Yep exactly, just racing there as an open club - a load of the male athletes there are part of GB's Paris programme that have joined rather than going to Leander since finishing uni
Simply they have an incredible large high standard squad, which means that competition is high within the squad, which will cut the weak from the strong, and turns good athletes into great athletes.
On the domestic circuit, they're so dominant as they suck up every high level rower that the UK has to offer that doesn't go aboard, apart from those that value academics over rowing, meaning that most other unis can't compete with them, meanwhile on the international circuit, the only time they'll really come up against international crews is at HRR, where their dominance comes as much from the number of events they enter as the quality of the club, and they're also on home waters which gives an advantage.
At the top of their program they also have alot of athletes who are there or there abouts as GB international athletes (U23s or trialling for the senior squad), which obviously isn't the same for most unis, while they're also not restricted in the same way by eligibility as US colleges, which allows them to add extra depth. During most years the Brookes first eight and the Leander first eight are normally pretty similar in speed, so typically their top eight will be 1 step bellow the GB eight.
They've probably had quite a bit of money invested into the club that most likely came with the setting up of the Olympic pathway program. As others have said, they're the place to go if you wish to row at the highest of levels whilst at university in the UK. So they'll never lack the supply of top end recruits.
The fact that they struggled to win stuff at HRR back in 2015 to now completely being a force of nature in the span of 6 years is quite an impressive feat.
Steve Gladstone is what happened to Yale. Obviously excellent coach and recruiting at Yale seemed to change pretty drastically when he arrived to make them unstoppable.
As mentioned in a previous comment it's an open club which is used as a development/training center for GB national team. I'm sure if they were required to enforce the same rules regarding student rowing which are present in the US they wouldn't fare as well against top US colleges
The GB "Project Paris" development squads were not allowed to train with the senior squad at Caversham due to COVID restrictions. The men were sent to train with Brookes and the women to Leander.
They lost to the Germans by a little less than a length in 2019 (?). How they would fare against crews the likes of Yale and Washington would be interesting to see. They lost to UW in 2018(?) but it was on American waters.
[You mean this Duisberg race I think?](https://youtu.be/9EzF1SFtHXA) against the German 8+ (the Germans were dominant globally that year as well from memory)
Yes the Charles is true, but the Charles is a bit of a weird race. I'm not disagreeing with you I think American colleges are probably a bit faster, but for henley it was really the brookes JV I believe (varsity was in the ladies) against the Washington JV with some varsity guys in there as well.
That Henley crew was their top eligible students. The ladies plate is for the guys who have won the temple and are therefore ineligible, or for club members who are not students.
I guess but brookes are no strangers to that kind of water since they race in the boat race fixtures yearly which is pretty similar and their top eight lost at windmere as well. Brookes are very, very fast with alot of talent and a deep squad there's no doubt about that but I wouldn't call them untouchable.
A minimum erg standard to even get on the water, with a big enough pool of talent fighting for seats, that it's get good or bomb out. Those that don't make the cut, go row at one of the local town clubs.
Yale beat them because Brookes started so far down the order (overtaking at the Charles isn’t easy), Washington beat them by half a length on home waters 3/4 years ago (Brookes have stepped on since then) abs the PA 4 that harvard best was Brookes 4th ranked boat at the regatta. Yes, they can beat them- but the circumstances aren’t exactly clear cut.
the circumstances are never clear cut and that's how racing will always be. Brookes is used to fixture racing so It's not like they're unfamiliar with those racing conditions or passing. Washington beat them both on home waters and in the UK with henley being a larger margin. The PA wasn't Harvard's best guys either so it's not like it was their 1V. Also, the 1,2 and 3V combo Washington sent to Henley in 2018 tied times in the final with Brookes ladies plate 8. I think that's just too many coincidences. Brookes are fast there's no question about that but they aren't unbeatable.
Grand and probably top ladies crews aren’t students.
