Pembroke College Boat Club Shines at Wallingford Head 2025

Typically the most predictable thing about Wallingford Head is that it will likely get cancelled due to river flooding. So the PCBC captains felt slightly un-nerved when, with mere days to go, the Thames Valley rivers were all still rowable with no further rain forecast until after the weekend. Amongst hushed rumours that Wallingford Head might actually happen this year, was it too much to hope for? Dare they dream? Astonishingly, against all odds, not only did Wallingford Head finally go ahead (for the first time in 3 years), but it was uncharacteristically pleasant as well!

On 30 November 2025, Pembroke College Boat Club embarked upon a day of racing that delivered genuine racing excellence with exactly the sort of chaos that reminds us of why we love winter head races in the first place. Typically characterised by a grey, soul-less drizzle and sub-arctic temperatures, the Wallingford weather this year was somehow… genuinely lovely?! Sunshine glimmered off the river; thermals stayed in hatches; and Dan spent the entire morning complaining that he’d forgotten his Pembroke-pink shades. Annoyingly, in the OUBC women’s boat, Dan Foran imitator Katie Doig had not forgotten hers…

Whilst both sides were forced to negotiate an uncomfortably long marshalling spell on the water, M1 were lucky enough to be treated to the waterfront entertainment act that was Bath University trying multiple times to reposition their boat by pushing off a floating buoy, not quite understanding the laws of physics that made their efforts in vain. The success of both our first boats on the lethally-winding 4.5 km course served as an early indicator of PCBC’s form leading into the new season, and the results did not disappoint. 

The Men’s First VIII clocked an outstanding time, considering they were an entirely fresh boat following last year’s M1 exodus, finishing as the second-fastest college crew, only 17 seconds behind Oriel M1. From start to finish, the crew rowed with power and composure, settling quickly into a firm and sustainable race rhythm, despite some members of the crew taking a moment out from racing to pose for the AllMarkOne photographer at  Nosworthy Mamun Bridge. Hopefully Cian ‘head in the boat’ Lomax, Oscar ‘ruh-roh’ Luck, and Ed ‘oh no he didn’t!’ Dunning will nevertheless be pleased with their headshots.

Guiding them down the course was George Rabin, both seasoned coxswain and, as we were soon to discover, seasoned expert in strategic deception. Whilst George did an admirable job leading the boat through a gruelling race, it did not escape their attention that the dramatically fictionalised  ‘final five strokes’ may or may not have contained an additional bonus five strokes to see the boat’s stern through the finish. Whilst some of M1 had used the black Friday weekend to stock up on Christmas gifts, this was not the ‘buy one, get one free’ they had been hoping for. Artistic liberties aside, George’s tactful implementation of the new PCBC tiered finish allowed M1 to sail through the finish at rate 40, making for a cinematic end to their race.

If the men’s side impressed, the Women’s First VIII were beyond sensational. Their performance made them not only the fastest women’s college crew in the entire competition, but also saw them finish seconds ahead of the Oxford University Boat Club’s Women’s D crew. When such an achievement was posted on the PCBC group chat, the messenger may have forgotten to mention that OUBC Women’s D were racing the course for the second time that day… but let’s not get bogged down in the details! The true mark of their triumph came moments later as the OUBC women’s coach walked over to Simon to ask, “who’s in that boat?!”

Demonstrating both strength and technical finesse over the course, W1 were able to match the splits of Wadham’s M1 boat and finish 1 minute 20 seconds and 2 minutes ahead of Wadham W1 and Oriel W1 respectively. W1’s cool-headed pacing and confident execution has marked them as serious contenders for the upcoming Torpids season.

Wallingford Head 2025 was a resounding success for PCBC. Outstanding results from both first boats, strong early-season momentum, and a healthy supply of anecdotes that will be retold and invariably exaggerated (sorry George) in the weekly emails for months to come, act as a welcome reminder that when it comes to college rowing, PCBC is the place to be.