Charlotte Rudd Selected for CUBC squad and Fours Head
The race on the Thames is the first test for rowers on The Boat Race course
The Fours Head crew
The gruelling and highly competitive trialling process for the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) squad starts in September, with the first race of the season being the Fours Head. Having been selected for this year's CUBC squad - an outstanding achievement - Charlotte competed in the Fours Head in November, which for some rowers is their first experience of The Boat Race course!
Pictured: Charlotte Rudd and crew in the Fours Head
Being selected for the squad is the result of months of hard work, early mornings, tough trials, and constant self-improvement. It's also the beginning of an even more demanding journey - becoming part of a high-performance environment with world-class coaches, fierce competition, and teammates who push you every day. There’s a strong sense of pride, tradition and responsibility.
Charlotte says:
"It's been great fun rowing with CUBC for the last couple of months. It has been challenging certainly but I have enjoyed (almost) every moment of it. The early morning sunrises in Ely, testing my limits on the erg and in the gym and forging great new friendships has been such an adventure. This experience has given me a lot more than just physical strength and technical ability; mental strength, resilience, determination, and confidence all come along with it. I'm looking forward to the next few months, I'm sure they will be hard but also incredibly rewarding. I'm so thankful to our college boat club (MECBC) who taught me to love this sport and have supported me through everything."
The next challenge in CUBC's calendar is the Trial VIIIs - Cambridge race against Cambridge on the Championship (Boat Race) Course - a demanding test and a crucial part of the selection process for rowers and coxes. Then in early January students head off to camp for some focused, hard-core training. Following that, three sets of fixtures against international and British crews serve as a vital part of the training process, before the crews are officially announced for the Boat Race in March.