OXFORD Brookes astoundingly produced a stunning 1-2-3 finish in the men’s challenge eights at the Metropolitan Regatta on Eton’s Dorney Lake, writes John Wiggins.

Weather conditions prevented them matching their club record set at the Ghent Regatta a month ago.

But nevertheless, the ‘Met’ record was sent spinning by the Brookes first eight, who were chased home by their second and third boats.

While their victory was anticipated, other clubs might have hoped to fill the minor places.

The victorious eight of Josh Bugajski, Robbie Massey, Matthew Aldridge, Rory Gibbs, Michael Glover, Morgan Bolding, Henry Swarbrick, James Stanhope and cox Harry Brightmore has a familiar ring to it – with all bar the bow man being members of the winning Temple Cup crew at Henley in 2016.

In Jamie Copus’s absence on GB squad duty, Oxford Blue Bugajski was drafted in to help out.

Brookes’s women’s four dominated the T2 event, while an Oxford University lightweight duo took the T3 pairs at this tough regatta.

Taurus Boat Club – Brookes’s alumni from the 2014 squad including Henley winners, Ed Grisedale and Richard Hawkins – won the championship fours, setting another record time.

In the T1 events, the Brookes women came second in a quad while Oxford Blue, Matt O’Leary was third in a single scull.

Another amalgam of Brookes and Oxford University saw Imogen Mackie and Flo Pickles come second to an Irish double scull.

Wallingford Rowing Club’s Louise Bowyer was runner-up in the T3 women’s single, as were clubmates Pippa Birch and Louise Hart in T2 women’s pairs.

Dan Boddington (Griffen BC) was second in the T3 single

sculls.

l Matt Rossiter, formerly of Abingdon School, has been promoted to the Great Britain men’s four for the second World Cup regatta in Poznan, Poland, from June 16 to 18.

Also in that crew is Brookes’ Matt Tarrant.

There is a return for the Wallingford combination of Ellie Piggott and Gemma Hall in the lightweight double scull.

Meanwhile, Oxford University’s Anastasia Chitty moves a from reserve to a place in the lightweight squad.

Former Brookes lightweights, Peter Chambers (double scull) and Joel Cassells (pair) along with Annie Withers (Brookes) and Fiona Gammond (former Headington School) in the eight retain their places.