Three Oxford University oarsmen will lead Great Britain’s challenge for medals in this week’s World Championships in Aiguebelette, France, writes John Wiggins.

Former Dark Blues Paul Bennett, Pete Reed and current president Constantine Louloudis, each of whom has won gold at world and Olympic regattas, will be vying with Germany for the top prize in the men’s eight on Sunday.

Germany will again provide the strongest opposition for the GB women’s lightweight quad scull, which includes Wallingford RC’s Brianna Stubbs and Eleanor Piggott.

Oxford Brookes’ Joel Cassells will be confident of reaching the A final in the lightweight pair and challenging for a medal tomorrow.

The coxed pair, with Brookes’s Matthew Tarrant, are also fancied for a medal after easily winning their heat.

Other crews, involving Oxfordshire competitors, need to progress to the next level via the repechage having missed out on direct qualification in the heats.

The women’s eight, with Headington’s Katie Greves, Brookes’s Olivia Carnegie Brown and Oxford University cox Zoe de Toledo, were one place off the A final.

While they should confidently reach that goal and then qualify for Rio Olympics, a medal may just be out of reach this year.

Britain’s men’s four were second in their heat, though Scott Durrant (Oxford Brookes) and former St Edward’s School pupil, Stewart Innes took control in Tuesday’s repechage to book a place in the semi-final.

A crew with much to do in their second race is the women’s quad with Wheatley’s Frances Houghton, but the young lightweight quad scull, including Brookes’s Jamie Copus, must fancy their chances of a place in the A final.

Among those who will be glued to the weekend’s televised finals will be City of Oxford’s youngsters, including Leila Stringer,who picked up her seventh trophy of the year with a win in the J12 single at the Gloucester Regatta.

Abingdon RC had a win at the Ross Regatta with their Masters mixed double scull.