The Boat Race
- Thread starter Brizzle
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Cheers. It is very flattering, but I'm not entirely sure I'm going to go for it.
Which college would you be attached to, if you did apply?
Thanks mate. Yeah, despite the outcome I was proud of the Light Blues today (I did get to see it in the end). Oxford won fair and square, but they had a particularly impressive crew this year and we still pushed them hard for most of the race.
No idea JJ. It isn't advertised through one of the colleges, but via the Faculty of English.
Right. Reason I asked was that such jobs quite often seem to carry with them a fellowship at one of the colleges. Macca would know more than I about that though.
It is a lectureship rather than a fellowship.
The lectureship of the ring. One does not simply talk into mordor.
You is a funny dude Athens.
Cheers. To be fair it's the volume of posts that I throw out there, one or two of them is bound to be funny.
It isn't usual (or wasn't in my day anyway) for a fellowship to be offered in isolation, unless it's some kind of specific honorary one. They tend to have teaching duties attached to them which often have a University aspect as well as a college one. Things may quite well have changed though - I haven't really kept up in detail TBH.
From my more recent experience, fellowships tend to be temporary arrangements, whether teaching or research, visiting, or whatever. Lectureships are permanent appointments. Admittedly, I don't quite have my head around the Oxbridge college systems.
I like watching the boat race, it's exciting plus it's a nice tradition. I've always cheered for Oxford because it was Bertie Wooster's team.
Don't know why anyone would moan about it being televised. What else are they going to put on? Are there so few cookery shows on telly that a few more couldn't hurt, or something?
Don't know why anyone would moan about it being televised. What else are they going to put on? Are there so few cookery shows on telly that a few more couldn't hurt, or something?
I know it represent a huge tradition in the English sporting calendar but I think it's relevance has waned considerably over the last few decades and they need to "re-invent" it.
The Pesam solution: make it the focal point of the Henley Regatta, it could be like the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. Also, invite other top college rowing teams to take part. A field of 6 boats would make it a helluva lot more interesting.
The Pesam solution: make it the focal point of the Henley Regatta, it could be like the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. Also, invite other top college rowing teams to take part. A field of 6 boats would make it a helluva lot more interesting.
They already do race against other universities and have done for many years. The Boat Race isn't the only one they row.
I know JJ, and I also know that the Oxbridge crews are regularly beaten by other Universities but I still think it would benefit the sport if THE boat race was the focal part of a big meeting and it was like the Grand National or Gold Cup for rowing.
Interesting idea. The question would be whether there's just too much tradition surrounding it for such a move to be practicable. Put it this way: if for example the National weren't already part of a wider race meeting, it would be difficult to "downsize" it sufficiently to bring that about.
I just think the Boat Race can't survive* on tradition alone and to regain it's relevance and popularity (it was very popular in the 1970's but seemingly less so each decade since) it needs major restructuring.
*Obvioulsy it can survive but it will get to a stage where it will become so peripheral that it will be shown on ESPN or some similar such channel.
They wouldn't move it to another course, as it has always been on the same route between Putney and Chiswick bar a few times they have had to move it.
The week before there is the biggest race of the Winter season called Head of the River Race which is the same route but in reverse (from Chiswick to Putney) where 400 clubs and universities take part. Although it would be quite easy for them to enter this, it wouldn't be the same as the boat race is side by side and about just 2 crews battling as opposed to HORR which is a head race and boats start at 10 second intervals.
Both Oxford and Cambridge have entered this before, but there is no need for them to do so, as their biggest race of the season is against the other.
Having them race at Henley, whilst seeming like a good idea, would probably enrage more clubs as it takes the focus off them who are likely to be the contenders for the Henley divisions.
You also couldn't have more than 2 a side down the course on the Thames anyway as it would get very tight when you get to bridges. And then how do you choose who the other crews are?
With respect to other universities, it fluctuates but there are years when the likes of University of London, Newcastle and Oxford Brookes are all faster, but UL and Brookes often have rowers who are not technically students but just row out of the club which causes uproar! There are plenty of races where the UK unis race each other, and I don't think anyone really thinks that Oxford or Cambridge missing out is a big deal, although it would make it a lot more interesting to see them get beaten in certain categories!
The week before there is the biggest race of the Winter season called Head of the River Race which is the same route but in reverse (from Chiswick to Putney) where 400 clubs and universities take part. Although it would be quite easy for them to enter this, it wouldn't be the same as the boat race is side by side and about just 2 crews battling as opposed to HORR which is a head race and boats start at 10 second intervals.
Both Oxford and Cambridge have entered this before, but there is no need for them to do so, as their biggest race of the season is against the other.
Having them race at Henley, whilst seeming like a good idea, would probably enrage more clubs as it takes the focus off them who are likely to be the contenders for the Henley divisions.
You also couldn't have more than 2 a side down the course on the Thames anyway as it would get very tight when you get to bridges. And then how do you choose who the other crews are?
With respect to other universities, it fluctuates but there are years when the likes of University of London, Newcastle and Oxford Brookes are all faster, but UL and Brookes often have rowers who are not technically students but just row out of the club which causes uproar! There are plenty of races where the UK unis race each other, and I don't think anyone really thinks that Oxford or Cambridge missing out is a big deal, although it would make it a lot more interesting to see them get beaten in certain categories!
You get cases of it. Some unis (like Brookes) have GB performance centres and outside of university only events can register anyone they like to race, so say at this Head of the River Race, they would enter people on this programme who are not students at Brookes and thus be at an advantage and beat a lot (if not all) of the other unis in the race.
Also, as rowing is an amateur sport, you get a lot of internationals who can also happen to still be students, and who both row for their country (most likely at U23 level) but also for their university too.
They're all big lads Simon aren't they them rowers? I can see why you took it up - perfect build for it
I have the height, trying to add the required skill and strength/ fitness to that now!
