Video Of The Week: Inside the Temple-winning Oxford Brookes Men's Eight on Henley Sunday

 

This week's video comes to us via Oxford Brookes' coxswain Rory Copus, who gives us an inside look (and listen) into the final of the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta last month. The Brookes crew perfectly executed their race plan, jumping out to an early lead (indeed, almost a length by the end of the Island) and continuing to extend that lead through the finish line. The video is also a resource for coxswains—Copus' mixture of rhythm calls and timely, pre-planned moves carries the crew through the race without falling into the trap of simply chatting into the microphone, and keeps the crew consistently informed about position (time, distance, split) on the racecourse.

A telling call from a crew member comes with 500 meters to go: Anyone who has trained for and raced at Henley knows just how rare, and precious, it is to have an opportunity to win a title there. As the Brookes crew crosses into the final quarter of the race, you can hear the words, "Take it all in!" Copus immediately echoes this. Not only is it the ultimate motivation, it's also a reminder of how fraught with meaning that moment is for everyone in the crew.

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-RR

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