The Boat Race 2020 was a side-by-side rowing race scheduled to take place on 29 March 2020. Held annually,

The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the U ...

is contested between crews from the universities of

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

along a tidal stretch of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

in south-west London. This would have been the 75th women's race and the 166th men's race, and for the fifth time in the history of the event, the men's,

women's A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional uteruses ...

, and both reserves' races would have been held on the

Tideway The Tideway is the part of the River Thames in England which is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock. The Tideway comprises the upper Thames Estuary including the Pool of London. Tidal activity Depending ...

on the same day. Cambridge led the longstanding rivalry 84–80 and 44–30 in the men's and women's races, respectively. The races were cancelled on 16 March 2020 as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confirm ...

. Other than the 11 times the race was cancelled due to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, it was the first time the men's race had been cancelled since it has taken place annually from

1845 Events January–March * January 1 – The Philippines began reckoning Asian dates by hopping the International Date Line through skipping Tuesday, December 31, 1844. That time zone shift was a reform made by Governor–General Narciso ...

. It was also the first cancellation of the women's race since its 1964 revival. It would have been the first time in the history of the event that both senior races had been umpired by women. The members of each crew were announced on the date that the race would have been conducted.

Background

is a side-by-side rowing competition between the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

(sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

(sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). First held in 1829, the race takes place on the

Championship Course The Championship Course is a stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England. It is a well-established course for sport rowing, rowing races, particularly the The Boat Race, Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The course ...

, between

Putney Putney () is an affluent district in southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ...

and

Mortlake Mortlake is a suburban district of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes, London, Barnes. Historically it was part of Surrey and until 1965 was in the Municipal Borough of Barnes ...

on the

in south-west London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; the race is followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide. Cambridge would have gone into the race as defending champions, having won the 2019 race by a margin of five lengths, and would have led overall with 84 victories to Oxford's 80 (excluding the 1877 race, a dead heat). The autumn reception, where the previous year's losing team challenges the winners to a rematch, was held at the Chapel Down Gin Works in London on 20 November 2019. As Cambridge's women had won the previous year's race, it was Oxford's responsibility to offer the traditional challenge to the

Cambridge University Women's Boat Club Cambridge University Women's Boat Club (CUWBC) was the rowing club for women at the University of Cambridge. CUWBC fielded both a lightweight eight that races against Oxford at the Henley Boat Races, and two openweight eights that race at the ...

(CUWBC). To that end, Tina Christmann, President of

Oxford University Women's Boat Club Oxford University Women's Boat Club (OUWBC) was the rowing club for female rowers (and coxes of either sex) who were students at the University of Oxford. The club was founded in 1926 and was based in Wallingford at the Fleming Boat House, ...

(OUWBC), laid down the gauntlet to Larkin Sayre, her Cambridge counterpart. Cambridge's victory in the men's race meant that Augustin Wambersie, President of

Oxford University Boat Club Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the Rowing (sport), rowing club for the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in 1829. The prime constitutional aim of OUBC is to beat Cambridge Univers ...

(OUBC), challenged Freddie Davidson, President of

Cambridge University Boat Club The Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England. The club was founded in 1828 and has been located at the Goldie Boathouse on the River Cam, Cambridge since 1882. Nowadays, training primaril ...

(CUBC). The races were all scheduled to take place on 29 March 2020. The 75th women's race was to be umpired by Judith Packer, while the 166th men's race would have been officiated by

Sarah Winckless Sarah Katharine Winckless (born 18 October 1973) is a British former rower. She won a bronze medal in Double sculls with her partner Elise Laverick at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and was twice world champion, in 2005 and 2006. Early life and ...

. It would have been the first time in the history of the event that both senior races were to be umpired by women.

Coaches

The Cambridge men's crew coaching team was led by their chief coach, Rob Baker, who had previously coached CUWBC to victories in both the

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

and 2018 races, and CUBC to a win in 2019. He was assisted by Jordan Stanley, a New Zealander who was the former Director of Rowing at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

. Donald Legget, who rowed for the Light Blues in the

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

and 1964 races was a supporting coach, along with coxing coach Henry Fieldman (who steered Cambridge in the 2013 race) and the medical officer Simon Owens. Sean Bowden was the chief coach for Oxford, having been responsible for the senior men's crew since 1997, winning 12 from 20 races. He was a former Great Britain Olympic coach and coached the Light Blues in the

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

and 1994 Boat Races. His assistant coach was Brendan Gliddon, a South African who formerly coached under-23 and

FISU The International University Sports Federation (FISU; ) is responsible for the organization and governance of worldwide sports competitions for student-athletes between the ages of 17 and 25. It was founded in 1949 as the world governing body of ...

teams for both South Africa and Great Britain. Alex Bowmer was OUBC's physical therapist. Cambridge women's chief coach was Robert Weber, who joined Cambridge University before the 2019 race from

Hamilton College Hamilton College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, Clinton, New York. It was established as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and received its c ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, where he was Head Rowing Coach and Associate Professor of Physical Education. He was assisted by Paddy Ryan and Katy Knowles. Oxford women's chief coach was Andy Nelder, who previously worked with Bowden and OUBC for eleven years. He was assisted by James Powell.

