Henley Royal Regatta has announced a rule change for its four Junior events, which relates to the age limitation of athletes that can compete in a crew.
The rule change is as follows:
Rule 1(b): No one shall compete who will have attained his [her] nineteenth birthday by the end of the Regatta.
The rule change was approved at the Stewards’ meeting in June.
The rule change announced today changes the age limit across all Junior events. The reason for the rule change is to minimise the circumstances where an athlete is able to represent his or her school or club for most of the season, specifically the National Schools Regatta in the U.K., but is excluded from competing at Henley Royal Regatta due to age.
Richard Phelps, Chair of Henley Royal Regatta said: "Henley Royal Regatta is committed to maintaining the highest standards of fairness and inclusivity across all levels of competition. Following careful consideration, we have changed the rule that governs the age limit across our four Junior events.
“We have taken the unusual step of approving a rule change at our June meeting, as opposed to the more normal December AGM, because we were aware that some U.K. competitors were contemplating giving up rowing because they fell foul of our previous rule and would not have been able to compete at our Regatta in 2026. The Stewards were keen to avoid this situation and acknowledge that announcing a rule change in December, i.e., halfway through the U.K. rowing year, was not in line with our commitment to inclusivity.”
“This adjustment reflects our ongoing dedication to supporting the development of young rowers and safeguarding a clear and consistent competitive pathway through the junior ranks."
In 2025, three out of the four Junior events at Henley Royal Regatta saw repeat winners - with Windsor Boys’, Headington and Wycliffe all winning for a second consecutive year in The Fawley Challenge Cup, The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy, The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup respectively.
Meanwhile, in The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, Shiplake won the event for the first time in the school’s history.
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For any media enquiries, please contact Henley Royal Regatta’s press office,
The PHA Group - press@hrr.co.uk
