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Ali Oyston digs up the accusations regularly levelled at the annual encounter between Oxford and Cambridge
Boat Race Challenge, Monday 28th February 2005, Putney "At least English is still the dominant language" quipped Oxford coach Sean Bowden at the 2005 Boat Race Challenge. His remark, although meant in jest to his foreign oarsmen, showed an acute awareness of the charge about to be levelled at the Race; is it still enough of a British student event? In 1829 Cambridge student Charles Merivale challenged his Harrow school friend Charles Wordsworth, who was at Oxford, to a rowing race. To this day, the universities involved in this private match remain unchanged, but the crews presented in public yesterday were of a slightly more impressive stature. Eight Olympians will take part in next month's race and only 6 of the 18 oarsmen are home-grown. As both camps face accusations of talent scouting, we examine the real reasons enticing so many big names to two provincial English towns. We live in a world obsessed by human-interest stories, hence the media excitement surrounding the naming of 18 men. Every year journalists pounce on the crew lists, calculating numbers of returning Blues, numbers of foreigners, which schools they went to, past form. But it seems neither university can win. If they announce a crew of mostly young undergraduates as Oxford did in 2003 the race is described as being dominated by privileged public schoolboys. Crews with largely international pedigree, as this year, are accused of drafting in foreign oarsmen only at the university to earn their Blue. Post Olympic years traditionally see a number of internationals join the Boat Race circus. Oarsmen who have been through a monotonous 4-year cycle crave a change. There is a limit to how big a change that can be when you plan to continue as an athlete, but for those fortunate enough to be academically gifted, the Boat Race is the answer. Barney Williams, stroke of the Canadian coxless four denied gold by Pinsent and crewmates, is relishing his time at Oxford. "The Olympics drained me. I love the fact that this offered me a totally new challenge". That double Olympian Sebastian Mayer could row himself out shows the level at which these men are performing and why high achievers are still enticed by a race that epitomises the value of sport. There is no prize money and there is no second place: to come second is to come last. There is no doubting that some rowers on one year diplomas are strategically helping their rowing. In practical terms, Oxbridge student life is ideal for athletes like British Olympian Andrew Triggs-Hodge, who couldn't combine full time training with a 'proper' job. The Boat Race set-up keeps them visible to the selectors whilst excusing them of national squad demands during the winter. Cambridge cox Peter Rudge admitted to wanting to earn points on his rowing CV. "Steering the Boat Race is a challenge for any cox. When I go back to the national squad I will have this experience behind me", he explained. All the oarsmen were predictably quick to refute claims that they are at university just to row. Green-eyed critics love to claim that the athletes got their places through being handy with an oar. Luckily the oarsmen's academic CVs give them all the ammunition they need to deflect such accusations. The Cambridge Blue Boat can cope with any medical emergencies, thanks to Tom Edwards, a qualified doctor, and qualified vet Matthias Kleinz: both now engaged in impressive PhD research. Oxford are the boys to turn to should you need business advice (Jason Flickinger has just started his MBA) or legal help (Williams is taking a Diploma in Legal Studies and Chris Liwski is doing a masters before completing his US postgraduate legal course.) It is worth noting though that the one-way traffic flow across the pond is not Oxbridge's fault. American universities do not let postgraduate students compete for them, so it is logical for rowers such as Flickinger and Mike Blomquist to do their undergraduate degrees at Harvard and Princeton before mixing graduate study at Oxford with furthering their rowing careers. The calibre of the Blue Boats is so high this year that a number of returning Blues have been sidelined to the reserve boats, and there has quickly been talk of 'the best crews ever'. The coaches understandably refused to commit to such statements, with Robin Williams suggesting that "history will be the measure of how good these two boats are". A look in the history books reveals that the Boat Race is no stranger to high quality: 1993 was dubbed 'The Boat Race of Olympians'. That year Oxford boasted reigning Olympic gold medallists Matthew Pinsent and Canadian Bruce Robertson with two other competitors from the Barcelona Games, while Cambridge had 2 Olympians. Nor is it unusual for the president to not be named in the crew; Andrew Shannon is the 6th to lose out since 1996. History also shows that international oarsmen do not necessarily hold the key to success. In 1997, Cambridge defeated an Oxford crew stroked by Olympic bronze medallist Tim Foster, and the Oxford mutiny of 1987 showed how hard it can be for international oarsmen to adapt to this unique event. There seems to be no such trouble so far this year, with Barney Williams altruistically remarking "I'm real keen to sit wherever the coaches think is best. They've done this race enough times to know what they're doing." The influx of these graduates should not be seen as against the spirit of the Boat Race. The oarsmen have as much right to race for their university as any other student: a short conversation with Cambridge 4-man Edwards about gene research confirms that. As last year proved, anything can happen in the Boat Race - next year the crews will probably be defending allegations that they are all over-privileged toffs. In the mean time, let's just watch as some of the worlds best oarsmen leave their egos and medals on the bank, and fight for the right to say 'I won the Boat Race.'
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