The Boat Race of the North | |
Contested by | |
DUBC | NUBC |
First boat race | 18 May 1997 |
Current champion | Newcastle (2022) |
Course | Redheugh Bridge to Gateshead Millennium Bridge |
Course length | 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) |
Sponsor | Northumbrian Water (− 2010) NE1 (2015 –) Siemens (2017 –) |
Number of wins [lower-roman 2] | |
Durham | Newcastle |
8 | 8 |
4 draws | |
Official website | |
dubc newcastlerowing |
The Boat Race of the North is an annual rowing event between the boat clubs of Durham and Newcastle universities in England. The event is usually staged on the River Tyne in Newcastle, although the 2018 race was held on the River Wear in Durham.
The inaugural event took place on 18 May 1997. Durham won eight of the first twelve competitions, before a hiatus between 2011 and 2014. Races recommenced in 2015, and Newcastle has won six of the seven events since then.
The event was sponsored for a number of years until 2010 by Northumbrian Water, and hence was known as the Northumbrian Water University Boat Race for this period. [1] Since 2015 the race had been sponsored by the NE1 business development company, with Siemens also sponsoring from 2017, when the race became the Siemens Boat Race of the North. [2] [3]
The main rowing event consists of six races (from 2016), with trophies for the first and novice eights commemorating 19th century Tyne rowers [4]
Race | Trophy | |
---|---|---|
1 | Men's senior eights | The Clasper Trophy |
2 | Women's senior eights | The Chambers Trophy |
3 | Men's novice eights | The Renforth Trophy |
4 | Women's novice eights | The Taylor Trophy |
5 | Men's second eights | - |
6 | Women's second eights | - |
Local entertainment is often provided, and other spectacles such as a parade of tall ships, a University Sailing Contest and a University Canoe Water Polo contest have enlivened the atmosphere prior to the main race.
Presentations are made after the races have finished in Baltic Square on the Gateshead side of the river.
The 2006 race and the crews' build up to the race was filmed for an ITV television show about rowing in the North East. [5]
A race for junior rowers takes place before the main university races over the same course. It is usually contested between Tyne Amateur Rowing Club representing Newcastle and a composite of Durham Schools (usually Durham School and St Leonard's) representing Durham. The event does not count towards the overall trophy.
The 2009 boat race took place on Saturday 9 May; this was the 13th event, although only ten of the twelve prior competitions had taken place, owing to bad weather. River-based entertainment started at 3:30pm, with the start of racing at 4:40pm. [6] Newcastle took the overall title for the first time.
In 2010 the event was held on Sunday 9 May, beginning at 1:00pm, following a race between schoolchildren (won by the Durham crew). [4] It was moved from the Saturday to get better spectator numbers. [7] The Boat Race was a draw, with Newcastle taking both the Freshmen's and Freshwomen's races and Durham both Senior races. [8]
The 2011 boat race was scheduled to take place on Saturday 7 May 2011 at 5pm. There had been tensions between the teams the previous year, and the weekend before, all four Newcastle boats (Men's senior eights & Freshmen and Women's senior eights & Freshwomen) had beaten their Durham counterparts in finals at the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Regatta held at Nottingham. Durham declined to challenge Newcastle for the Boat Race trophies and conceded all races for this year without a contest. Newcastle therefore retained the overall trophy. In 2012, Durham again declined to challenge, leading to the event being abandoned until revived in 2015. [9] [10]
In 2015, the race was held on Saturday 9 May. Durham won both Women's and Men's Beginner races by 1 1/4 lengths and a canvas respectively. Newcastle Senior Women fought back with a win by 2 lengths, setting up a decider between the Senior Men. Newcastle won the Senior Men's race by 3 lengths. Newcastle retained the trophy.
The 2016 race took place on 7 May 2016. In addition to the four main races, there was also a race between the men's and women's 2nd eights as well as race between local rivals Tyne Rowing Club and Tyne United Rowing Club. [11]
Newcastle's Women won their 1st and 2nd eight races by 2 ¾ and 4 lengths respectively and Newcastle's Men won their 1st and 2nd eight races by 2 ¼ and 2 ¾ lengths respectively. Durham won both the Women's and Men's beginner races by 2 ¾ lengths and ¼ lengths respectively. Therefore, Newcastle won overall. [12]
In the club competition, Tyne Rowing Club beat Tyne United Rowing Club.
