The Boat Race, by far the most famous rowing event in the world, consistently delivers breathtaking racing across the 6.8 km Championship Course.
Now in its 170th iteration, the men’s race has historically favoured Cambridge, with the light blues holding 87 wins to Oxford’s 81.
This year’s crews are packed with talent, both home-grown and drafted in from several national squads in the post-Olympic vacuum.
Here, Dan Spring (aka Fatsculler) examines the 18 athletes’ pedigrees as Cambridge look to secure their twelfth win of this millennium, and Oxford attempt, once again, to turn the tide.
Cox
Cox
Ollie Boyne - 🇬🇧
Finally winning his Blue after three years coxing Goldie, Boyne is a product of the Cambridge "Learn to row" scheme and only started coxing when he went up to Downing College in 2016.
Cox
Tobias Bernard - 🇬🇧
Last year's losing Isis cox, Bernard learnt his trade on the Tideway, coxing for Westminster School. He won his seat after fending off intense competition from 2022-23 Isis cox Louis Corrigan and 2024 Osiris cox Tara Slade.
Verdict
Who has the stronger cox?
Cambridge Advantage
The battle of the coxes is always fascinating, even more so this season as last year's Reserve crew coxes face off again. On that occasion, Boyne of Cambridge emerged victorious by four lengths. Bernard might not have as much race experience as his opposite number, but he has a wealth of knowledge from his school days. With not much to choose between the two, I'm going to give Cambridge the edge.
Stroke
Stroke
Douwe De Graaf - 🇬🇧
Whilst this will be De Graaf's first Boat Race campaign, he knows the Championship Course better than most, having learnt rowing under Bobby Thatcher at St Paul's School. He was a member of the truly outstanding 2018 St Paul's crew that won The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in a record time. He won U19 World Championship gold in 2017 and 2018, followed by U23 gold in 2022. He made his senior debut in 2021, winning silver in the men's pair at World Rowing Cup III, and in 2024 won bronze in the men's four, again at World Rowing Cup III. A Harvard University graduate, he’s a member of Great Britain's “Project LA" squad and, in February, won the GB trials with crew mate George Bourne.
Stroke
Nicholas Kohl - 🇮🇹
Italian Kohl is the first of Oxford’s triumvirate of Paris Olympians. He stroked the Italian men's four in Paris that just finished outside of the medals. As with many international athletes, he did his undergraduate studies in the USA, racing in the Syracuse first Varsity VIII and helping “The Orange” to their best IRA finish in a decade (fifth). He was a member of the Italian U23 team in 2018 and 2019 and made his senior debut at the start of the 2024 season, winning gold at the opening World Rowing Cup and taking European silver.
Verdict
Who has the stronger stroke seat?
Oxford Advantage
Another battle that is, perhaps, slightly closer than it would appear on paper. Whilst Kohl has the better senior experience, De Graaf is an outstanding oarsman with significant Tideway experience. I'm giving this to Oxford, but only just.
Seven
Bow | President
Luca Ferraro - 🇬🇧
This year's President, Ferraro, is set to win his fourth Blue, having lost in 2022 before taking back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024. The 23-year-old is one of Great Britain's most talented young oarsmen. He made his international debut in 2022, finishing sixth in the men's pair at the U23 World Rowing Championships. In 2023, he was selected for the GB U23 eight, winning World Championship gold before successfully defending that title in 2024.
Seven
Nick Rusher - 🇺🇸
The second of Oxford's three Paris Olympians, Rusher was a member of the USA men's eight that won bronze at the Games. He made his international debut in 2021, winning silver in the men's eight at the U23 World Rowing Championships; he then made his senior debut the following year, placing fourth in the eight at the senior World Rowing Championships. A graduate of Yale University, he rowed in their first Varsity VIII in 2022 and 2023, winning silver at the IRA’s in 2022 and gold at the Eastern Sprints in 2023.
