Last weekend some of Oxford and Cambridge’s finest athletes made history in the Boat Race. And these athletes were women. This year marked the first ever instance of women racing the same course, on the same river, on the same day as men. Whilst this may sound like something which should have happened long before now (which it should have), and might not seem like a big deal to a lot of people (although it is), it marked a true step towards equality in sport.
Before last Saturday, I had never been too interested in the Boat Race, despite being an avid fan of Oxford sport, and a horrendously competitive sportswoman myself. Personally, I am not a rower but more of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none kind of sportswoman, dabbling in a range of college leagues over my three years at the university. However, I set aside my usual eye rolling, scathing comments about ‘rowing wankers’ and was proud to support my fellow female students, who have somehow managed to balance being a Blues rower and a completing an Oxbridge degree, excelling at both.
Before now, the women’s races have been generally held at Henley, on a much shorter course, and with only a fraction of the media coverage that the men’s races have held for many years. Women’s rowing has come a long way since the first female Oxbridge race in 1927, when the two boats were judged not on endurance or speed, but on style. The women who rowed for both universities last weekend are my new heroes, pioneering British sport and dragging it into the 21st century. It took a long time to get here, but their achievement today has proved that there is a definite progression happening.
The race itself was easily won by Oxford, mostly due to our boat having considerably more experienced and powerful rowers, including Caryn Davies, a decorated and talented rower, sportswoman and lawyer, in stroke position. However, despite celebrating the dark blues thrashing the tabs, the pride I felt that made my eyes well up and caused a cheeky tear to escape was not simply for my university, but for all 18 of those women who gave every last inch of themselves in that race, proving the rightful place of women in sport everywhere.
To be even a small part of such a huge event, by being at the same university as these amazing athletes, and having the privilege to watch such a previously male-centred tradition extending its hand to female rowers was overwhelming.
To the rowers in both the main and reserves boats, at both Oxford and Cambridge, their coaches, and the people behind the scenes who made today possible, we salute you. This day will go down in history as a win not just for OUWBC and the University of Oxford, but for sportswomen everywhere who have been held back, put down, and told that they cannot compete at the same level as men. Inch by inch, length by length, win by win, female sport is finally getting the respect and recognition that it deserves, and last weekend was a beautiful and awe-inspiring leap in the right direction.
