OLD Monmothian crew mates Robbie Prosser and Jack Tottem stormed to victory with Leander in the Centenary 8s Head of the River Race in London, with the latter becoming the first cox to win a consecutive back-to-back double with the Women's 8s Head, raced two weeks previously.

The duo were members of Monmouth School's National Schools' 1st 8s-winning crew in 2019, alongside future World U23 gold medallist and US college champion Iwan Hadfield.

And racing in a stacked boat alongside GB's reigning world champion coxless four in the world's oldest rowing time-trial, they covered the 4 1/4-mile championship reverse-Boat Race course from Chiswick to Putney 8.9 seconds clear of nearest rivals Oxford Brookes.

As defending champions, the Henley-based Leander boat led off the 375-boat armada looking for a third straight win, with Brookes starting right behind.

And they steadily moved clear to cross the line at Putney Pier in 16 minutes 47.5 seconds to retain the headship and the Steve Fairbairn trophy, named after the race founder whose memorial stone stands beside the Thames at the Boat Race Mile Post.

London RC were third in 17.10.7, followed by Brookes B containing Wales' Kai Schlottmann in 17.12.8 and Thames RC in 17.14.1.

Former Monmouth Comprehensive student Tom Powell also made a splash finishing 16th with Imperial College in 17.30.4, 13 seconds and nine places ahead of fellow Wales cap Gwilym Johnson and his Newcastle University boat, while OM Henry Fraser placed 45th with Marlow RC B in 18.06.7.

Prosser and Tottem weren't the only Wye winners on the day, with former Monmouth School head boy and GB junior cap Will England racing to 74th and the Medium Club Pennant with his Minerva boat in 18.30.7, making the Bath club the first to win the class twice.

Monmouth RC's George Coates was just 4.8secs behind in 84th with the Durham University 4th 8, who secured bragging rights over their 3rd crew beating them by three places.

Twenty four hours later on the same course, it was the turn of veteran rowers in the Vesta International Masters Head, with Monmouth RC sending three 8s and two quadruple sculls.

There was one class victory and two close seconds in the 298-boat race as the Wye club impressed again in a tricky Tideway tailwind.

The men’s Masters G (over-65) quad scull of Mark Stewart-Woods, Tim Earnshaw, former Cambridge Boat Race president Roger Stephens and Matthew Harden weaved past several boats to finish in 20.28 and win by 42 seconds from their nearest rivals Tees.

The women’s ME (over-50) eight were firstly posted as winners in their class, but were then placed second in the revised results just half a second behind Broxbourne, with York City third just two seconds further back.

It was still a best-ever MRC women’s boat showing by Louise Allison, Liz Lewis, Lou Tanner, Sue Smith, Shelagh Sawyer, Flis Howes, Rachel Rand, Bonita Birkett and cox Taryn Birkett, who crossed in 22.03.

Athens Olympian club coach Tim Male and former GB U23 international Jamie Coombes also went close in their MC (over-42) quadruple scull composite with a duo from Chester club Grosvenor, missing out by just two seconds to Molesey as they finished in 19.11.6, which would have won the MA/B (over-27) class.

The men’s MF 8 finished 12th in their class in 21.08, while the women’s MF 8 were seventh in 23.33.