Trials

Dates for the trials, where crews can simulate the race proper on the Championship Course, were announced on 5 December 2019.

Women

OUWBC'S trial took place on the Championship Course at 11:00 a.m. on 11 December 2019, between ''Morely'' and ''Brown'', named after two of the Oxford crew who participated in and won the inaugural Women's Boat Race. The race, umpired by Judith Packer, took place in calm and cool conditions, with the crews making an even start. ''Morely'', with the OUWBC president rowing at number seven, gradually took control of the race and sought to cross in front of ''Brown'' by

Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames in west London. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, with Barnes in the London Boroug ...

. By Barnes Bridge, ''Morely'' was more than seven seconds ahead and held onto the lead to finish six seconds in front of ''Brown''. Cambridge's women's trial race was held on the Championship Course at 2.45 p.m. on 16 December 2019, between crews dominated by students of biology and medicine. As such the boats were named ''Actin'' and ''Myosin'', the proteins which make the two muscle fibres that pull against each other in the human body. The CUWBC president, Larkin Sayre, rowed in ''Myosin'' who lost the toss and were on the Middlesex (north) side of the river. The race was conducted in overcast but smooth conditions and was umpired by Judith Packer. ''Actin'' took a slight lead by the Black Buoy, which they extended to be several lengths up on ''Myosin'' by Hammersmith Bridge. ''Myosin'' fought back before Chiswick Bridge to reduce the deficit, but ''Actin'' won by around two lengths.

Men

Oxford's men's trial race was held on the Championship Course at noon on 11 December 2019, between ''Hurley'' and ''Burly'', named after the

Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...

's lifeboat ''Hurley Burly''. Umpired by Sarah Winckless, the race started evenly under scattered clouds and in calm water. Soon after, ''Hurley'', stroked by the Oxford president Augustin Wambersie, took the lead and by Hammersmith Bridge had a clear water advantage. ''Burly'' were left in ''Hurley''s wake as an uneventful race concluded. The CUBC trial race took place on the Championship Course on 16 December 2019, between ''Electric'' and ''Boogaloo''. In order to approximate the same tide conditions as the main race day, the trial was conducted at 3.45 p.m. which necessitated the use of lights on each of the boats. The crews made an even start under the umpiring of Sarah Winckless, but by the Mile Post, ''Electric'' held a quarter-length lead despite multiple warnings about their steering. Further warnings, for both crews, followed and ''Boogaloo'' took advantage of the Surrey bend to hold a three-quarter-length lead at

St Paul's St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

. As the advantage changed more to the Middlesex side, ''Electric'' fought back but ''Boogaloo'' responded in kind to end the race around a length clear.

Buildup

The official fixtures to be raced in advance of The Boat Race were announced on 8 February 2020.

Women

The first race of the buildup for the Women's Boat Race was between CUWBC and the Amsterdam-based

Nereus Rowing Club The Amsterdam Student Rowing Club (ASR) Nereus, (''Dutch'' De Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereeniging (ASR) Nereus) is a rowing club in Amsterdam, Netherlands which was founded in 1885 by J. Schölvinck as a subsidiary organization of '' The Corps ...

, which was to be held along the Thames in three pieces on 16 February 2020. In spite of the threat of disruption from

Storm Dennis Storm Dennis was a European windstorm which, in February 2020, became one of the most intense extratropical cyclones ever recorded, reaching a minimum central pressure of . The thirteenth named storm of the 2019–20 European windstorm season, ...

, the weather was mild. The umpire for the races was Richard Phelps, who issued several warnings to Cambridge during the first piece, where there was little to choose between the crews. By the town buoy, Cambridge held a quarter-length lead, which they extended to three-quarters by

Craven Cottage Craven Cottage is a football stadium in Fulham, West London, England, which has been the home of Fulham F.C. since 1896.According to the club'official website The ground's capacity is 29,589; the record attendance is 49,335, for a game agains ...

, and were two lengths clear by the end of the race. The second piece commenced with a rolling start at

Harrods Furniture Depository The Harrods Furniture Depository buildings flank the south bank of the River Thames near Hammersmith Bridge in Barnes, London, England, built on the site of an old soap factory in 1894 as a storage centre for the larger items that could not be t ...

. Once again CUWBC were warned several times by the umpire but despite the bend in the river being in Nereus' favour, they only commanded a brief lead, before Cambridge drew back to lead by half a length at

Chiswick Eyot Chiswick Eyot is a narrow, uninhabited ait (river island) of the Thames. It is a tree- and reed-covered rise on the Tideway by Chiswick, in London, England and is overlooked by Chiswick Mall and by some of the Barnes riverside on the far ...

, the finish for the second piece. The third race was abandoned due to injury in the Nereus crew. Cambridge's women were in action again the following week, this time a two-piece race in rough conditions against

Oxford Brookes University Boat Club Oxford Brookes University Boat Club (known as Brookes especially verbally and as OBUBC in formal print) is the Sport rowing, rowing club of Oxford Brookes University, England. Its large base is on th ...

