Nine nations win individual World Rowing Cup trophies

At the end of the 2025 World Rowing Cup series, after regattas in Varese and Lucerne, a total of nine nations picked up individual event trophies.

Great Britain, overall winners of the 2025 World Rowing Cup series, added the titles for the women’s single sculls and men’s quadruple sculls. Lauren Henry won the single both in Varese and Lucerne to finish with a maximum of 16 points.

The British men’s quad picked up bronze in Varese and added a superb gold in Lucerne. Cedol Dafydd, Matthew Haywood and Rory Harris were joined by Callum Dixon in Lucerne; Dixon was unwell in Varese and was replaced by Tom Barras.

Germany and the USA also won two individual event trophies. Germany’s women’s quad of Sarah Wibberenz, Frankel Hundeling, Pia Greiten and Lisa Gutfleisch took silver in Varese and gold in Lucerne, while the men’s eight achieved the same results.

The USA picked up the women’s four trophy, despite a crew rejig between regattas. Camille Vandermeer and Azja Czajkowski were on board for both, winning two golds. They added two silver medals in the women’s eight, meaning the USA also won this trophy.

New Zealand’s Oliver Welch and Benjamin Taylor won the men’s pair trophy, with Varese gold and Lucerne silver. New Zealand were also second by a single point in the men’s single and double sculls, won respectively by Norway’s Jonas Slettemark Juel (two bronze medals) and Switzerland’s Kai Schaetzle and Raphael Ahumada. Schaetzle and Ahumada won despite finishing off the podium in Lucerne; their Varese win added to fourth on the Rotsee was enough in a competitive field.

Australia took the men’s four trophy; Nikolas Pender, Fergus Hamilton, Austin Reinehr and Alexander Hill claimed back-to-back golds.

The final two event trophies went to China’s women’s double sculls crew of Yunxia Chen and Ling Zhanh, also after two golds, and Czechia’s women’s pair, Anna Santruckova and Pavlina Flamikova, winning bronze and silver respectively.

World Rowing Cup points are awarded in the 12 Olympic events, with the winners receiving 8 points and the second-placed crew 6 points, down to 1 point for seventh.