Starting gun fired on 2025 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
Next year's historic race takes place on the Thames in London on 13 April
Last updated 16th Nov 2024
The starting gun has been fired on 2025 Boat Race season as Oxford and Cambridge renew their rivalries at the annual Presidents’ Challenge.
The Presidents’ Challenge traditionally sees the Presidents representing the losing teams of the previous year’s races formally challenge those from the winning teams, marking the renewal of an intense competition which stretches back nearly 200 years.
The added interest in the race this year comes in the form of a partnership with Chanel. Last month’s announcement of a long-term partnership between Chanel and The Boat Race, sees the event retitled as The Chanel J12 Boat Race.
This year’s event, held at the iconic Somerset House in London, saw the Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Clubs come together in celebration of one of British sport’s most enduring rivalries and to launch the next edition of the world-famous sporting event.
Those in attendance witnessed Oxford Presidents Tom Mackintosh and Annie Anezakis challenge Cambridge Presidents Luca Ferraro and Lucy Havard. The pairs faced off before shaking hands on stage in front of the coveted men’s and women’s trophies.
The Chanel J12 Boat Race 2025 will take place on Sunday 13 April, with The 79th Women’s Boat Race to be followed shortly after by The 170th Men’s Boat Race. 200,000 spectators are expected to line the banks of the River Thames to watch the event, which is free to attend.
2024 saw Cambridge complete the double across both the Men’s and Women’s Boat Races, leaving the overall records as 87-81 in favour of Cambridge Men and 48-30 to Cambridge Women.
The make-up of the squads will be more diverse than ever in 2025, with 157 student rowers spanning 18 different nationalities from countries such as Nigeria, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Sri Lanka and China.
There will also be six Olympians within the squads. For Cambridge, this includes two-time Olympian Claire Collins, alongside reserve athlete for the 2024 British Olympic team, James Robson.
For Oxford, this includes Paris men’s eight bronze medallist Nick Rusher, Paris women’s eight bronze medallist Heidi Long, Tokyo men’s eight gold medallist Tom Mackintosh, as well as Paris Olympian Nicholas Kohl.
Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The Boat Race Company, said: “The 2025 Chanel J12 Boat Race marks a year of significant milestones. From welcoming Chanel as our new title sponsor to introducing new competitors from all over the world, including current Olympic champions, the mass appeal for one of Britain’s most historic sporting events is more widespread than ever. I’m excited for another fiercely contested ‘Battle of the Blues’ and for the rowers' competitive spirit to reach new people and places.”
First raced by crews from Oxford and Cambridge University in 1829, The Boat Race is now one of the world’s oldest and most famous amateur sporting events.
The famous Championship Course stretches over 4.25 miles of tidal Thames in West London between Putney and Mortlake .