This week saw the official announcement of the men’s and women’s Blue Boats to contest The Gemini Boat Race on 3rd April.
After the pandemic caused the cancellation in 2020 and a move away from the Tideway in 2021, the race finally returns to its spiritual home on the Championship course from Putney to Mortlake. Almost in celebration of that fact the crews representing Oxford and Cambridge are, on paper, some of the finest ever seen. Post-Olympic years always tend to attract senior international athletes who are looking to improve their academic qualifications and also scratch the rowing itch that is the University Boat race. This year all four Blue Boats have an embarrassment of riches with no fewer than 13 athletes with Olympic experience, and a further 4 senior internationals, the most ever to race in the Boat Race.
So, as I do every year, here is my seat-by-seat comparison of the Oxford and Cambridge men’s boats.
Bow
Oxford
Name: Liam Corrigan
Nationality: American
Age: 24
The first of no fewer than five Olympians in the Oxford boat (a record for a Boat Race crew). Corrigan is a Harvard graduate and was a member of the USA M8 that finished 4th at the Tokyo Olympics. Whilst at Harvard he rowed in the Varsity crew that won bronze at the IRA Championships and competed at the U23 World Championships in 2017 and 2019.
Cambridge
Name: Luca Ferraro
Nationality: British
Age: 20
Ferraro learnt to row at the Lea Rowing Club and was selected to row for Great Britain in the JM2X at the Coupe De la Jeunesse in 2019. In 2021 he was a member of the Cambridge spare pair losing to Oxford. This year sees a significant step up for him making the Blue Boat in an exceptionally strong year beating several Goldie rowers and U23 internationals to win his seat. He competed in the GB trials last month with Ollie Parish finishing as the fastest U23 pair and 11th overall.
Verdict: A clear advantage to the Olympian in the Dark Blue boat.
2
Oxford
Name: David Ambler
Nationality: British
Age: 24
Another Harvard graduate and crewmate of Corrigan’s. Ambler is part of British Rowing’s Project Paris squad and made his senior international debut at the 3rd World Cup in 2021 taking a superb silver medal in the M4-. He raced on the GB U23 team from 2017-2019 culminating in a gold medal in the BM8 in 2019. At the recent GB Trials, he was partnered by Matt Rowe from Oxford Brookes and finished in a strong 9th in the M2-.
Cambridge
Name: James Hunter
Nationality: New Zealand
Age: 29
Hunter is the first of four Olympians in the Cambridge boat. He was a member of the Kiwi LM4- that finished 5th at the Rio Olympics. His senior international career started in 2013 winning three World Cup gold medals and a World Championship silver. He won a 2nd LM4- silver in 2014 and finished 4th in 2015. After Rio he moved into the heavyweight M2- winning a World Championship bronze medal with Tom Hunter. A graduate of Massey university (like fellow Kiwis Grace Prendergast and Ruby Tew) he’s reading for an MBA at St Catherine’s.
Verdict: This is really, really close. Hunter has an amazing pedigree, but Ambler is a star of the future who has already proved himself on the word stage. I’m going to call this even.
3
Oxford
Name: Barnabe Delarze
Nationality: Swiss
Age: 27
One of a record three Swiss athletes in the men’s race, Delarzeis a two-time Olympian. At Rio he raced in the M4X that finished 7th and in Tokyo he and Roman Roeoesli finished 5thin the M2X. he started his senior career 2013 sculling in an outstanding M4X that finished 6th at the World Championships (having won the U23 title earlier in the year). The quad successfully defending their U23 title in 2014 and in 2015 they again made the A-Final at the senior World Championships. As a M2X he and Roeoesli won silver at the 2018 World Championships and another silver at the 2020 Europeans. He’s no stranger to the Tideway having raced at a number of Tideway events whilst spending a few months rowing for Sport Imperial.
Cambridge
Name: George Finlayson
Nationality: Australian
Age: 23
A graduate of UCLA, Berkeley, Finlayson rowed for Australia at the 2019 U23 World Championships finishing 6th in the BM8. Whilst at Cal he won bronze at the IRA Championships in his Freshman year and as a sophomore won the 2V at the IRA Championships. He also raced for UTS Haberfield and Sydney Rowing Club in the Ladies Plate at Henley in 2018.
Verdict: a definite advantage to the Dark Blues.
4
Oxford
Name: Jack Robertson
Nationality: Australian
Age: 24
Another University of California graduate, Robertson was a crewmate of Finlayson in the Australian U23 M8 in 2019. In 2020 he was named as reserve for the senior Australian Men’s team. He learnt to row at Melbourne Grammar School at made the semi-finals of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley in 2016.
Cambridge
Name: Simon Schuerch
Nationality: Swiss
Age: 31
The oldest athlete in either the men’s or women’s race, Schuerch is also one of the most decorated. He raced at both the London and Rio Olympics finishing 5th in London and taking the gold medal in the LM4- in Rio. His senior international career began back in 2010 winning a bronze medal at the European Championships. After the London Olympics he moved to the LM2X winning a World Championship silver medal in 2013. In 2015 he returned to the LM4- and won several World Cup golds and taking the world title in 2015 followed by European and Olympic golds the following year. He retired from international competition after Rio and is now reading for an MBA at St Edmunds College.
Verdict: As with other seats, it’s difficult to go against the wealth of experience in the Cambridge boat.
5
Oxford
Name: Roman Roeoesli
Nationality: Swiss
Age: 28
Roeoesli’s career has mirrored that of team mate Delarze, the two made their international debuts together in the JM2X back in 2011. After winning the U23 World Championships in 2014, the two came back together in 2015 to race in the senior quad finishing 7th at the Rio Games. After Rio Delarze and Schuerch moved to the double winning silver in 2018 and 5th in Tokyo.
