An example of the level of competitor not expected at the ball cup is:

  • A sculler or crew in the top half of the results at the National Junior Scullers Heads, in this year or previous years.
  • A sculler or crew who has made it or is expected to make it to the semi-finals of an event at the National Schools Regatta or National Championships.
  • A sculler or crew who has made it or is expected to make it to the finals of other multi-lane events.
  • The club normally features at semi-final level of national events.
  • The competitor would be expected to excel at National events later in the year.
  • The competitor would also be expected to be a “JB” competitor.

The event is not for beginner scullers of clubs who go to the national events. For example, it is not for the new J14 scullers of a school which generally medals at J18 national events.

For clarification, if the question "Can I send my J14/J15/new rowers to the Ball Cup whilst my top crews go to National Schools expecting to be in the semi-finals?" is asked, then the answer is "No, the club cannot enter", as the Ball Cup is for smaller schools and clubs who generally have no aspirations to this level. 

The Ball Regatta is for those competitors for whom a competitive National Schools Regatta or National Championships entry is too high a goal.

Large rowing clubs which have school "sections" may enter as the individual schools, only if the schools row and train as a school and not just separate out for competition.

There is a limit of 40-seats from a club. This is expected to be close to the total junior membership (J13 and above) of the club. However if a larger club trains as individual schools and the schools are not generally combined into club crews, then the limit applies to the schools rather than the club. Also they should not be the best 40 competitors in the club. The whole junior section is expected to be a maximum of about 40. It does not matter if the juniors are split up into different squads.

The Committee may look at the British Rowing membership figures of clubs and schools.