WYE rowing star Iwan Hadfield stroked his 2022 US college champion club to victory over UK Head of the River champions Oxford Brookes in a titanic clash at the San Diego Classic regatta in California.

The former Monmouth School for Boys Rowing Club captain was part of the California Berkeley crew that lifted the Intercollegiate Rowing Association varsity 8s title last June, regarded as the varsity national championship in the US, where rowing is a huge university sport.

And this year’s Cal crew started their new season as they finished their last, with a storming victory.

Brookes finished first and third in the world’s oldest time-trial, the men’s 8s Head of the River over the reverse Boat Race course in London last month, with just 10 seconds separating their top two boats.

And a mix of both crews from the UK’s premier university club, including Wales and GB caps Sam Bannister and Matt Rowe, travelled to the US to launch their season against the Bears at the USA’s premier spring regatta.

With Iwan setting the tempo in the stroke seat, Cal moved out consistently through the first half of the 2000m Grand 8s final, taking clear water at the 1,100 metre mark and repelling a grandstand surge by Brookes to win by 3/4L in 5mins 46.77secs.

The Wye rower, who began his career at Cardiff Vale Schools on the Taff, has enjoyed a stellar career since stroking the Monmouth School 8 to Schools’ Head and National Schools’ class wins in 2019 - the 150th anniversary of the club.

Later that year he travelled to Japan and stroked the GB eight to bronze at the World Junior Championships on the Tokyo Olympic course, backing that up two years later with bronze in the men’s four at the World U23 championships in the Czech Republic.

Last year his Cal crew went unbeaten on home waters, culminating in IRA victory in New Jersey by 3/4L from Yale, with Brown University in bronze.

Back on British waters, two fellow members of his Monmouth School boat also did well in the 320-boat Head of the River, 2022 Oxford Boat Race-winning cox Jack Tottem steering the Leander B boat to fifth and 2022 world U23 gold medallist Robbie Prosser stroking his Bristol University crew to 20th.

Meanwhile, former Monmouth Comprehensive School student Violet Holbrow followed up an amazing championship girls’ eight win with Wycliffe College in the 400-boat Schools’ Head on the same Thames course, as reported previously, with victory in girls’ U17 quadruple sculls at the 500-boat Junior Sculling Head just four days later.

This time with two blades instead of one, Wales junior cap Violet and her Wycliffe boat covered the two legs of the 2012 Olympic regatta course at Dorney in 13.24 to win by nine seconds from Henley RC.

Monmouth Comprehensive placed 15th in the 31-boat class in 14.53, while their U18 boys’ quad placed 20th out of 28 in 13.14.

More than 50 scullers from the Wye school launched out on the Olympic course, including U14s for the first time since 2019, with the U14 girls’ and boys’ quads both finishing in the top-20 in their class.

Back beside the Wye, students also took part in a fundraising half marathon run for their club at the end of term (pictured below).

To support their efforts and give them a chance to row and race, go to www.justgiving.com/monmouthboatclub