The 170th Oxford—Cambridge Boat Race, known this year as The Chanel J12 Boat Race, will take place on April 13th, 2025. The excitement that accompanies this classic event is this year coupled with controversy regarding athlete eligibility, with the two universities coming to blows after three Cambridge athletes were banned from competing in 2025’s iteration of the historic event.

“In recent years the Light Blues have ruled the Tideway”

The Boat Race was first held in 1829 for men and 1927 for women, with the number of victories split almost evenly over time. However, in recent years, the Light Blues have ruled the Tideway (the Boat Race course), winning the last seven women’s Boat Races and five out of the last six men’s contests. There is every reason for Oxford to be shaking in their navy wellies, and some would say their actions this past year have laid bare that fear. A ban on PGCE students — those studying education — from competing in The Boat Race, barring three Cambridge athletes from participating, was called “desperate” and “slimy” by Olympian and three-time Boat Race winner Imogen Grant. The new ruling follows disputes earlier in the year about enforcing an age restriction on Boat Race athletes, which would have disqualified even more Cambridge rowers. It is unfortunate that attention has been drawn away from the athletes themselves throughout this year-long saga, but it’s far from over yet. While there is no chance for Cambridge to pursue legal action before this year’s Boat Race, they haven’t ruled it out for the future.

Not only are there new rules at play this year, but this is Oxford men’s first year in almost three decades racing without coach Sean Bowden. It now falls to his successor, Mark Fangen-Hall, to disrupt the Light Blue Boat Race supremacy of the past decade. He has managed to pull together a particularly remarkable crew, as the Oxford men’s Blue Boat features three Olympians and two returning rowers. Nevertheless, the Cambridge men beat Oxford at the Head of the Charles Regatta back in October and have more recently triumphed over an outstanding Dutch crew.

“This weekend is the moment when all crews will be able to leverage their tremendous effort over the last year towards a coveted win”

There are two returning athletes in the Cambridge men’s Blue Boat — Luca Ferraro and Noam Mouelle — who will be rowing alongside James Robson, a spare for GB at the Paris Olympics; George Bourne, a GB sculling national champion; Douwe de Graaf, a World Cup bronze medallist; as well as Tom Macky, Gabriel Mahler, Simon Hatcher, and former CUBC president Ollie Boyne in the coxing seat. The women’s race features one Olympian in each Blue Boat: Claire Collins in the six seat for Cambridge will battle against Heidi Long, stroking the Oxford crew. Collins will be joined by Samantha Morton Van Eybergen, an U23 champion in the coxed four; GB rower Tash Morrice; former Boat Race champions Carys Earl and Gemma King; former Rutgers University rower Annie Wertheimer; two—time U23 champion Sophia Hahn; 2024 Blondie reserve crew rower Katy Hempson; and cox Jack Nicholas. Alongside the men’s and women’s Blue Boats, Oxford and Cambridge’s reserve crews, lightweight crews, and spare pairs will also compete.

Notwithstanding the constant deluge of distracting news about administrative disputes over the past few weeks, this weekend is the moment when all crews will be able to leverage their tremendous effort over the last year (or longer) towards a coveted win. One only needs to remember the infamous 2024 men’s Boat Race — where Matt Edge began to collapse not long after the halfway point — to understand the impressive dedication of these athletes. Both the Cambridge men and women will be battling strong Oxford crews, and the matchups will be incredibly exciting for the ever—plentiful crowds along the Thames, no matter the outcome.