CUWBC racing

Top university rowers hope to follow in footsteps of Olympic greats

We have our focus, and look forward to sitting on the start line knowing we are 100% prepared for the race that lies ahead

Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club President, Izzi Boanas-Evans

Oxford and Cambridge eights are in the final stages of preparation for the Henley Boat Races which take place on the famous Royal Regatta course in Henley-on-Thames next Sunday, 25 March..

Sir Matthew Pinsent will make his debut as umpire of the races, where the top women’s, men’s lightweight and women’s lightweight crews from the two universities will race over a 2km course. Sir Matthew won two Boat Races during his time at Oxford, and went on to win four consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Sir Matthew said: “I'm especially proud as an Oxford Blue to be umpiring the races this year. It is also a matter of pride that this will be one of the last women’s races on the Henley stretch. Whilst the event will be carried forward by the other races, the new deal with Newton has ensured an exciting future for women’s rowing on the Putney to Mortlake course.

“Good luck to all the athletes competing - as Steve Redgrave and I used to say ‘thanks, but hopefully we won't need it’”

With the London 2012 Olympics taking place this year, many of the athletes competing may be inspired to follow in the footsteps of the members of Team GB who previously raced at the Henley Boat Races. Paul Mattick raced in the lightweight men's four that finished 5th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and has won gold twice at World Rowing Championships, but made his racing debut in the Lightweight Men’s reserves race in the 2003 Henley Boat Races. Annie Vernon represented Cambridge on the same day, and took silver in the quad at Beijing and has won gold twice at World Championships.

The openweight women’s clubs of Cambridge and Oxford Universities are continuing their sponsorship partnership with Newton Investment Management Ltd, part of BNY Mellon Asset Management. The substantial sponsorship has improved the development of rowing at both clubs, reducing the cost for individuals. The partnership will also bring the Women’s Boat Race to the Thames in London from 2015, on the same day and the same course as the men’s race.

Newton Investment Management, the title sponsors of The Newton Women’s Boat Race, is led by CEO Helena Morrissey, who in 2010 was named ‘Most Influential Woman in Asset Management’.  Morrissey set up the 30% Club, which aims to increase the proportion of women in the boardrooms of the FTSE 100 to 30% within the next five years, but without using quotas.

Helena comments: "Newton Investment Management is delighted to sponsor The Newton Women's Boat Race and the openweight Women's Boat Clubs at Oxford and Cambridge.  We believe that with the right support the Women's Clubs have the potential to build sustainable high-performance programmes of equal prestige to their male counterparts.  We hope that this funding continues to make a real difference to university and women's rowing - areas that have historically been very underfunded.  We are proud to be a partner at this historic time in rowing."

Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club President, Izzi  Boanas-Evans, said: “CUWBC are well under way with all our training and preparation. We had a strong start to the season, with a powerful squad producing some good race results both on and off the Cam. This has continued into the New Year with a fantastic training camp in Soustons, France and a chance to get crews coming together and for the whole squad to push on. Now we are in the home straight the atmosphere within the squad is one of drive and determination. We have our focus, and look forward to sitting on the start line knowing we are 100% prepared for the race that lies ahead.”

Her Oxford counterpart, Alexandra Dix, said: “Since returning from training camp in Temple-sur-Lot, the countdown to the big day has really begun, and we know that each metre clocked on the rowing machine, each circuit station completed, each kilogram of weight lifted, every stroke in the water that we take is leading up to the final race against Cambridge. We are hugely excited to race against our Cambridge counterparts and we are greatly thankful to Newton for the support that they have given us throughout the season.”

In a further twist, the Cambridge women’s coach, Martyn Rooney, will once again be up against his own son, Jon Rooney, who is an assistant coach with the Oxford University women.

The Challenge and Weigh-In will be held at the River and Rowing Museum in Henley at 11am on Tuesday 20 March. It marks the first opportunity for the crews to meet face to face. The Presidents of each crew will introduce their athletes before last year's losing President issues a formal challenge to race.

The Newton Women's Boat Race is part of a four-race programme which also includes Boat Races for lightweight men and lightweight women, as well as The Newton Blondie v. Osiris Race for reserves; Blondie (for Cambridge) and Osiris (for Oxford).

The Henley Boat Races were founded in 1975 by Richard Bates, an undergraduate at St John’s College, Cambridge, when he arranged the first Lightweight Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge over Henley Reach. This echoed the first Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, which took place at Henley in 1829.

The Women’s Boat Race was first raced in 1927 – in the form of a time and style contest – and underwent a revival in the 1970s when it joined the men’s lightweights at Henley in 1977. The Blondie-Osiris race for the women’s reserves followed and, with the inauguration of the women’s lightweights race in 1984, a successful format of four varsity races has evolved.

The race programme starts at 1.15pm, to include The Newton Women's Boat Race at 3pm, and full details are available on the event website, www.henleyboatraces.com

 

 

 


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