Hansine’s historic Henley victory

The University of St Andrews Boat Club is celebrating its first ever Henley Women’s Regatta win, thanks to a sensational performance from a rower with less than 12 months experience.

With over 2,000 competitors from across the UK and around the world, the regatta showcased elite talent on the iconic stretch of the River Thames.

The standout moment of the weekend—and a historic milestone for the club—came from Saints Sport Scholar Hansine Marshall in the Bernard and Pauline Churcher Cup for Aspirational Single Sculls. Hansine, with less than 12 months of rowing experience, delivered a sensational performance to become the first-ever University of St Andrews athlete to win at Henley Women’s Regatta. 

Ranked 8th after the time trials, Hansine demonstrated remarkable resilience and tactical prowess, using her coastal sculling experience and strength to power through the wind in the final rounds. After a commanding second-round win, she came from behind in the quarter-final, semi-final, and final to secure victory—each time overtaking her opponents in the second half of the race. Her triumph, achieved in the club’s Wintech single “Emmeline Reed,” marks a defining moment in St Andrews rowing history, and stands as a testament to her grit and the legacy of those who have helped shape the club. 

Hansine, a postgraduate MSc student in Artificial Intelligence, began rowing in September after joining the University. She was introduced to the sport through the Saints Rowing Talented Athlete Programme and has quickly made a name for herself in the rowing community.

Despite being new to the sport, Hansine has already achieved remarkable success, including setting a new 1km ergo British record. She also claimed gold medals in both the Women’s Beginner 1x and Women’s Beginner 2x categories at the BUCS Regatta, and secured a strong fourth-place finish in the Women’s 1x at the Scottish Championships. 

St Andrews fielded its largest squad in recent years at Henley Women’s Regatta, with 18 student-athletes competing across five events. 

• The Aspirational Double and Academic Eight crews delivered strong performances in fiercely competitive fields, narrowly missing out on progression beyond the time trials. 

• Sophia Issberner represented the club in a Championship Coxless Four as part of a Scottish composite crew, reaching the quarter-finals before being edged out by a powerful Leander crew that advanced to the final. 

• The Development Coxed Four impressed with a strong campaign, progressing through two rounds before facing Edinburgh University in the quarter-finals. Despite a determined comeback, the crew was unable to close the early gap. Edinburgh went on to win the event. 

Hansine said: “I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to race at Henley Women’s Regatta in my first year of the sport. It was a really exciting and challenging experience, and coming away with the win makes it feel very special. This result is a reflection of the incredible support from my coach and everyone at the Boat Club – I couldn’t have done any of it without them.” 

University of St Andrews Director of Rowing Lewis McCue said: “I’m really proud of the performances this weekend from all the women representing University of St Andrews. Hansine put together an excellent 3 days of racing to win the 1x especially coming from behind in 3 out of her 4 races in tough conditions. She showed resilient and mature racing across the 3 days, an incredible feat for her first season in the sport.” 

All races are available to watch on the Henley Women’s Regatta YouTube channel.