Three Cambridge rowers have been told that they cannot compete in this year’s Boat Race due to a new condition on eligibility which, it has been alleged, was influenced by the Oxford camp. The PGCE course, or Postgraduate Certificate of Education, has been deemed insufficient as academic backing for those taking part in this year’s race, set to happen in just under a month’s time on 13th April.
Three PGCE student rowers have been affected: Matt Heywood, Molly Foxell, and cox Kate Crowley. Heywood posted a statement on his Instagram, claiming: “OUBC [Oxford University Boat Club] challenged the eligibility of PGCE students this year and the subsequent decision has ruled myself and two other athletes ineligible.
“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.”
The reaction to the controversial decision has been just as fierce elsewhere. In a statement published on Instagram, Imogen Grant, former Cambridge rower and Paris 2024 Olympian, wrote: “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”.
Both universities agree to a third-party adjudication from The Boat Race Company, that itself has “no involvement… with any third party”. The Company released a statement today, asserting that: “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.”
Ringers – elite athletes, often Olympians, brought in by either side – are an historic part of the Boat Race; those around to watch the 2019 race might recall the inclusion of a 46-year-old James Cracknell, a two-time Olympic gold medallist with honours at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. As such, the movement to ban three Cambridge rowers reinforces an uncomfortable precedent of pettiness that has come to be so common between the two clubs before race day. Sometimes called ‘the row before the row’, this year’s dispute is arguably a new low.
OUBC have been contacted for comment.