Cambridge
Name: Ollie Wynne-Griffith
Nationality: British
Age: 26
A member of the Great Britain M8 that won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. Wynne-Griffith is a Yale graduate and was a member of their Varsity crew throughout his 4 years at Yale, including winning the IRA Championships, the Harvard-Yale race and also won the Ladies Plate at Henley defeating arch rivals Washington. He made his senior international debut in 2017winning World Championship bronze in 2018 and 2019. He and crewmate Tom George raced at the GB trials last month winning the M2- by 11 seconds.
Verdict: Really difficult to choose between two outstanding athletes. However, I’m just going to give this to the Light Blues based on Wynne-Griffiths better experience of racing in 8’s, particularly the match racing experience gained in his time with Yale.
6
Oxford
Name: Charlie Elwes
Nationality: British
Age: 24
Another member of the Great Britain Olympic bronze medal 8. Elwes was a team mate of Wynne-Griffith at Yale in 2016-17 winning the IRA Championships and the Harvard – Yale Regatta (and also both attended Radley College). He raced on the GB U23 team from 2017-2019 winning two silvers and a gold. He made his senior debut in 2021 winning the European Championships and bronze in Tokyo.
Cambridge
Name: Tom George
Nationality: British
Age: 27
The third member of the Great Britain Olympic M8 racing in the Boat Race. He is also an alumnus of Radley College and studied for his undergraduate degree in the USA, at Princeton. He made his senior international debut in 2017 and made the A-Final of the M2- at the World Championships. In 2018 he moved into the M8 racing in that boat through to the Tokyo Olympics. He partnered Wynne-Griffith to victory at the recent GB trials.
Verdict: impossible to choose between two of the outstanding athletes of the British team. Honours even in this seat.
7
Oxford
Name: Angus Groom
Nationality: British
Age: 29
The fifth Olympian in the Oxford boat. Groom, a graduate of Durham University, won silver as a member of GB’s M4X at the Tokyo Olympics. He made his international debut in 2014 reaching the A-Final of the M1X at the European Championships in 2015. For 2016 he moved into the M4X reaching the A-Final at the Rio Olympics. After Rio he reunited with Jack Beaumont in the M2X (a combination that won an U23 bronze medal in 2014). This partnership just missed a medal at the 2018 World Championships. 2019 saw Groom (and Beaumont) move back into the quad delivering a first ever Olympic medal in the M4X for GB.
Cambridge
Name: James Bernard
Nationality: USA
Age: 26
Bernard was selected for the 2020 Blue Boat before the race ended up being cancelled, in 2021 he was a member of the successful Goldie boat. He’s the latest in a long line of Wisconsin Badgers graduates to race for Cambridge. Whilst at Wisconsin he raced in the Varsity 8 in his Junior and senior years placing 3rd at the Eastern Sprints in 2017. Bernard was selected to represent the USA at the 2017 U23 World Championships finishing 4th in the BM8.
Verdict: Although Bernard has been in the Cambridge program for several years, Groom’s international pedigree (in spite of his sculling slant) definitely give him the impetus over his Light Blue counterpart. Advantage Oxford.
Stroke
Oxford
Name: Tobias Schroder
Nationality: British
Age: 23
The sole returning Blue in the Oxford Boat, Schroder raced in the 2019 and 2021 Blue Boats and was selected for the 2020 race, he is, however, still looking for his first victory. He learnt to row at Winchester College and was selected for the Great Britain junior team in 2017, winning a bronze medal in the JM8. In 2018 he moved up to the U23 squad placing 5th in the BM4+ and in 2021 won gold in the BM8.
Cambridge
Name: Ollie Parish
Nationality: British
Age: 20
The youngest member of the Cambridge boat and in the all-important stroke seat. Parish is one of three returning Blues for Cambridge. Rowing is in Parish’s blood, his father Matt, rowed for GB at the Atlanta Olympics, and his mother coxed for the University of London. Parish is a product of St Paul’s School and was a member of the outstanding school 1st 8 that set the fastest ever time for a schoolboy crew (5:36) at Marlow regatta and smashed the course record in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley.
Verdict: Another really close contest. Both Schroder and Parish have Boat Race experience and Parish learnt to row on the Championship course. However, I think the Dark Blue man just has the edge.
Cox
Oxford
Name: Jack Tottem
Nationality: British
Age: 20
The youngest member of the Dark Blue boat, Tottem learnt to cox at Monmouth School and was also selected to cox the GB JM8 at the Coupe De La Jeunesse. He fought off stiff competition to win his seat, including from Oliver Perry who was selected for the 2020 Boat Race and cox of the 2021 Isis boat.
Cambridge
Name: Charlie Marcus
Nationality: British
Age: 22
The Cambridge President (his Oxford counterpart didn’t make the Blue Boat). Marcus coxed Goldie in 2019 and the 2020 and 2021 Blue Boats. He learnt to cox at Hampton School and has, like his opposite number in the Dark Blue coxes seat, coxed the GB JM8 at the Coupe De La Jeunesse.
Verdict: Marcus’s extensive Boat Race experience will give him a huge advantage, but the fact Tottem beat off some stiff, and more experienced competition to win his seat shows he has some real talent.
Final Prediction
Both the Oxford and Cambridge boats are outstanding, and have the potential to be two of the best crews ever to represent their universities. It’s a mark of just how talented the two boats are that former Blues, U23 World Champions and Senior Internationals didn’t make the boat. So, who do I think will win…….the engine rooms of both boats have a ridiculous amount of power, Schuerch, Wynne-Griffith and George for the Light Blues and Roeoesli, Delarze and Elwes for the Dark Blues…..I think it’s going to be a great race, but I think Oxford will just have a bit more power than the Light Blues….I’m picking Oxford to win by 2 lengths.
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