It’s that time of year again. Domestic racing is wrapped up this side of Christmas, and now comes the turn of Oxford University Boat Club to unleash their Trial Eights crews on the Championship Course. This racing takes the format of matched racing, creating two crews that should, in theory, be of the same speed as one another, swapping athletes up until the day of the race to get them as close as possible.
Unfortunately, Mark Fangen-Hall’s squad, like so many at this time of year, has been affected by illness and injury as recently as this week, bringing about a last-minute change in the format of Friday’s racing. Tobias Bernard’s crew, ‘Iceman’, arguably reflects the eight top athletes at Fangen-Hall’s disposal right now, while ‘Maverick’ comprises athletes nine through 16 in the rankings.
Due to the nature of these not being matched crews (although sport has a funny way of throwing up intriguing narratives), this preview won’t include a seat-by-seat ‘verdict’ between athletes, but instead will outline the experience and depth on offer within the Oxford Men’s squad right now, building on what has already been a successful season for them.
Cox
Tobias Bernard
Tobias Bernard - 🇬🇧/🇫🇷
The cox of last year’s Blue Boat, Chemistry student Tobias Bernard returns this time around as men’s president. Having already coxed a Boat Race and a reserve race, Bernard brings with him a wealth of experience, especially having learned his craft with Westminster School on this very stretch of river. We’ve seen time and time again the difference that a cox can make in the Boat Race, and Bernard will certainly be looking to make his mark ahead of selection going into the New Year.
Jess Ward
Jess Ward - 🇬🇧
While finishing up her DPhil in Music, Jess Ward returns to trial for the Boat Race once again, having most recently coxed the Oxford University outfit in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. This will be Ward’s first run down the track for Trial Eights, so she’ll no doubt be looking to impress both athletes and coaches alike in this all important test of mettle.
Stroke
Harry Geffen
Harry Geffen - 🇬🇧
To those who've followed the circuit for a while, Harry Geffen is a name that needs little introduction. Winner of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup with Eton in 2021, Geffen went on to Yale University, where he become a 1V regular within a year, makiing the IRCA All-American team and finishing ninth at Head of the Charles. Geffen also raced at both the Senior and U23 World Rowing Championships in 2025, including winning U23 gold in the eight. Harry's older brother, WIll Geffen, won the Boat Race with Oxford in 2015, so he will no doubt be looking to follow in his family footsteps.
Carter Dickinson
Carter Dickinson - 🇦🇺
After first picking up the sport at Scotch College in Melbourne, Australia, Carter Dickinson was racing internationally when his opposite seat, Geffen, was just ten years old. Racing in the Australian Junior Men's eight and placing fifth at the Junior World Championships in 2013, Dickinson went on to have a four year college career at Harvard University, including being named on the 2019 IRA All-Academic team. Matched up against former Yale Bulldog Harry Geffen, old rivalries will likely be reunited despite these two athletes now being on the same side...
Seven
Alex Sullivan
Alex Sullivan - 🇦🇺
Hailing from Brisbane, Alex Sullivan most recently spent four years at Harvard - rowing in the 1V, 2V, and 3V during his time there, as well as placing second in the Championship Eights at Head of the Charles in 2023, as the fastest college and only beaten by the US National Team. Sullivan was also part of the crew who placed second in the Championship Coxless Fours at the Fours Head, behind the current World Champions, Sullivan will be looking to continue this success with a Trial Eights win.
Theodore Siri Heath
Theodore Siri Heath - 🇫🇷/🇬🇧
Mixed in among those with international vests and Henley wins, Theodore Siri Heath can be claimed as a home-grown Oxford talent, having first learnt to row at his college boat club. He has former Olympic gold-medallist Tim Foster to thank for first getting him into a boat at Keble College Boat Club, and is now trusted with the all-important role of laying down the rhythm from the seven seat for this Trial Eights race. One of just a handful of undergraduates in this illustrious top sixteen, Siri Heath could be a name to look out for in years to come.
Six
Paolo Cicuta
Paolo Cicuta - 🇬🇧/🇮🇹
Studying for a DPhil in Chemistry, Paolo Cicuta is a homegrown Oxford rowing talent, having first sat in a boat under the guise of Jono Cheesman at University College Boat Club. Having since earned a seat in the Isis-Goldie race earlier this year and raced in the Visitor’s Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, it’s clear that Cicuta is building both the technique and engine required for the Boat Race, switching sides for this race.
Cicuta is a name to watch going into the 2026 Boat Race season, and he’ll be looking to impress on Friday.
Felix Crabtree
Felix Crabtree - 🇬🇧
Returning for another year, 2025 Isis bow seat Crabtree will be looking to make it two-for-two on his Trial Eights record, having been in the winning 'Gromit' crew last year. The Clinical Neurosciences DPhil student learned to row at King Edward VI School in Stratford-upon-Avon, before attending Durham University and then UCL for a Masters degree. With a Boat Race under his belt already, Crabtree is a strong choice for the six seat, and will no doubt be looking to impress going into the New Year.