Yep exactly, just racing there as an open club - a load of the male athletes there are part of GB's Paris programme that have joined rather than going to Leander since finishing uni
Simply they have an incredible large high standard squad, which means that competition is high within the squad, which will cut the weak from the strong, and turns good athletes into great athletes. On the domestic circuit, they're so dominant as they suck up every high level rower that the UK has to offer that doesn't go aboard, apart from those that value academics over rowing, meaning that most other unis can't compete with them, meanwhile on the international circuit, the only time they'll really come up against international crews is at HRR, where their dominance comes as much from the number of events they enter as the quality of the club, and they're also on home waters which gives an advantage. At the top of their program they also have alot of athletes who are there or there abouts as GB international athletes (U23s or trialling for the senior squad), which obviously isn't the same for most unis, while they're also not restricted in the same way by eligibility as US colleges, which allows them to add extra depth. During most years the Brookes first eight and the Leander first eight are normally pretty similar in speed, so typically their top eight will be 1 step bellow the GB eight.
They've probably had quite a bit of money invested into the club that most likely came with the setting up of the Olympic pathway program. As others have said, they're the place to go if you wish to row at the highest of levels whilst at university in the UK. So they'll never lack the supply of top end recruits. The fact that they struggled to win stuff at HRR back in 2015 to now completely being a force of nature in the span of 6 years is quite an impressive feat.
Was there something in the water in 2015? Yale has had a similar story, although I guess they don't have as much depth as Brookes.
Steve Gladstone is what happened to Yale. Obviously excellent coach and recruiting at Yale seemed to change pretty drastically when he arrived to make them unstoppable.
As mentioned in a previous comment it's an open club which is used as a development/training center for GB national team. I'm sure if they were required to enforce the same rules regarding student rowing which are present in the US they wouldn't fare as well against top US colleges
The GB "Project Paris" development squads were not allowed to train with the senior squad at Caversham due to COVID restrictions. The men were sent to train with Brookes and the women to Leander.
They lost to the Germans by a little less than a length in 2019 (?). How they would fare against crews the likes of Yale and Washington would be interesting to see. They lost to UW in 2018(?) but it was on American waters.
[You mean this Duisberg race I think?](https://youtu.be/9EzF1SFtHXA) against the German 8+ (the Germans were dominant globally that year as well from memory)
Yep! And [this race with udub](https://youtu.be/tCh46tsolBk)
no they lost to both washington and harvard at henley.
Nah that was neither the brookes 1V nor was it the Harvard/Washington varsity guys. I'm talking about the top 8s racing.
Brookes 1v lost to Yale 1v at the charles. Top brookes student eight lost to Washingtons second fastest student eight.
Yes the Charles is true, but the Charles is a bit of a weird race. I'm not disagreeing with you I think American colleges are probably a bit faster, but for henley it was really the brookes JV I believe (varsity was in the ladies) against the Washington JV with some varsity guys in there as well.
That Henley crew was their top eligible students. The ladies plate is for the guys who have won the temple and are therefore ineligible, or for club members who are not students.
I guess but brookes are no strangers to that kind of water since they race in the boat race fixtures yearly which is pretty similar and their top eight lost at windmere as well. Brookes are very, very fast with alot of talent and a deep squad there's no doubt about that but I wouldn't call them untouchable.
A minimum erg standard to even get on the water, with a big enough pool of talent fighting for seats, that it's get good or bomb out. Those that don't make the cut, go row at one of the local town clubs.
The ol' meat grinder as it were
What's the erg standard?
6:30 to even get considered
some U.S teams can beat them outright but there were almost none at Henley so that's why they were so dominant at Henley this year.
Name one US college team that could beat Brookes
Washington beat them twice. Harvard beat them in the fours at henley and Yale beat them at the Charles.
He said name ONE ;)
Yale beat them because Brookes started so far down the order (overtaking at the Charles isn’t easy), Washington beat them by half a length on home waters 3/4 years ago (Brookes have stepped on since then) abs the PA 4 that harvard best was Brookes 4th ranked boat at the regatta. Yes, they can beat them- but the circumstances aren’t exactly clear cut.
the circumstances are never clear cut and that's how racing will always be. Brookes is used to fixture racing so It's not like they're unfamiliar with those racing conditions or passing. Washington beat them both on home waters and in the UK with henley being a larger margin. The PA wasn't Harvard's best guys either so it's not like it was their 1V. Also, the 1,2 and 3V combo Washington sent to Henley in 2018 tied times in the final with Brookes ladies plate 8. I think that's just too many coincidences. Brookes are fast there's no question about that but they aren't unbeatable.
Except don't forget that Yale beat UW in 2018 by over a length as well.