year marks the first time the Tufts Women's 8+ will be racing the Henley Royal Regatta.
Tufts is entered in The Island Challenge Cup, the women's eight oars with coxswain event that ran for the first time in 2021. The event is open to members of a boat club of any university, college or secondary school. The Jumbos must first row a time trial this Friday (June 27) to qualify for the event. They are one of 33 teams in the time trials and will need to be one of the 13 fastest in order to move on to The Island Challenge Cup competition, which starts on Wednesday, July 2.
The probable line-up for the Jumbos has coxswain
Hannah Jiang, stroke
Rose Tinkjian, 7-seat
Janna Moore, 6-seat
Stella Shen, 5-seat
Emma Lyle, 4-seat
Reilly Uiterwyk, 3-seat
Lucy Howell, 2-seat
Sami Haynes and bow
Josie Monroe.
Sydney Barr and
Julia Zipoli are with the team as alternates.
Should the Jumbos advance to The Island Challenge Cup heats, the competition has a two-team, head-to-head "knockout" format for each race.
This international trip will conclude an outstanding year for Coach
Lily Siddall's Jumbos. In addition to repeating as NCAA champions on May 31, the Jumbos also won their second straight NESCAC title earlier in May and were collegiate eights champions at the Head of the Charles Regatta in October.
"This is super exciting for us," Jiang said. "It's going to be a fun experience to be competing against international and D1 programs on a historic course."
Visit the Henley Royal Regatta website
HERE.
--JUMBOS--
