WORCESTER rowers Jeremy Richardson and Pete Crozier raced to the Home Countries pairs title for England just six days after taking gold at the British Championships.

Crozier's wife-to-be Claire Vincent was also on song at Cardiff Bay, helping her Wales women's quadruple scull to a record five Home Nations regatta wins.

The celebrations are set to continue next month when Crozier, 37, marries Vincent, with their club-mate Richardson as best man.

"No doubt I'll have to sort out some blades for them to walk through," smiled 34-year-old Richardson as he savoured his pair's double gold success.

"We had a five-year run of silver at the British Championships, so it was really great to finally come away with gold, and then to top it off with a win in the Home Countries was the icing on the cake."

Both were hard-earned victories, with the Worcester RC duo landing the British crown at Nottingham's National Water Sports Centre by just 0.16 seconds from London-based GB trialists Tom Gale and George Whittaker.

"We went out hard and got ahead, but we were flat out trying to hold them off on the line," said Richardson.

"Pete worked it out on distance afterwards and we reckon it was about 75cm -- not much but just enough as far as we were concerned."

Then, in Cardiff Bay, they overhauled Ireland's Kevin O'Connor and John Forde after 500m, but had to resist a big Irish push at the finish to win by three-quarters of a length.

"The last time we rowed for England was in the coxed four in 1998 when we lost out to the Irish, so it was sweet to get revenge this time," added the bowman. "They really had a go at us in the last 500m, but we kept it going and held them off through to the finish."

The two victories completed the set of Britain's big three club rowing titles for the duo, following their Wyfold Cup win at Henley Royal Regatta in 2000.

Vincent, 29, led all the way in her Home Countries Welsh quad scull with British singles champion Rebecca Rowe, Bryony Britton and Rachel Davies, coming home a length-and-a-half clear of England.

The soon-to-be-married teacher's efforts helped Wales to a fifth win on the day, surpassing four wins at Nottingham last year.