Junior Head of the North 2026

Trafford returned to the water at Junior Head of the North in Runcorn this January with 3 competing junior crews. The club has had a recent forced break from water training due to the canal being frozen over and issues with accessibility to the boathouse. With limited recent water time and very cold, windy, and rainy conditions, crews were exceptional and proved their indoor training had paid off 💪

The W J16 4x- of Tabby, Ellen, Martha, and Isabelle delivered a dominant performance to win their event on the long course in Division 1. Starting ahead of the field, they maintained a strong lead throughout the race and finished nearly a full minute clear of the second place crew. This is the girls' first ever race in a coxless quad since moving into the J16 category, and with little water time due to club closures, Isabelle made a very impressive debut in the bow seat steering the 6km course 🥇

The J14 4x+ of Leo, Ben A, Joseph, James, and Ben W coxing claimed victory on the short course in Division 2, leading by over thirty seconds after a well controlled race in difficult conditions that was a first experience for most of the crew 🥇

The WJ14 4x+ crew of Holly, Isobel, Jemima, Molly and Shiva coxing produced another strong result in Division 2, finishing second and narrowly missing the top spot by just ten seconds. They handled the tough conditions well and raced with real determination from start to finish. 🥈

Overall, it was an excellent return to racing for Trafford, with crews demonstrating impressive performances despite very limited preparation and challenging weather. Thank you to Runcorn Rowing Club for hosting the race 💙🤍