Boat Race 2014: Cambridge vs Oxford in 160th BNY Mellon Boat Race; Aussie Joins Cambridge Crew
Teams from two British universities paddle through the River Thames, between Putney and Mortlake in West London, for the 160th Boat Race. The 2014 Boat Race will have Cambridge University and Oxford University competing on Sunday, April 6, according to the Boat Race official Web site.
The rowing competition is also called the BNY Mellon Boat Race since the Boat Race Company Ltd. (BRCL) announced BNY Mellon, a global financial services company, as the new title partner of the race. The competition first raced in 1829, making this year's competition the 160th Boat Race and "one of the oldest sporting events in the world."
The history of the Boat Race suggests that the race started when two fellow students from Cambridge and Oxford met during a vacation and later on both universities came to set up a challenge. The first boat race happened on June 10, 1829 where Oxford snatched its first win in the history of the race.
The teams' current standing sees Cambridge University ahead of the competition with 81 wins, while Oxford has only 77. In 1877, Cambridge and Oxford had their first dead-lock.
[UPDATE: Congratulations to Oxford University for winning against Cambridge. Oxford now has 78 wins.]
Boat Race 2014: Cambridge Loses, Gives Oxford University Biggest Win Since 1973
Some of the Cambridge crew members captured in training on the River Thames in London on April 2 include Joshua Hooper of Australia. He is also joined by Helge Gruetjen of Germany, and Steve Dudek and Matthew Jackson who are both from the U.S.
For some who aren't really familiar with the race, here is a summary of the rules of the boat race, according to the Boat Race Web site:
The "simple" rule of the game is for the crews to keep to their own racing line and try to make the quickest and fastest way possible to the end. In addition to that, there is a rule that both crews "must row through the centre arches of Hammersmith and Barnes Bridges."
The Cambridge crew will be wearing light blue, while the Oxford crew will make its way with dark blue uniforms. The competition will be televised at exactly 5:55 pm on Sunday, April 6 on BBC1. For live streaming, everyone can visit the BBC Sport Web site.
What team are you supporting? Are you teaming with the crew on light blue or dark blue?
Here is one boat race Twitter update that may help you decide:
The crews will wear Blue - but what are you wearing on Sunday to #ShowYourSupport? Check out: http://t.co/ixqsgm1T2u pic.twitter.com/lxZozbx61J
— The Boat Race (@theboatrace) April 2, 2014