Row over Oxford Cambridge Boat Race
Oxford's team branded 'slimy' and 'desperate' by Cambridge rower ahead of next month's event
Last updated 19th Mar 2025
A row has broken out over the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race, which has seen Cambridge rowers brand the Oxford University Boat Race team 'slimy' and 'desperate'.
It's after they challenged the eligibility of studying for a PGCE in teaching, being able to count towards a team member rowing on their team.
The boat race teams are always made up of students at both University's. A PGCE is a postgraduate course designed to prepare graduates for a career in teaching,
The change in this decision means three Cambridge team rowers now aren't eligible to race in next month's event in London on the River Thames on April 13.
Rowers Matt Heywood, Molly Foxell, and cox Kate Crowley have all been affected by the change.
In a statement on his social media Matthew Heywood said:
"It’s safe to say that this decision doesn’t align with any values of sportsmanship or race spirit that I have known in rowing, and that I feel disheartened by the wider implications of this decision on my future vocation.
I applied to the PGCE because I am passionate about inspiring and supporting young people. I want to be a teacher. I’m excited to start that career in September and am looking forward to what the future holds.
This was meant to be my last race. 15 year old me, who grew up by the Thames and learned to row at his local club, could never have dreamed of how fortunate he would be to experience some incredible moments thanks to this sport. It’s a shame it’s ending this way, but I have a lot to be grateful for."
Imogen Grant, a former Cambridge rower and Paris 2024 Olympian, also took to social media saying:
“As you can imagine, I’m seething. This is an insult to teachers everywhere and a desperate ploy from Oxford to gain an upper hand in the most slimy way”.
Kate Crowley has also spoken out online, saying: “it is absolutely gutting to have the race that you’ve dreamed of doing for years taken away from you, without getting any say in the matter. I haven’t come to terms with it yet, and I’m not sure that I will”.
Last year Cambridge men and women's teams beat Oxford's in the Boat Race. Cambridge have won five from the past six in the men's race and it was their seventh successive win in the women's.
Statement from the Boat Race Company
Earlier today the Boat Race Company posted the following statement online:
"We sympathise with any athlete disappointed with the crew selection for The Boat Race. This is an extremely competitive process and there are strict (publicly available) eligibility criteria for being considered for a place in a crew.
Those criteria are jointly agreed by the two competing Clubs, with no involvement from The Boat Race Company Limited (BRCL) or any third party. Similarly, both Clubs agree to the existence and ultimate authority of an independent Interpretation Panel to provide rulings on any disputes, or to clarify rules where necessary. The Clubs are signatories to a Joint Agreement and agree to be bound by a ruling of the Interpretation Panel with no further recourse. We hope that any decision of the Interpretation Panel (IP) is respected and accepted, and not debated publicly, particularly since the IP’s remit was agreed by the Clubs. The Panel is made up of a Chair, two representatives from both clubs and two academics.
We look forward to the clubs racing on Sunday 13 April where the intense rivalry is best seen on the water."
Many elite athletes have been brought into the teams in the past in a process which calls them Ringers.
James Cracknell 'it's terrible'
Olympic rower James Cracknell from Henley has spoken to us about the argument.
He rowed with the Cambridge team in 2019, after deciding to study for a PGCE, making him the oldest rower with the team at 46.
He says juggling the two is really difficult:
"If they wanted to go to Cambridge to do an easier course just in the boat race, they would not have chosen the PGCE. They've trained all winter and it's yeah, it's terrible. I just hope Oxford get smacked."
We've contacted the Oxford University Boat Club for comment.