A second day of glorious sunshine, and some of Oxford's finest (and some not so fine) athletes pounding their way rhythmically up and down the river. In men’s Division 1 Oriel, after their boat-burning exploits last year, have over Wednesday and Thursday successfully defended their headship. They are being pushed hard though, and Pembroke leading the chasing pack in second place have also rowed over both days.
With Christ Church also sticking in third, these three powerhouses of men’s college rowing look set to repeat their usual battle for dominance as we approach Saturday’s denouement. Nearer the bottom of the division Worcester had a day’s glory, moving up into Division 1 for Thursday until they were bumped back down today.
In the women’s races there’s been more drama at the very top, after Pembroke toppled Balliol from the head of the river yesterday. The woes continued for Balliol’s VIII on Thursday as they were bumped again by Wadham who looked like challenging Pembroke. Keble’s women bumped up into the first division on Wednesday and stayed in by rowing over on Thursday. Further down the ranks Lincoln's women were imperious, with all four boats bumping, though as one Lincoln rower pointed out their W2 qualified for eights with a time that qualified them for the men's divisions.
Down the more enthusiastic ends of the divisions things were a bit more lighthearted than during the iron-back, granite-quad races towards the end of the days. Fewer genuine beer boats this year than last, but there were plenty of lighthearted crews in for the fun of it. One VIII on Wednesday were bumped within three seconds after a oarsman’s seat fell off, and there was plenty more where this came from.
So after two days Eights looks set to be another sterling feather in the cap of this Oxford summer. Oriel have dominated in the male races, but onlookers have doubted whether they’re up to the calibre of previous years’ eights. It’s far from unthinkable that Pembroke might do the double.
So plenty to think about, and hopefully things will crescendo in time for Saturday, when the waterside will be completely rammed with people desperate to get their Oxford experience. After the early term we’ve had they deserve it.
Friday:
Another corker of a summer's day and another feast of rowing on display for all those lucky enough to spend a day by the Isis. While there was some competition on Friday as the Varsity Twenty20 teed off over in Uni Parks, turnout at riverside was still high, and good spirits were in abundance.Oriel, Pembroke and Christ Church go into Saturday in that order, still. It didn't always look likely though, as Christ Church were pushing Pembroke very hard at one point in the race. All eyes to today's action to see if Oriel can hold onto the headship. Further down the division Magdalen bumped Hertford and Trinity, having bumped into the division by bumping Keble down to Division 2.
In the women's divisions St. Johns unseated Balliol from their third place, meaning that the Broad Street VIII have been bumped every day so far. Pembroke and Wadham rowed over in first and second.
So there's plenty to look forward to today, in what promises to be an eventful afternoon's rowing. Get on down to the river, grab an undercooked hot dog, some overstrength Pimms, and relax in front of the rowing - with the weather like this your tutor will be no doubt doing the same, so there's nothing to worry about.
Saturday:
After a gorgeous four days in the late-coming Trinity sun there was continuity rather than change at the men’smhead of the river, with Oriel in Men’s Divison 1 rowing over all week to retain their headship. In Women’s Division 1, though, novelty was in the air, Balliol began a precipitous fall down the Division and Pembroke consolidated their pole position after their initial bump on Wednesday.There had in some quarters been slights and carping about this year’s Oriel VIII. Cherwell had heard suspicions that perhaps they weren’t as up for it as in the past, maybe under threat. In reality though, Oriel surpassed expectations and served the critics a taste of bitter humble
pie. Pembroke, though they came close and pushed hard at times, were never able to close the gap. They themselves though held up well from pressure exerted by a Christ Church boat that itself had entertained hopes of great things.After a gorgeous four days in the late-coming Trinity sun there was continuity rather than change at the men’smhead of the river, with Oriel in Men’s Divison 1 rowing over all week to retain their headship. In Women’s Division 1, though, novelty was in the air, Balliol began a precipitous fall down the Division and Pembroke consolidated their pole position after their initial bump on Wednesday.There had in some quarters been slights and carping about this year’s Oriel VIII. Cherwell had heard suspicions that perhaps they weren’t as up for it as in the past, maybe under threat. In reality though, Oriel surpassed expectations and served the critics a taste of bitter humble
So Oxford’s male rowing constellation is still dominated by the three bright stars of Oriel, Pembroke and Christ Church. We’ll see what talent other colleges bring in next year but for now expect it to continue.
Over to the women, and here there was a change. Pembroke bumped Balliol on day one, and rather than any fightback, the Broad Street girls folded somewhat. By the end of the weekend they’d plummeted to fourth place. This did mean that they avoided spoons, and Saturday actually saw a real up-shift in performance from Balliol as they nearly bumped St. Johns - however it wasn’t to be and Johns escaped with third place; Wadham completing the top four with second place up from third on Wednesday.
Lower down the rankings there were the usual antics, with highlights including Keble’s MG (a gentlemen’s boat) whose ever-changing costumes encompassed Stormtroopers and country gents. The main takeaway from the weekend though was the sheer tonnage of people who get involved with Eights. Cynics may quip, and many diehard anti-boaties won’t ever change their mind, but there’s something inspiring about how many people get involved. It’s a great unifying event, and long may it continue.
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