The Council of Oxford University Rowing (COUR) has decided to make swim tests compulsory for all students before they set foot in a boat.
The ruling would change the current system where although students are encouraged to take the swim test as soon as possible, they can continue to row without having passed it until the end of Michaelmas.
This decision has sparked protest among many rowers who feel that the measure is unnecessary and will discourage freshers from getting involved in the sport.
Florence Driscoll, women’s captain of Lincoln College Boat Club, commented, “Many of our keenest rowers started at Oxford with no intention of rowing and got into the sport through trying at our taster day/barbecue.
“I believe that it would be extremely hard to persuade those who just want to give rowing a try to go for a swim test before they even get in a boat, most will think it isn’t worth the hassle.”
Esme Hicks, who rows for Univ W2, said, “I got into rowing purely by chance…Having to do the swim test before trying rowing would have made it seem far too serious and would probably have put me off.”
On the other hand, Ben Thurston who sits on the Council commented that at Durham they implemented a similar rule and found no significant reduction in the numbers taking up rowing.
After the objections voiced by many boat club captains COUR have decided to meet again to discuss the implications of the strong reactions to the decision.
The decision will be finalised by the end of term and senior rowers have been invited to focus groups.
However, according to a member of COUR, only two students out of 38 college boat clubs have said that they want to be part of the meetings, though more senior members will be going.
The final decision, as with all health and safety matters, lies with the Council which is made up of the senior members of the four Blues squads, the senior member of the federation of college boat clubs, OURCs, and various safety officers.
This announcement comes after two years of discussion and consultation during which the council looked in depth at many other options for reducing the, albeit very small, risk of rowers drowning.
Ben Thurston commented, ““there is an argument that COUR may be legally responsible, although this needs clarity and is something that will be discussed with the senior members.”
Not everyone is too concerned about this proposal, however, as one Univ student commented, “anything that stops so many people wasting their lives and putting themselves through needless pain on a disease-ridden river has to be a good thing.”
