Rivalries can often be one of the most important aspects of any sport and this is no different for the sport of rowing. Whether it be Brookes vs Leander, Harvard vs Yale, or Sydney Rowing Club Vs Henley Stewards, long-standing rivalries are key to our sport.
You only need to look at the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race to see a rivalry that has not only kept a tradition going for nearly 200 years but also introduced the sport of rowing to massively larger audience then otherwise would have seen it.
One of the reasons for this rivalry standing the test of time is because it is so genuine. It was not cooked up by a PR agency looking for a new event to promote a brand, but from a real rivalry between two of the top academic institutions in the UK, which has continued to grow. Every year both clubs become ever more determined to defend their title or avenge their defeat. Integral to this, though, has always been that the rowing does the talking and off the water both sides show total respect to their opponents.
Deep rivalries, though, can lead to bad behaviour which not only affects the reputation of the clubs involved but can impact on the overall reputation of rowing amongst a wider public who already can often view it as an exclusive and elitest sport. This was shown by a recent incident reported in De Telegraaf, in which an altercation took place between members of two club Dutch student rowing clubs. While those responsible are set to be appropriately sanctioned following an investigation by the universities involved, it is never great to see the topic of rowing appear in the wider news associated with such events.
As a relatively small sport, any time it does appear in the news can have a disproportionate impact and reinforce some of the long-standing prejudices about the sport of rowing and its members. Clubs also massively rely on the support of schools, universities, and community funding for their club finances and damage to the sports reputation can jeopardise this, further limiting opportunities for those wanting to get into the sport as well as continue to progress in rowing.
Getting the balancing act right between having real and hard-fought rivalries while also ensuring that it never crosses a line into encouraging poor behaviour by club members or their supporters is vital. One of the great things about the rowing community is, because of its relatively small size, you quickly get to know people across the whole sport and at clubs who your regularly compete against.
Not only is it always more enjoyable being able to beat friends but, as competitors, it should be remembered that upsetting your opponents off the water and giving them a motivation to want to beat you is only going to make it more difficult for you to win. Forging and growing the genuine competitive spirit between clubs though is something that as a sport should be encouraged as not only does it further provide motivation which can make those tough winter days of training feel a little less painful but also adds another dimension to our sport, making it more accessible for a casual audience to enjoy.
Duel racing, regularly seen in the US but also in events such as The Boat Race, has always been one of the far more enjoyable forms of competition to both take part in but also to spectate.
It is not surprising then that particularly here in the UK we are seeing a growth in these type of one-versus-one events such as through the Boat Race fixtures and the range of side matches that take place around that series in line with the success of the format in the US.
Encouraging these events not only serve as a clear route for growing the competition between clubs but also as an avenue for the sport to grow its appeal to a larger audience. If the sport of rowing is to grow and attract more commercial investors then events where the sport can display the best form of competition and attract that more casual viewer are vital.
For clubs I can only encourage more to embrace their rivalries, not least as they provide another opportunity for those athletes to unleash their competitive spirit on the water. For the wider rowing community, we should continue to support our local match race events whether it be the Scottish Boat Race or the Havard-Yale Regatta. By investing in and growing these events we can maintain these strong rivalries which are integral to sport while providing a platform for the rowing to speak for itself.
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