HARTFORD, Conn. – The Division III Intercollegiate Rowing Association Champions will put their skills to the test as they gear up for the 187th Henley Royal Regatta. The most prestigious rowing event in the world, originating in 1839 as a one-day public fair, has grown into a five -day event that showcases premier international competition, including Olympians and junior rowers, all competing for various cups across multiple events. Racing will take place from Tuesday, June 30, through Sunday, July 5, in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thames.
History of Henley
The Henley Royal Regatta, as previously noted, was founded in 1839 in Henley-on-Thames as a public event intended to attract visitors and provide entertainment. Beginning alongside fairs and amusements, competitive amateur rowing quickly became the central focus of the event. The popularity of the competition led to a two-day format beginning in 1840.
In 1851, Prince Albert became the regatta's first Royal Patron, kickstarting the tradition that the reigning British monarch would serve as patron, giving the event the right to be called the Henley Royal Regatta. The event has since been visited by various members of the British royal family throughout its history.
Since 1885, the regatta has been run by a self-electing body of Stewards. A Committee of Management, comprising 12 Stewards, oversees planning and organization with a strong emphasis on competitors' interests. As the regatta's popularity grew, its length expanded to three days in 1886 and four days in 1906, when qualifying races were introduced to reduce the number of entries. One hundred years after the Committee of Management was established, the regatta expanded to a five-day event.
The purchase of Temple Island was made in 1987. The island serves as the famous landmark marking the starting line of the regatta course. Henley features a unique format of racing. Unlike the usual multi-lane regatta style, Henley uses match racing, where two boats race side-by-side in a single-elimination knockout format for each cup. The course measures 1 mile and 550 yards (2.112 kilometers), starting at Temple Island and finishing at Henley Bridge. Henley History
Bantams History at Henley
The Bantams have a storied history of participation in the regatta dating back to 1969, when the first Trinity trip was led by Norm Graf. Graf came to Trinity from Yale and wanted Henley to be a foundational experiential component of building Trinity rowing. Graf's 1969 shell highlighted a finals appearance in the Ladies' Challenge Plate, a feat repeated by the Bantams in 1971.
Trinity's first win at Henley was recorded in 1976 in the Ladies' Challenge Plate, out-rowing Queen's University Belfast by 1 1/3 lengths while setting a course record of 6:49. The victory marked the second time an American crew had won the event and recorded the program's first international victory.
Trinity returned to Henley in 1978, 1995, 1999, 2001, and 2003. History continued to be made by the Bantams when they captured the 2005 Temple Challenge Cup title under Larry Gluckman, who gained international renown for the College with the Varsity Eight's crown. In 2008, Gluckman led another crew to a silver medal in the same event.
The last Trinity crew to make the trip to Henley competed in 2013. Thirteen years have passed since the program attended the excitement at Henley-on-Thames. When asked what the deciding factor was in bringing the Bantams back to Henley this year, Head Coach Kevin MacDermott had this to say:
"The decision was based on a few different factors. This is the 50th anniversary of that 1976 victory, so there was some natural synergy and enthusiasm about a potential trip this year. The national championship victory last year further provided a lot of energy and a big boost toward making the trip this year."
MacDermott continued, "I put out a performance-standard challenge to the athletes. I said, 'If you meet this, we'll consider a trip.' The team met it, we considered a trip, had a very good season, and are thrilled to go over this year."
Bantams Rowing at Henley
Trinity College will have representation in the Temple Challenge Cup, Prince Albert Challenge Cup, and Nickalls' Challenge Cup for Pairs.
The Bantams' varsity eight shell, the unchanged National Championship crew, will compete in the Temple Challenge Cup, a student event for eight-person shells. The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, also a student event, will feature a four-person shell comprised of athletes from the Bantams' second varsity eight that finished second at the National Championship.
The final shell is a two-person crew. The pair, also composed of athletes from the second varsity, will compete in the Nickalls' Challenge Cup. This is an elite open event, meaning anyone can enter, whether Olympians or two students from any college or university.
"We are very excited for all three boats to test how fast they are against international competition," exclaimed MacDermott. "The six athletes who will be in the Prince Albert and the Goblets crews are all underclassmen. With those boats, we want to compete at the highest possible level and represent Trinity in an outstanding way, but this is also a huge development opportunity for these athletes. They will all return next year, and having this time training together, traveling together, and racing together will be enormously positive for our long-term performance."
When asked what it means to bring the crews to England and the excitement that comes with spreading the name of Trinity College internationally, Coach MacDermott responded:
"This is a huge event for alumni, parents, recruits, our current students, and just the rowing community in general. The phrase 'Henley Royal Regatta' sparks something magical in rowers. To go there and offer this opportunity for our current guys is enormously additive, and to have it as a possibility for future oarsmen is huge. It sparks pride in our alumni and joy in our parents. Henley is magical."
Trinity is not the only New England Small College Athletic Conference team making the trip to England. After a competitive season against Wesleyan University, the Cardinals will also be making an appearance this June.
After closing out the regular season as the NESCAC runner-up, Trinity finished just 1.22 seconds behind Wesleyan with a time of 6:11.242 to Wesleyan's 6:10.420 at the NESCAC/National Invitational Rowing Championship on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Bantams entered the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships fueled by revenge and managed a decisive victory over the Cardinals, winning by a shell's bow to claim the national title.
Knowing there is a chance the Bantams and Cardinals could race again overseas at one of the most prestigious events in rowing, MacDermott had a spirited response:
"We are enthusiastic to race anybody, anywhere, anytime," he said. "One of the idiosyncrasies of Henley is that the draw happens in a medieval church and has taken place the exact same way for almost 200 years. All of the entries are put into a cup—the Grand Challenge Cup, which was the first event contested at Henley—and a Steward picks names out of the cup. That is how the bracket is populated, and it is quite literally the luck of the draw whom you end up racing. So, we will face whoever we draw, and we'll do our absolute best to advance."
For more information regarding the Henley Royal Regatta, please visit the regatta's website linked on the side panel of clickable links, or click here. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased through the website or at the link located on the side panel.
Where: River Thames, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England
When: June 30 – July 5, 2026
The Bantams will make their trip to England at the start of next week, June 21st, for a full week of training in preparation for the start of the regatta.Streaming options will be accessible on the official site of Trinity Athletics located in the composite schedule on the main page of the site, along with links located on the men's rowing schedule page of the website.
TRINITY ATHLETICS
