CUBC is proud to announce its Trial VIIIs crews, marking the culmination of a strong first term’s work. The Trial VIIIs are crucial pre-Christmas races, serving as a dress rehearsal for The Boat Race by pitting two evenly matched crews from each club against each other over the full Championship Course on the Thames, for the first and only time before The Boat Race on 3-4 April 2026. These line-ups demonstrate the depth and resilience of our squads, blending seasoned experience with a number of home-grown Cambridge athletes. Please note that crews are subject to change at short notice. Follow Thursday’s action on social media: @cubcsquad on Instagram and X (Twitter).
Thursday 18 December 2025
• Women (Openweight) 10:45am
• Women (Lightweight & Openweight) 10:55am
• Men (Lightweight) 11:21am
• Men (Openweight) 11:46am
Women (Openweight): Baby v Ginger
| Openweight | Openweight | |
| Crew Name | Baby | Ginger |
| Cox | Lidya Acar (Wolfson) | Matt Moran (Emmanuel) |
| Stroke | Eloise Etherington (Caius) | Carys Earl (Caius) |
| 7 | Charlotte Ebel (Newnham) | Mia Freischem (Darwin) |
| 6 | Camille VanderMeer (Peterhouse) | Aidan Wrenn-Walz (Fitzwilliam) |
| 5 | Alex Wiley (Jesus) | Lyndsey Bryden (Peterhouse) |
| 4 | Phoebe Pryce (Homerton) | Mathilda Kitzmann (Christ’s) |
| 3 | Mia Loxley (Churchill) | Nicole Wojtania (Jesus) |
| 2 | Izzy Campbell (Hughes Hall) | Ellie Sillar (Emmanuel) |
| Bow | Fizz McNally (Sidney Sussex) | Gemma King (LMBC) |
Women (Lightweight & Openweight): Scary v Sporty
| Openweight/Lightweight | Openweight/Lightweight | |
| Crew Name | Scary | Sporty |
| Cox | Heather Shinn (Wolfson) | Lauren Schneiderman (St Edmund’s) |
| Stroke | Hannah Major (Pembroke) | Bella Munro (Peterhouse) |
| 7 | Alyssa Nicholls (St Edmund’s) | Jay Manson-Whitton (Peterhouse) |
| 6 | Katarina Finney (Fitzwilliam) | Anna Linda Elvre (Homerton) |
| 5 | Anna Golbus (Clare) | Imogen Breeze (Lucy Cavendish) |
| 4 | Zara Bek (1st & 3rd) | Olivia Wright (Emmanuel) |
| 3 | Helena Olandi (Hughes Hall) | Courtney Nel (Newnham) |
| 2 | Hannah Warren (Jesus) | Alice Bastianelli (Sidney Sussex) |
| Bow | Lauren Allegretti (Lucy Cavendish) | Kate Oglethorpe (Hughes Hall) |
Shared Women’s President Gemma King, “We have chosen the names Ginger, Baby, Sporty and Scary Spice for our Trial VIIIs names. The Spice Girls are a powerful group of women who each bring different personalities and attributes to the band, reflecting the variety of strengths and backgrounds across our squad. Everyone contributes towards the team and brings something different, making us a team greater than the sum of our parts.
All of the boats ‘wannabe’ the best versions of themselves on the day and put down a fast, exciting race. We hope that the race will ‘spice up your life’ and whilst it may feel ‘endless’ for the athletes, no one is going to ‘stop’ giving their all and each crew is determined to say ‘goodbye’ to the boat beside them. Ginger represents Matt Moran’s crew, with his fiery red hair and calls sending his crew down the course. Baby represents how the crews have learnt and continue to learn as the season progresses. Sporty represents the athleticism and physical commitment of all the athletes, whilst Scary represents the intensity and competitive edge that the rowers bring to training and racing.”
Men (Lightweight): Asterix v Obelix
| Lightweight | Openweight/Lightweight | |
| Crew Name | Asterix | Obelix |
| Cox | Alex Taylor (Clare) | Chiara Dell’Orfanello (Queens’) |
| Stroke | Victor Viennot-Bourgin (Darwin) | Peter Crossley (Sidney Sussex) |
| 7 | William Woodard (Christ’s) | Freddie Challacombe (St Catharine’s) |
| 6 | James Richards (Girton) | Milo Taylor (Hughes Hall) |
| 5 | Nikita Mohr (Peterhouse) | Alex Geddes (Fitzwilliam) |
| 4 | Nick Marsh (Queens’) | James Nash (Downing) |
| 3 | Jeremy Wilkinson (Churchill) | Joe Stell (Downing) |
| 2 | Jou-Myu Wijnholds (Queens’) | Josh Moore (Queens’) |
| Bow | Archie Smith (King’s) | Lihan Loh (LMBC) |
Reflected Lightweight Men’s President Josh Moore, “We wanted to choose a European theme for our Trial VIIIs names this year to reflect the backgrounds of some of our newest squad members who grew up in continental Europe. A classic from French TV – Asterix and Obelix are a contrasting duo, with Asterix embodying wit and strategy while Obelix represents immense physical strength and simple-mindedness.”
Men (Openweight): Slop v Beans
| Openweight | Openweight | |
| Crew Name | Slop | Beans |
| Cox | Sammy Houdaigui (Fitzwilliam) | Freya Jenkinson (Selwyn) |
| Stroke | George Dickinson (Hughes Hall) | Patrick Wild (Peterhouse) |
| 7 | William Klipstine (Hughes Hall) | Gabriel Obholzer (Peterhouse) |
| 6 | Simon Nunayon (Emmanuel) | Alexander McClean (Hughes Hall) |
| 5 | Simon Hatcher (Peterhouse) | Leonard Brahms (Wolfson) |
| 4 | Alex Finger (Wolfson) | Felix Rawlinson (Fitizwilliam) |
| 3 | Calvin Tarczy (Wolfson) | Kyle Fram (Lucy Cavendish) |
| 2 | Noam Mouelle (Hughes Hall) | Raphael Berz (Clare Hall) |
| Bow | Matt Morgan (Pembroke) | Luke Beever (Emmanuel) |
Simon Hatcher explains, “Slop and Beans, so named for the eternal dichotomy between foods eaten during the break between long sessions in Ely. Some prefer a delightful container of porridge or overnight oats (affectionately: slop). Others prefer delicious baked beans fresh from the can. Which viscous foodstuff will triumph on race day? Tune in Thursday to find out!”