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The tradition of throwing winning coxes in the River Thames could be revived this year - PA/Joe Giddens
The Boat Race tradition of throwing winning coxes in the River Thames will be revived if tests prove a new £5 billion “super sewer” has cut dangerous levels of sewage.
With a relatively clear weather forecast between now and the race, there is understood to be increasing hope behind the scenes that the tradition can safely return ahead of 11th-hour water analysis.
E.coli scares dogged teams at the event in March last year, with rowers on the men’s Oxford team complaining of “poo in the water” and saying sickness had played a part in their defeat.
Amid pollution worries, Cambridge and Oxford crews were advised by organisers not to enter the water last year – but the return of the ritual of throwing in the winning cox now hinges on tests ahead of this year’s April 13 race.
Cleaning up the Thames long-term is a major theme for the event this year, with the Boat Race Company joining the Oxford and Cambridge teams this week in signing up to the so-called London Rivers’ Pledge.
Oxford and Cambridge’s world-class scientific expertise could eventually be drawn on as part of an agreement between organisations to help London mayor Sadiq Khan meet his ambition to make the Thames swim-safe by 2034.
For next month’s race, however, the main focus will be on whether the Thames Tideway Tunnel super sewer is already taking effect. After 10 years of construction work, the last of the 21 connections of the tunnel was made to the city’s Victorian sewage system in February.
The new system is expected to eventually stop 95 per cent of the sewage spills that previously would have polluted the river. But organisers of the race will await final testing of the course from Putney to Mortlake before giving teams any guidance around entering the waters.
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The Boat Race is one of London’s sporting highlights - Getty Images/Henry Nicholls
Last year, rowers were told not to enter or swallow the water, as well as to take other preventative measures, such as covering up scrapes with waterproof plasters. Heeding the warnings, the winning Cambridge women’s team lifted their cox in the air, rather than throwing her into the water, as is tradition. Oxford’s coach at the time, Sean Bowden called the situation a “national disgrace”.
But with the Thames Tideway Tunnel now fully connected, there is optimism among organisers that necessary improvements are being made. A 10-year partnership into a clean-up campaign led by the Mayor of London will be confirmed later this week as the crews for this year’s race are also announced.
Siobhan Cassidy, chair of the Boat Race Company and a biologist by training, said: “Rowers have an intimate relationship with the river. They literally could not be any closer to it and they care deeply about water quality. We have all tolerated appalling levels of sewage for far too long, and though ambitious developments such as the Tideway Tunnel should improve the situation substantially, we must all maintain the pressure on the relevant authorities to do all they can to clean up the Thames and the other waterways used and appreciated by millions.”
Plans to clean up London’s rivers had already been given extra support this month with the announcement of more than £1.8 billion investment from Thames Water, City Hall and Transport for London.
Khan welcomed the Boat Race decision to join efforts to improve the waterways. He said: “The annual Boat Race is an iconic event in London, shining a spotlight on the Thames. It’s vital that rowers can train and race on the river safely, and that everyone is able to access and enjoy our waterways. London’s rivers have been neglected for too long, and I’m pleased to be delivering funding and working with partners on an ambitious plan to clean them up and turn things around.”
This week’s confirmation of the crews for the men’s and women’s races will be another talking point, with Telegraph Sport reporting last week how Olympic gold medallist Tom Ford is among the rowers effectively barred from competing under clampdowns on “ringers”.
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