Over 2,200 athletes from 206 clubs and six countries will compete at Henley Women’s Regatta 2026, with entry numbers rising compared to 2025.
A total of 541 entries were received for this year’s regatta, up 6.1 per cent from 510 in 2025, with a 6.5 per cent increase in athlete numbers from 2,112 to 2,249.
Marlow Rowing Club has the most crews racing, with 11 boats spread across the championship, aspirational and junior events. Molesey Boat Club has 10 crews, plus athletes in three composite boats.
Both Molesey and Oxford Brookes University are bringing big squads to the regatta, with 56 athletes set to race from each club. Thames Rowing Club has nine crews entered, featuring 51 athletes.
The events attracting the most entries in 2026 are all sculling events: the Bea Langridge Trophy for junior quadruple sculls has 47 entries, the Rosie Mayglothling Trophy for aspirational double sculls has 46 entries, and the Rayner Cup for junior double sculls 42.
The two new aspirational quadruple sculls events have also proved popular, with 27 entries for the Chairman’s Trophy for clubs and 21 for the Nina Padwick Trophy for academic institutions. This is up from 31 for the combined aspirational quadruple sculls event in 2025.
The number of crews entering the Borne Cup for championship quadruple sculls has quadrupled, from four to 16, likely on the back of Henley Royal Regatta’s introduction of club, student and intermediate women’s quadruple sculls events this summer.
There is a good international entry, with a total of 26 crews travelling from outside the UK to compete. This includes 11 clubs, schools and universities from the US, such as heavyweights Brown and Yale University, both previous winners of the Ron Needs Trophy for championship eights. Canada, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands will also be represented this year.
Several Olympians or members of senior international teams are entered in HWR this year. Edinburgh University’s Isobel Clements is fresh from winning silver in the lightweight women’s single sculls at World Rowing Cup I in Seville for Ireland. Her opponents include Dutch sculler Tosca Kettler, who won bronze at World Rowing Cup I a year ago.
Molesey and the University of London are fielding a composite crew in the Avril Vellacott Cup for championship fours including Olympic bronze medallist Rowan McKellar, and fellow Olympian Aoife Casey. The same two clubs also have a composite in the Ron Needs Trophy for championship eights with two Olympic bronze medallists on board, Holly Dunford and Emily Hegarty.
2026 Boat Race winners for Oxford University, Kyra Delray and Spaniard Esther Briz, are teaming up in the Redgrave Challenge Vase for championship pairs. Briz was seventh at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the women’s pair, and is also a two-time world champion in coastal and beach sprints. They could face fellow Oxford Blue Juliette Perry, world bronze medallist last year, who races for Leander Club.
HWR chairman Naomi Ashcroft said: “I’m delighted that we have another bumper entry for HWR, reinforcing the regatta’s continued appeal both across the UK and internationally.
“To see all events well supported, with current internationals competing on the same water as those starting out on their rowing journey, promises a true celebration of women’s rowing.
“We look forward to welcoming all our competitors, coaches and their supporters to HWR.”
All crews, except those racing in the Grosvenor Cup for PR3 single sculls, will compete in time trials on Friday, 19 or Saturday, 20 June. These determine progression to knockout racing or seeding.