Verdict
Who has the stronger seven seat?
Oxford Advantage
It's probably a little closer than it looks on paper. That being said, I’m giving this seat to Oxford.
Six
Six
James Robson - 🇬🇧
One of Cambridge's three senior internationals, Robson was one of Great Britain's sweep spares for the Paris Olympic Games. The 30-year-old graduated from Newcastle University and made his senior international debut at the final World Rowing Cup of the 2023 season, finishing fourth in the men's four. He raced in the pair at World Rowing Cup I and II in 2024, finishing fifth in the A-final on both occasions.
Six | President
Tom Mackintosh - 🇳🇿
This year's President, Mackintosh, made a little bit of history by being elected President before he'd matriculated. But it's clear why the Kiwi was picked: he has a wealth of international experience, including winning gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games as part of the New Zealand men's eight. After Tokyo, he moved into the pair, making the final at the World Rowing Championships. In 2023, 'T-Mack' moved to an even smaller boat, representing New Zealand in the men's single and winning World Championship bronze. He was New Zealand's representative in the single at the Paris Olympic Games, placing fifth in the A-final.
Verdict
Who has the stronger six seat?
Oxford Advantage
The Oxford President is the most experienced - and arguably the best athlete - in either crew. Clear advantage to Oxford.
Five
Five
George Bourne - 🇬🇧
One of three senior internationals in the Cambridge boat, Bourne was Great Britain's representative in the men's single scull throughout the 2024 season, narrowly missing out on qualification for the Paris Olympic Games. Last year, he reached the A-final at the European Rowing Championships and World Rowing Cups I and II. He's a former U23 World Champion and made his senior debut in 2021. In 2022, he won a seat in the GB men's quad, winning silver at the World Championships. He kept his place in the quad for 2023, winning World Cup medals before finishing fourth at the World Championships. This year, Bourne has continued to impress domestically, topping the timings sheets at every GB trial he's raced, both in the pair and single.
Five
Tassilo von Mueller - 🇩🇪
Von Mueller has secured his second Blue after being a member of the losing Blue Boat in 2023, having also raced for the winning Isis boat in 2022. Before arriving at Oxford, he studied at Princeton, helping their second VIII win Eastern Sprints in 2018 before stepping up to race in the Varsity Eight in 2019 and 2021. Von Mueller has won multiple German national titles and, in 2021, was selected for the German U23 team, winning a bronze medal in the men's eight.
Verdict
Who has the stronger five seat?
Cambridge Advantage
Although known more for his sculling than sweep, Bourne’s extensive international experience gives the light blues a clear advantage.
Four
Four
Gabriel Mahler - 🇨🇿
Mahler becomes the first Czech to race in the men's event since Milan Bruncvik in 2013. Mahler attended Brown, where he rowed in the First Varsity Eight throughout his four years. He represented Czechia at the Junior World Rowing Championships in 2017 and 2018, as well as the 2018 Youth Olympics. He made his senior international debut in 2022, racing in the men's eight at World Rowing Cup II, and then raced in the men's double at the 2022 U23 World Championships.
Four
James Doran - 🇬🇧
A member of the losing Blue Boats in 2023 and 2024, Doran is one of two undergraduates in the Oxford Boat. He was selected for the GB U23 team in 2021 and won gold in the eight at the European U23 Championships. He followed that up with a bronze in the men's four at the 2022 European Rowing Championships, and in 2024 made his senior international debut, winning the B-final in the men's pair with Matt Heywood at World Rowing Cup III.
Verdict
Who has the stronger four seat?
Oxford Advantage
Small advantage to Oxford
Three
Three
Luke Beever - 🇬🇧
Stepping up to the Blue Boat after two years in Goldie, Beever learnt to row at King's School Worcester, where he sculled in their top quad at both the National Schools’ Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta. He also represented Great Britain at the Coupe de la Jeunesse.
