A Day on the Tideway – Reflections from the University Boat Race

Earlier today, I had the enormous pleasure of attending one of the great traditions of British sporting life – The Boat Race – as the Blue boats of Oxford and Cambridge went head-to-head along the Thames. It was my first time watching the race in person since 1982, when I stood on the towpath as a teenager, unable to see a thing because I was too short! That visit came just a couple of weeks after I’d coxed Wycliffe College’s boat in the Schools’ Head of the River Race – from just above Hammersmith Bridge to the Westminster School Boat Club flagpole in Putney, a distance of around 1.75 miles. Returning to the Tideway more than 40 years later felt like something of a full-circle moment.

This time, I had a rather better view – and a much smarter vantage point. I was welcomed into a splendid room at Fulham Football Club’s Craven Cottage, generously made available by the University of Oxford’s Development and Alumni Engagement Events team, headed up by the supremely brilliant, Huw Gwilym Mason. With a magnificent view of the river and easy access to refreshments and wide-screen TVs, it offered the perfect spot to cheer on the Dark Blues.

My warmest thanks go also to the Chancellor for spending time with me. It was a pleasure to chat to him about his first few months in office.

I should also extend particular thanks to The Hon Frances Stanley DL, High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, who suggested I attend. Frances was, naturally, cheering for the other place – from the Cambridge reception held aboard a moored vessel somewhere along the course. A perfectly pleasant arrangement, I’m sure… but I couldn’t help feeling that Oxford had the better billet. (Certainly if we’re measuring by canapes.)

For those unfamiliar, The Boat Race is an annual rowing contest between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, first held in 1829. The race takes place over 4.25 miles of the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake – a stretch known as the Championship Course. The event has grown into a major fixture on the sporting calendar, drawing crowds of thousands along the banks and watched by many more on television around the world. It’s not just a race – it’s a showcase of history, discipline, teamwork, and rivalry at its most respectful.

This year, Cambridge were undoubtedly the dominant force on the water – winning all four races: the women’s, the women’s reserves, the men’s reserves, and, finally, the men’s race itself, where they pulled away early and never looked back. Well, their coxswain didn't; the crew spent the whole race looking back, of course, at the Oxford boat behind them. A decisive victory, and one that must have made Frances’ boat-bound celebrations all the sweeter.

Nevertheless, there was much to admire from both sides – the spirit, the camaraderie, and the sheer physical commitment of every crew. It gave me pause to reflect on the values we hold dear in Oxfordshire: determination, excellence, and a deep commitment to learning and leadership. All of them were on display that afternoon.

It was a day of great sport, great company, and great pride in our city and its university. My thanks once again to Frances for the brilliant suggestion. I shall look forward to returning the favour – ideally on a day when the result goes our way.