@theonejoeyd
First of all, congratulations to Oxford for winning the 159th annual university Boat Race at a canter.
It is their 77th Race victory- a number that on the surface, constitutes a dynasty of success, consistency and efficient domination.
Or does it, when you realise they have only been competing against Cambridge since the inaugural event in 1829 and their opponents have won it 81 times and lead the series. Now, I know the race is a historic part of British culture, but does it really affect enough people for it to be considered a legit sporting event? For me it is not quite the same when you have nobody to root for in a particular sport.
When only two universities can enter teams, and both happen to be the strongest educational institutions in terms of academic reputation, then it suggests a bout of elitism. Given the unarguable fact the majority of university students in the United Kingdom do not attend either Oxford or Cambridge, why would they care about the Boat Race?
Now I'm a man of tradition but I can endorse change when it is for the better. I'd like to see a revamp of the race and here are my suggestions:
1. The first suggestion is that the Boat Clubs of Oxford and Cambridge agree to waive the Joint Understanding that governs the race, which would enable changes to its constitution.
2. I would enable any educational institution in the UK that possesses university status to be eligible to take part. There are 109 universities in the country. Of course, all of them might not enter a team, but it gives them the opportunity to compete and expand the interest in the event.
3. Chances are there would be a sizeable amount of applicants, so let's have four qualifiers the weekend before, two on the Saturday and the other two on the Sunday, with a maximum of eight participants in each. Eight boats is a perfect fit- it gives the challengers plenty of space and doesn't leave the River Thames an overcrowded cluster!
4. The top two in each qualifier go through to the final- the Boat Race itself, the following Sunday. The best university team wins the title and if it is an unfashionable name, then great! It bestows them with national media exposure and is a consummate method of presentation to potential students and financial backers.
Limiting the race just to Oxford and Cambridge means only they are affected by the result. As someone who completed a degree at a more obscure university, I would certainly root for its team in a national competition if it was allowed to partake. As would students up and down the country if their own academic establishment were involved. So let's stop being prehistoric and revolutionise!
It would be the perfect opportunity to increase popularity and numbers taking part in the sport of rowing, at a time when Great Britain's Olympic team dominated the waters of Eton Dorney last summer. It would provide us a possiblity to produce even more rowing champions far beyond the next Games in Rio.
I do not hail from either Oxford or Cambridge nor have I ever visited these parts, hence I did not even bat an eyelid at the race this year. However if we can convert it into a National Boat Race with all 109 UK universities permitted to register a squad of rowers, and metamorphose a tedious, elitist two-team Thames stroll that makes the Scottish Premier League seem unpredictable into a fiercely competitive countrywide tournament, then we can glamorise it, heighten its television audience and make it a true 'crown jewel' of British sport.
It is their 77th Race victory- a number that on the surface, constitutes a dynasty of success, consistency and efficient domination.
Or does it, when you realise they have only been competing against Cambridge since the inaugural event in 1829 and their opponents have won it 81 times and lead the series. Now, I know the race is a historic part of British culture, but does it really affect enough people for it to be considered a legit sporting event? For me it is not quite the same when you have nobody to root for in a particular sport.
When only two universities can enter teams, and both happen to be the strongest educational institutions in terms of academic reputation, then it suggests a bout of elitism. Given the unarguable fact the majority of university students in the United Kingdom do not attend either Oxford or Cambridge, why would they care about the Boat Race?
Now I'm a man of tradition but I can endorse change when it is for the better. I'd like to see a revamp of the race and here are my suggestions:
1. The first suggestion is that the Boat Clubs of Oxford and Cambridge agree to waive the Joint Understanding that governs the race, which would enable changes to its constitution.
2. I would enable any educational institution in the UK that possesses university status to be eligible to take part. There are 109 universities in the country. Of course, all of them might not enter a team, but it gives them the opportunity to compete and expand the interest in the event.
3. Chances are there would be a sizeable amount of applicants, so let's have four qualifiers the weekend before, two on the Saturday and the other two on the Sunday, with a maximum of eight participants in each. Eight boats is a perfect fit- it gives the challengers plenty of space and doesn't leave the River Thames an overcrowded cluster!
4. The top two in each qualifier go through to the final- the Boat Race itself, the following Sunday. The best university team wins the title and if it is an unfashionable name, then great! It bestows them with national media exposure and is a consummate method of presentation to potential students and financial backers.
Limiting the race just to Oxford and Cambridge means only they are affected by the result. As someone who completed a degree at a more obscure university, I would certainly root for its team in a national competition if it was allowed to partake. As would students up and down the country if their own academic establishment were involved. So let's stop being prehistoric and revolutionise!
It would be the perfect opportunity to increase popularity and numbers taking part in the sport of rowing, at a time when Great Britain's Olympic team dominated the waters of Eton Dorney last summer. It would provide us a possiblity to produce even more rowing champions far beyond the next Games in Rio.
I do not hail from either Oxford or Cambridge nor have I ever visited these parts, hence I did not even bat an eyelid at the race this year. However if we can convert it into a National Boat Race with all 109 UK universities permitted to register a squad of rowers, and metamorphose a tedious, elitist two-team Thames stroll that makes the Scottish Premier League seem unpredictable into a fiercely competitive countrywide tournament, then we can glamorise it, heighten its television audience and make it a true 'crown jewel' of British sport.
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