Five things to know ahead of The Boat Race

With less than 72 hours until the 170th Men’s and 79th Women’s Boat Race, a sense of calmness had descended on the Oxford and Cambridge camps. Training sessions shorten as these two clubs do the last bit of fine-tuning and tinkering of their engines before Sunday’s drag race down the championship course.

Ahead of this weekend’s Boat Race, Dark Blues Heidi Long and James Doran were alongside Light Blues Claire Collins and George Bourne to speak to the media on behalf of Oxford University Boat Club and Cambridge University Boat Club respectively.

Claire and Heidi: Two sides of the same coin

Claire Collins and Heidi Long go way back. Not only did they race each other at the 2024 Olympic Games, but they also sparred for four years at NCAAs for Princeton and Virginia. On those occasions, they were both in their varsity eights, with Collins’ Tigers finishing higher than Long’s Cavaliers on three out of the four occasions.

“We were both born on exactly the same day, and we first raced each other in 2014 at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Hamburg,” said Long, who will stroke Oxford’s Blue Boat.

 “Since then, we think we’ve raced each other 15 separate times throughout collegiate rowing in the United States, at U23s and then through to the senior World Rowing Championships.

“It’s kind of crazy to have someone who’s had exactly the same rowing career as you, but just from the other half of the world. Yes, we are on our own journeys, but to have someone who literally seems to be going down the same path is kind of freaky, but really good to be able to share it.”

Beanz Meanz Bourne

“I don’t remember the last time I didn’t eat baked beans.”

George Bourne was a consistent member of the Great Britain Squad over the past Olympiad. The 2022 world silver medallist will undoubtedly have eaten hundreds of meals expertly prepared by team chef Marcin Mazur. However, back in academia and surrounded by students, Bourne can truly embrace his love of beans and share his gospel with the rest of CUBC.

“Maybe that’ll be my lasting legacy in this club. I think we’re all eating beans every day now; I think we turn up at Ely, and we bring our tin of beans every day.

“I eat that if I’m still in the boat house, or if I’m on the train on the way back to lectures, I’ll be eating beans out of the Tupperware. I’ve got all the gadgets as well, you know, thermos flasks and stuff. So, yeah, it’s a bit of a staple of my diet.”

Collins is yet to buy into Bourne’s British bean habits. “I’ve never seen anyone eat beans on toast so much. Sat on the train in the early part of the year going back to class and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ but I respect it. I haven’t gotten onboard, though.”

Doran Doran

Oxford’s four-seat knows a thing or two about rhythm. Not only is this James Doran’s third Blue Boat selection, but he’s also a gifted songwriter with five singles released on Spotify so far.

“I’ve been writing songs since I was 15/16 years old. I spent quite a lot of time during COVID-19 writing some more bits and pieces, and then it got to January this year. I played a few for my housemates and decided I may as well put them on the internet and see what happens!

“I’m hoping that the BBC will put one of my songs, which I released this week, on the broadcast on Sunday, which would be quite exciting, so listen out for that, please!”

It’s just a nice step away from rowing, a step away from academics. It’s nice to have something else to do. You know, some people keep a journal or a diary, but I go away and do this, and it’s good fun.”

Last-minute selection for the light blues

They say a seat is never safe until you’re sitting on the start line of your Boat Race. Following some final speed testing, it has been announced that Luke Beever will step up to Cambridge’s Blue Boat while Tom Macky will race in Goldie.

Beever learnt to row at King’s School Worcester, where he sculled in their top quad at the National Schools’ Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta. He also represented Great Britain at the Coupe de la Jeunesse. After two years in Goldie, he will race in Cambridge’s top boat on his third attempt.

At 2.05 metres tall, Macky learnt to row at Scotch College, Australia, helping them achieve a National title and The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup win in 2017. He studied in the US, rowing for the Harvard First Varsity VIII in his Sophomore and Senior years.

Kicking off a big year for women’s sport

This year’s Boat Race will be the 79th time the women of Oxford and Cambridge have raced each other. 2025 also celebrates 10 years since the women first raced alongside the men on the championship course from Putney to Mortlake. 2025 is set to be another transformative year for women’s sport as the Lionesses look to defend their Euros title from 2022 and England host the Rugby World Cup in September.

 “It’s a special thing,” said Chair of the Boat Race Company Limited Board Siobhan Cassidy

“We’re fortunate to have an event that’s coming up to 200 years for the men’s event and 100 years for the women’s Boat Race. Those kinds of numbers are actually really impressive for women’s rowing to be going on for so long.

“It’s an event that is part of the British sporting tradition. Last weekend we had the Grand National, we’ve got the Boat Race now, and we’re moving forward to an amazing summer of sport, particularly in London with all the women’s sporting events taking place right up until the autumn with the Rugby [World Cup].”

The 79th Women’s Boat Race starts at 13:21

The 179th Men’s Boat Race start at 14:21

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