Five
Lexi Underwood
Lexi Underwood - 🇬🇧
After an impressive year out racing for Leander Club, second-year Alex Underwood returns to better on his result from the Isis-Goldie race in 2024. Having been in the winning Trial Eights crew in 2023, and most recently steered his crew to a second place finish in the Championship Coxless Fours at the Fours Head, Underwood will certainly be looking to go one better and vying for a spot in this year’s Blue Boat.
Nic Nicolaou
Nic Nicolaou - 🇬🇧
As one of the tallest members on the Oxford men's side, Nic Nicolaou hay have to have to carry his own size 14 footplate with him, but has obviously impressed with his power and technical ability. Having learnt to row with Pembroke College, this is his first season with OUBC, as he completes his MSt in English (650-1550) at Mansfield College. Nicolaou may not bring the same Boat Race experience as those around him, but will no doubt be aiming to cross the line first in his debut Trial Eights.
Four
Fergus Pim
Fergus Pim - 🇬🇧
A relative unknown within OUBC right now, Maths and Philosophy undergraduate Pim learnt to row under the GB Start Program in Scotland, with Tom Young. Known for identifying some of the next top talent, Pim's recruitment to the program speaks volumes of his potential, as does his selection for this crew for Trial Eights. His father raced in the winning Cambridge crew in 1997, and Pim will no doubt be looking to continue the family tradition, albeit wearing a different shade of blue.
Jonny Gondzic
Jonny Gondzic - 🇬🇧/🇧🇦
Now in his third year with OUBC, Jonny Gondzic originally switched to the sport from basketball while studying at Grey College, Durham University. Now studying for a DPhil in Molecular and Cellular Medicine at St. John's College, Gondzic understands how this program works, and will be lookign to get the most out of it this year. Having already raced at Fours Head and Upper Thames Autumn Head, this is a crucial test of mettle, and Gondzic will likely have something to prove.
Three
James Fetter
James Fetter - 🇺🇸
Arriving in Oxford to start his MBA, James Fetter brings with him plenty of international racing experience, and is also rumoured to have pulled the fastest 5k in the dark blue squad.
The California native spent four years racing for Stanford University, making his varsity eight debut as a junior in 2023/4, and twice racing for the USA at the Under 23 World Championships, in the quad and the single. Now with his focus turned to the Boat Race, it certainly wouldn't be surprising to see Fetter make a Blue Boat appearance.
Will Randell
Will Randell - 🇬🇧
After racing in last year's spare pair, Will Randell will be looking to make his mark on the Trial Eights race this year, and cement himself a place inside the top sixteen athletes ahead of the new year. Despite his opposite number being one of the fastest athletes at OUBC this year, Randell will be looking to remain internal and do what he can to get his crew across the line first, proving to Mark Fangen-Hall his ability to perform as an underdog.
Two
Julian Schoeberl
Julian Schoeberl - 🇦🇹
Having joined OUBC fresh from the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, Austrian lightweight sculler Schoeberl is a new face on the Tideway. Having picked up a silver medal in the lightweight single in Shanghai, Schoeberl will be looking to go one better this Friday and push his crew across the line first. Having raced internationally since 2014, when some of his crew mates were barely out of primary school, Schoeberl will have a lot to bring to his new dark blue club and is certainly a name to watch.
Evan Albers
Evan Albers - 🇺🇸
Northeastern graduate Evan Albers brings plenty of experience to the bow pair of this crew, having spent the majority of the past season in the two seat of the 3rd Varsity eight for the NU Huskies. Having learnt to row at Bowdoin College, Maine, ALbers also enojoyed success at Head of the Charles, placing seventh in the Varsity Four in 2022. This being his first year with OUBC, the Reuben College student will certainly be looking to make his mark on Trial Eights.
Bow
Ben Atkinson
Ben Atkinson - 🇬🇧
After racing in the seven seat of last year’s defeated Lightweight Blue Boat, Tideway local Atkinson now makes the shift to the openweight team. Having learnt to row at St Paul’s School under Dickie Twyman, Atkinson featured in the 2024 crew who won the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, making him no stranger to a side-by-side challenge.
Hugh Lohan
Hugh Lohan - 🇮🇪
Another athlete studying at St John's College, Irish oarsman Hugh Lohan brings bags of experience to the bow seat of 'Maverick'. First learning to row at Trinity College Dublin under Charlie Cunningham, Colin Daly and Mike Ryder, Lohan then went on to row for Imperial College Boat Club during his Masters degree, achieving a 30th place finish at Head of the River. Long and loose, Lohan may well be one to watch in the bow seat.
It’s safe to say that this won’t be a format of racing that we’ve seen before for Trial Eights, so it should certainly be an interesting watch. It’s tricky to call how these crews might perform, having only had a couple of days to gel together and I wonder if, because of this, the rate cap might actually benefit the ‘Iceman’ crew. That being said, these athletes will have rowed together throughout the season, so it shouldn’t be too much of a shock to the system to now be in these lineups, and I’d love to see ‘Maverick’ perform as underdogs, but imagine that ‘Iceman’ will likely come out on top given the calibre of some of the athletes on board, as well as the sharpened coxing skills of Tobias Bernard.
Whatever plays out, this will certainly give the coaching team something to mull over during the Christmas period, ahead of the OUBC camp in early January. Best of luck to both crews!
