19 March 2025

By Tim Koch

Tim Koch attempts to understand and to simplify a complex and evolving situation.

Although the Oxford – Cambridge Boat Race is a much loved British institution, in modern times most of the media largely ignore the event – unless they can find something to write that is not just about boring old rowing or the possibility of one boat going faster than another. Crew mutinies are favourite, followed by rowers who are not in the first flush of youth, competitors who are siblings (preferably in opposing crews) or those who have made the crew despite some personal tragedy. This year, “crew eligibility” may join the list.

On 18 March, twenty-six days before Boat Race Day, reports in The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The New York Times and even the tabloids the Sun and the Daily Mail said that three Cambridge postgraduate teacher training (PGCE) students have been ruled ineligible to take part in this year’s Oxford – Cambridge Boat Races.

The trio are Matt Heywood (who won an U23 world title in the eight in 2022), Molly Foxell (reservist in 2023 and 2024) and Kate Crowley (2023 reservist and 2024 lightweight cox). Both Foxell and Crowley completed their undergraduate degrees at Cambridge, and Heywood was previously at Oxford Brookes. Only lightweight cox Crowley was selected for the Cambridge Media Fixtures held on 1 March and 2 March so, while there is an argument over principle, the loss is unlikely to affect Cambridge’s openweight performances on the day.

The Boat Race Company issued the following statement:

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. The Clubs are signatories to a Joint Agreement and agree to be bound by a ruling of the Interpretation Panel with no further recourse. 

We hope that any decision of the Interpretation Panel (IP) is respected and accepted, and not debated publicly, particularly since the IP’s remit was agreed by the Clubs. The Panel is made up of a Chair, two representatives from both clubs and two academics…

The eligibility criteria for being considered for a place in a Boat Race crew are here.

Junior Rowing News has published an article that it says was written anonymously as an “Opinions” piece and does not necessarily reflect the views or reflections of JRN as a platform. It is a long and technical piece, possibly by an Old Light Blue, but is seemingly well informed. I will not attempt to summarise it, but I will quote this:

Part of the argument against allowing PGCE students to row in The Boat Race is the suggestion that the qualification is part-time, not a degree-level qualification, as it only awards 60 of the 180 credits needed for a Masters, and is mainly vocational rather than academic. This is an irrelevant distinction, as the rules do not state specific credits required, only that it must be ‘degree-level.’ 

The number of credits relates to the work undertaken for a course, though this varies widely, and a PGCE is massively time-consuming. The UK Government website lists that a PGCE is a level seven qualification. This is equivalent to a Masters-level study, as repeated on Oxford and Cambridge University PGCE webpages.

Oxford’s position also argues the PGCE is ineligible as students spend more hours gaining practical experience rather than being taught. Some Masters courses have as few as three taught hours a week (MPhil in Health, Medicine and Society), and some Undergraduate courses (such as History) have only two hours a week taught. A PGCE student spends around 13 hours a week being taught in faculty on top of countless hours spent in school performing the demanding job of a teacher. Furthermore, students in other practical courses, such as Clinical Medicine or Veterinary Medicine, are eligible. Either way, why should a course which is predominantly practical be excluded? Appealing against the PCGE on these grounds is unclear at best and cruel at worst. 

On 17 March, Annamarie Phelps, Chair of CUBC, issued a statement posted on cubc.org.uk:

Cambridge University Boat Club is deeply disappointed by the news that our PGCE students have been classified as ineligible to race in The Boat Race. There is no question academically about the standing of the PGCE course, which is highly valued and operates at a postgraduate level. This decision comes despite the University’s advice on the PGCE’s standing and despite the precedent set by PGCE students from both Oxford and Cambridge being allowed to race in preceding years.

Following The Boat Race this year, it is in everyone’s interest for the two Clubs to sit down and agree the eligibility criteria for future races…

We stand firm in our commitment to all Club members who studied for the PGCE and we would like to reassure our alumni that their race results and resulting ‘Blue’ still stands. 

We thank all previous PGCE students for managing to balance significant academic commitments alongside the rigorous training needed to compete in The Boat Race.

In a somewhat forlorn hope, the Boat Race Company’s statement included the wish that “any decision of the Interpretation Panel is respected and accepted, and not debated publicly…” 

Social media posts by two notable people in the rowing world, Imogen Grant and Cath Bishop, were pounced upon by the press. Bishop’s Instagram comments are still online but Grant has since deleted her post. The Telegraph quoted part of it as saying:

This is an insult to teachers everywhere and a desperate ploy from Oxford to gain an upper hand in the most slimy way…

Unfortunately, the word “slimy” is and will be appearing in many headlines. Grant continued:

I do not believe this reflects on the current Oxford squad… I believe this is entirely down to select individuals amongst the alumni who have a narrow, outdated view of who rows boat races. 

Grant’s alumni comments may or may not be correct but, whoever instigated the move to disqualify PGCE students, allegedly in an attempt to defend “the spirit of the race”, may have, entirely predictably, accomplished the exact opposite.

The Telegraph reported that Oxford University Boat Club declined to comment.

Postscript
At 4.29pm GMT on 19 March, just before I sent the above the HTBS HQ, Ben Rumsby of the Daily Telegraph reported that three more CUBC rowers have been told that they could not take part in the Boat Race: reigning Olympic champion Tom Ford, and Cambridge women’s presidents for 2025 and 2024 respectively, Lucy Havard and Jenna Armstrong. None are PGCE students, their disqualification seems to centre on a four-year-old rule brought in after James Cracknell took part in the 2019 race which imposes a 12-year limit after a student first enrolled at any university.  

Telegraph Sport:

Ford, who began a BA in Geography and Town Planning at Newcastle University almost 14 years ago, is not listed in the CUBC men’s squad on the Boat Race’s official website. But, on March 2, the 32-year-old stroked their “provisional Blue Boat” … to victory against..  the Netherlands in two (Fixture) races for next month’s event.

Confirming Ford had been ruled ineligible for selection, the Boat Race Company said in a statement: “Regarding the eligibility of PGCE students, this was raised earlier in the academic year. The eligibility rules agreed between the clubs also include a 12-year limit after a student first enrolled at a university. The rules are on the club websites and students will have been advised that these rules are in place.

“In the case of Tom Ford , he matriculated in 2011 and is therefore ineligible to race according to the rules agreed jointly by the two clubs…

Havard – who started a PhD in history at Cambridge in 2022 and is listed among the CUBC’s women’s squad – embarked upon a medical degree at University College London in 2007. Meanwhile, United States-born Armstrong – who is studying for a postgraduate degree in physiology – is known to have taken up rowing in 2011 while an undergraduate.

To add intrigue to the current row, Havard and Armstrong both competed for Cambridge last year, in the reserve and main races, respectively, despite it having been more than 12 years since they began their undergraduate degrees.

Confused? Me too. Watch this space.