Three
Felix Rawlinson - 🇬🇧
Rawlinson learnt to row at Radley College and made his international debut in 2019, winning a silver medal at the U19 World Rowing Championships. He studied for his first degree at Dartmouth University in the US and, in 2022, was selected for the Great Britain U23 team, winning bronze at the European U23 Championships. He raced at the U23 World Rowing Championships the following season, winning gold in the men's eight.
Verdict
Who has the stronger three seat?
Oxford Advantage
Clear advantage to Oxford.
Two
Two
Noam Mouelle - 🇫🇷
One of two returning Blues from last year's victorious crew, Mouelle is set to win his third Blue, having also been a member of the winning 2023 crew. In 2023, he made history by becoming the first Frenchman to row for Cambridge. A graduate of Imperial College, he's a four-time French Champion and represented his country at the 2022 U23 World Rowing Championships.
Two
William O’Connell - 🇦🇺
Aussie O'Connell is one of the least experienced members of the Dark Blue crew. He learnt to row at school in Sydney and was a member of the Sydney Rowing Club men's four that won the Sydney International Regatta before making the Friday of the Britannia Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 2017.
Verdict
Who has the stronger two seat?
Cambridge Advantage
Clear advantage to Cambridge
Bow
Seven
Simon Hatcher - 🇺🇸
The only American in the light blue boat, Hatcher learnt to row in Oregon and did his undergraduate studies at Brown University, where he raced in both the first and second Varsity boats. He was selected for the Team USA U23 for the 2021 U23 World Rowing Championships, where he finished 14th in the men's double scull.
Bow
Tom Sharrock - 🇬🇧
One of three undergraduates in the Oxford boat, Sharrock was a member of the losing Blue Boat in 2023 and last year was in the losing Isis crew. Sharrock learnt his rowing in Cambridge as a member of the Cantabrigian club and then joined the GB World Class Start programme at Isle of Ely Rowing Club.
Verdict
Who has the stronger bow seat?
Cambridge Advantage
Clear light blue advantage
Key Crew Results
Cambridge
Between the much-publicised changes in eligibility and a minimal set of fixtures, estimating the speed of the top Cambridge lineup is difficult, despite a stellar start to the season in Boston, where they won the Head of The Charles, putting 17 seconds into the dark blues before the season even began in earnest.
They opened the 2025 season in January with an emphatic win race against the international all-star crew, including Tom Ford and Valent Sinković. Changes to the lineup since the last ‘public’ fixtures make the true speed of Cambridge’s Blue Boat hard to estimate, though Rob Baker’s relentless ability to pull together crews that execute to perfection over the Championship Course will no doubt have Oxford looking over their shoulders, despite the dark blues’ impressive CV.
Oxford
The Oxford camp has also kept its cards close to its chest. Across the non-televised racing, the dark blues have not released full results but finished their fixture season with several pieces against a strong London Rowing Club crew that was reinforced by the introduction of Tom Ford in the stroke seat. It was a close race across the first few pieces, but a strong performance in the final piece demonstrated a killer instinct as they passed Barnes Bridge to gain the overall win on the day.
Off the Thames, the Oxford crews travelled to Amsterdam for the Heineken Roeivierkamp, finishing second overall. With strong performances in long-distance racing, they finished only behind a crew filled with Dutch Olympic talent like Simon van Dorp and Melvin Twellar.
The Prediction
Dan Spring's Verdict
Who will win the 170th Men's Boat Race?
Oxford
So, overall, I've got Oxford ahead in five seats, with Cambridge ahead in four. But, will this advantage lead to a dark blue victory on the water? I think it will, but it may be closer than many people think.
Cambridge's coach, Rob Baker, has an innate ability to produce crews that are better than the sum of their parts, whilst Oxford has a brand new coaching team led by Mark Fangen-Hall: it's going to be interesting to see how he can mould a very experienced - but also quite diverse - crew.
I'm going to give the race to Oxford by two lengths.
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