(OBUBC), umpired by Judith Packer. The first piece was from the finishing line to Chiswick Steps and saw OBUBC take a one-length lead early on, which they extended to a clear water advantage by

Barnes Bridge Barnes Railway Bridge is a Grade II listed railway bridge in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the London Borough of Hounslow. It crosses the River Thames in London in a northwest to southeast direction at Barnes. It carries the S ...

. They pressed on to record a four-length victory over Cambridge in the first piece. The formula was repeated in the second race, with Brookes taking an early lead and extending it throughout to win by five lengths. On 8 March, OUWBC faced Nereus in three pieces in rainy conditions, umpired by Claire Briegal. The first section, from Chiswick Steps to Hammersmith Bridge, saw Nereus take an early lead, but following a

blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...

clash, Oxford took the lead to win by a length. In the second race, from Chiswick Steps to the Mile Post, Nereus once again made the early running but as Oxford took advantage of the bend in the river, they held a quarter-length lead over their Dutch opponents before pushing away from them to win by clear water. The third piece was raced from Hammersmith Bridge to Putney, and commenced with a rolling start. Nereus held an early lead though Oxford fought back to reduce the deficit to just a

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...

by the end of the race. A week later, OUWBC faced a crew from the

University of London Boat Club University of London Boat Club (ULBC; boat code ULO) is the rowing (sport), rowing club for the University of London and its Member institutions of the University of London, member institutions, many of which also have their own boat clubs. The ...

(ULBC) in a single piece along the Championship Course. To avoid extraneous contact between the crews in light of the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the umpire Judith Packer held a "virtual" coin toss and briefing before the race commenced with ULBC taking the Surrey side of the river. OUWBC were half a length ahead by the Town Buoy and extended that to a length by Craven Cottage. As the crews passed below Hammersmith Bridge, OUWBC were a length of clear water ahead but some off-course steering gave ULBC an advantage and saw Oxford's lead cut. OUWBC passed the finishing line at Chiswick Steps with just under a half-length lead.

Men

OUBC commenced their buildup with a race in two pieces against OBUBC on 23 February 2020. As a result of high winds, the races were limited to a subsection of the Championship Course and were umpired by Sarah Winckless. OUBC took a three-quarter length lead by the Town Buoy over OBUBC who had hit rough water. Brookes reduced the deficit to a quarter of a length by Barn Elms, maintained to the Mile Post. At Harrods the crews were level and a push just before Hammersmith Bridge saw OUBC take a small lead which they extended until passing the finish line at St Paul's, more than a length ahead, the first defeat for OBUBC in British waters for three years. The second piece started at the

London Rowing Club London Rowing Club (LRC, or colloquially, 'London') is the second-oldest of the non-academic active rowing clubs on the Thames in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1856 by members of the long-disbanded Argonauts Club wishing to compete ...

with Oxford Brookes a canvas ahead by the Town Buoy. Aggressive steering from OUBC and a mistake from OBUBC led to the crews becoming level. A wave partially filled the OUBC boat allowing Brookes to take advantage and pull away to win the second piece by two lengths. CUBC's first outing in the buildup to the main race was a two-piece fixture against OBUBC on 1 March, umpired by Winckless. The first race started from the University Stone and early on both crews were warned following a series of blade clashes. Brookes held a one-third-length lead by the Town Buoy but Cambridge pulled back onto level terms by Craven Cottage. A further blade clash before the Mile Post saw OBUBC take a lead of half a length, which they extended to two lengths by the time they finished the first piece at Chiswick Steps. The second race was held on the same stretch of the Thames, in reverse, and aggressive steering from OBUBC saw them holding a half-length on the approach to Barnes Bridge before CUBC restored parity under the bridge. OBUBC reduced the CUBC lead to a canvas by Dukes Meadow and made a final push to take a quarter-length victory over the Light Blues.

Cancellation

On 16 March 2020, it was announced that the event was cancelled as a result of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic and following Prime Minister

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...

's announcement that all non-essential travel should be avoided. Other than as a result of war, it was the first time the men's race has been cancelled since it has taken place annually from

. It was also the first cancellation of the women's race since its 1964 revival. Robert Gillespie, Chairman of The Boat Race Company Limited, said that it "was not an easy decision", and added that "the public good far outweighs all other considerations". Instead of the race, members of the CUWBC squad participated in Row Britannia, an indoor rowing challenge to raise money for charity. Mixed teams of 8 participants representing Oxford and Cambridge, including Olympic and Paralympic rowers, contested a 6.8km virtual boat race on 13 June 2020, with individual rowers from each team completing 500m on an ergometer in relays, to raise funds for the charity Power2Inspire.

Crews

Despite the cancellation, on 29 March 2020, both the men's and women's senior and reserve crews who would have competed were announced. * * *

Women

Men

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 2020, The

Boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

2020 in rowing 2020 in sport in London March 2020 sports events in the United Kingdom

Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the Uni ...

The Boat Race Women's Boat Race