MATTHEW Langridge wore a Northwich Rowing Club blazer, with its distinctive green and gold stripes, to collect his prize for victory at Henley Royal Regatta.

That he matched it with trousers in striking salmon pink – the colours of Leander, his current home – did not matter.

Instead the 32-year-old had reason to celebrate making a different statement; winning in style ahead of a likely showdown with two of the fastest rowers on the planet this weekend.

Langridge, along with James Foad, lifted the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup on Sunday following an emphatic success in the men’s pair at Henley.

The European champions were too good for Oliver Cook and Stewart Innes, winning by five boat-lengths in 7:39, as they had been for two other Great Britain teammates – Callum McBrierty and Mat Tarrant – in the semi finals the previous day.

“We proved we’re the quickest crew here,” said Langridge.

“It’s so good to get the victory.”

However the two-time Olympic medallist denied he had deliberately steered his boat to the centre of the course, for which he and Foad were warned repeatedly throughout the final.

They turn attention now to the season’s third World Cup regatta this weekend in Lucerne, when the duo are set to face Olympic champions New Zealand for the first time since last year’s world championships.

Langridge and Foad took silver following an outstanding row in Amsterdam, setting a new British record for the boat class.

Northwich Rowing Club’s junior men’s quad exited the Fawley Challenge Cup at the quarter-finals stage, where they lost to Nottingham.

Sam Harte, George Lawton, Leon Langmead and Harry Blake, a seeded crew, had reached the last eight as a reward for a dominant display when despatching home favourites Leander on Thursday evening.

But they could not prevent Nottingham, who went on to finish as runners-up to defending champions Sir William Borlase’s School, from winning by two lengths on Friday.

“It sadly wasn’t to be for our boys,” said Northwich captain Rachel Hooper.

“But I’m immensely proud of them and what they’ve done for the club.”

Grange School Rowing Club’s quad bowed out to a crack German crew from Frankfurt, keeping in touch with their rivals until the final 500m.

Scott Ozsanlav-Harris, Matthew Roe, Jonny Glover and Matthew Strickland-Baker trailed in the race’s early stages, but they responded when a gap between the boats crept to more than a boat-length at halfway.

However they could not do so again after their opponents found an extra burst of speed when entering the enclosures section of the course.

“The guys gave it everything,” said Grange coach Matt Jump afterwards.

“They sculled beautifully, but just didn’t have anything left in the tank when the Germans pushed on again.”

Former Grange School student Tom Ford, part of Newcastle University’s intermediate men’s four, was involved in a dramatic semi final against the University of California in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup.

But after a contest marked by wayward steering, and an unrelated restart, the Americans progressed.