The 2018 race was scheduled for 17 March 2018 but bad weather forced the event to be postponed. A reduced Boat Race, featuring only the senior men's and women's teams, took place alongside the Durham Regatta on 9 June, meaning that the race took place on the River Wear for the first time in its history. Newcastle won both races to retain the overall trophy, the men's team by three feet and the women's team by 1 ¾ lengths. [13]
The 2019 event took place on the same day as the Heineken Cup final for European club rugby at St James' Park, with the "fanzone" for the rugby being located at the quayside. Large screens broadcast both the rising and the rugby to the crowds. [14] Newcastle won all six races over a 1500m course from Redheugh Bridge to the Millennium Bridge. Beginner races were replaced by 3rd eights. [15]
The race was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in 2021. Newcastle again won all six races. [16]
The 2022 races took place on 9 May 2022. Durham won the men's senior 8 race for the first time since the race was revived in 2015, and also took the women's 2nd 8 title, but the remaining four races were won by Newcastle, who took overall victory and retained the trophy. [17]
The Boat Race of the North in 2023 was held on Newcastle & Gateshead Quayside from 2pm on Saturday 6 May after the coronation of King Charles III. [18] Newcastle University were once again victorious, retaining the title by winning 5 of the 6 races. [19]
Year | Race Number | Senior 8 - Men | Senior 8 - Women | 2nd 8 - Men | 2nd 8 - Women | 3rd 8 - Men [lower-alpha 1] | 3rd 8 - Women [lower-alpha 1] | Overall |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 22 | Durham | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle Win |
2022 | 21 | Durham | Newcastle | Newcastle | Durham | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle Win |
2021 | 20 | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle Win |
2020 [lower-alpha 2] | Cancelled - Newcastle retain trophy | |||||||
2019 | 19 | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle Win |
2018 [lower-alpha 3] | 18 | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle Win | ||||
2017 | 17 | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Durham | Newcastle Win |
2016 | 16 | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Durham | Durham | Newcastle Win |
2015 | 15 | Newcastle | Newcastle | Durham | Durham | Draw - Newcastle retain trophy | ||
2014 [lower-alpha 4] | Not contested - Newcastle retain trophy | |||||||
2013 [lower-alpha 4] | Not contested - Newcastle retain trophy | |||||||
2012 [lower-alpha 4] | Not contested - Newcastle retain trophy | |||||||
2011 [lower-alpha 4] | Not contested - Newcastle retain trophy | |||||||
2010 | 14 | Durham | Durham | Newcastle | Newcastle | Draw - Newcastle retain trophy | ||
2009 [21] | 13 | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Durham | Newcastle Win | ||
2008 [22] | 12 | Durham | Durham | Durham | Durham | Durham Win | ||
2007 | 11 | Newcastle | Durham | Durham | Newcastle | Draw - Durham retain Trophy | ||
2006 | 10 | Durham | Durham | Newcastle | Durham | Durham Win | ||
2005 | 9 | Newcastle | Durham | Durham | Newcastle | Draw - Durham retain Trophy | ||
2004 | 8 | Durham | Durham | Durham | Durham | Durham Win | ||
2003 [lower-alpha 5] | 7 | Newcastle | Cancelled - Durham retain Trophy | |||||
2002 | 6 | Durham | Durham | Newcastle | Durham | Durham Win | ||
2001 | 5 | Durham | Newcastle | Durham | Durham Win | |||
2000 [lower-alpha 5] | 4 | Cancelled - Durham retain Trophy | ||||||
1999 | 3 | Durham | Newcastle | Durham | Durham Win | |||
1998 | 2 | Durham | Durham | Newcastle | Durham Win | |||
1997 | 1 | Durham | Durham | Durham | Durham Win | |||
Totals | Durham 10 Newcastle 9 | Newcastle 10 Durham 9 | Newcastle 5 Durham 0 | Newcastle 4 Durham 1 | Durham 9 Newcastle 10 | Durham 8 Newcastle 8 | Durham 8 Newcastle 8 4 draws |
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the three other regattas rowed over approximately the same course, Henley Women's Regatta, Henley Masters Regatta, and Henley Town and Visitors' Regatta, each of which is an entirely separate event.
Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other water-borne craft for as long as such watercraft have existed.
University rowing in the United Kingdom began when it was introduced to Oxford in the late 18th century. The first known race at a university took place at Oxford in 1815 between Brasenose and Jesus and the first inter-university boat race, between Oxford and Cambridge, was rowed on 10 June 1829.
Vesta Rowing Club is a rowing club based on the Tideway of the River Thames in Putney, London, England. It was founded in 1870.
The Oxford and Cambridge Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the Australian University Championship Men's Eight, and is competed for annually at the Australian University Games or the Australian University Rowing Championships. It is the oldest inter-University competition in Australia. The cup is awarded to the winning men's Eight over a standard 2,000m course.
Weybridge Rowing Club, founded in 1881, is a rowing club by the Thames in England, on the Surrey bank. The club organises head races, notably the Weybridge Silver Sculls which has had Olympian winners and co-organises a May/June regatta. It consists of a wide range of members: juniors, novices, seniors, masters (veterans) – these include many past and present champions.
Queen's University Belfast Boat Club (QUBBC) is the boat club of Queen's University Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is based on the River Lagan in the Stranmillis area of the city, about 10 minutes' walk from the university.
Durham University Boat Club (DUBC) is the rowing club of Durham University. In recent years, DUBC has cemented itself as one of the strongest university boat clubs in Great Britain. Under the leadership of former British Olympian Wade Hall-Craggs, DUBC notably won the BUCS Victor Ludorum for ten consecutive years (2004-2013), and has produced a number of athletes that have competed internationally at European and World Championship level.
Trevelyan College Boat Club (TCBC) is the boat club of Trevelyan College, at Durham University in England. An active north eastern rowing club, it competes on a national level, for example at Henley Royal Regatta and the Head of the River Race. The club runs under the leadership of a structured executive committee and benefits from an annual intake of around thirty novice rowers each year. The club was founded officially in 1976, although there was a history of rowing at the college earlier, with the first boat bought in 1966. It is recorded that an all fresher crew won the Ladies Invitation Race at the university Epiphany Term regatta in 1967.
University of Nottingham Boat Club (UoNBC) is the rowing club of the University of Nottingham based in the UK on the River Trent. Founded in 1892, the club has over 120 current active members, equally split between men’s, women’s and novice squads. The club is recognisable by its yellow blades and its green and yellow racing kit.
Newcastle University Boat Club (NUBC) is the rowing club of Newcastle University, UK. Established in March 1911 as the boat club for Armstrong College, it celebrated its centenary in 2011, when was also appointed High Performance Programme for heavyweight men and women by British Rowing. In the past 20 years current students and alumni won 60 international vests for GB.
Putney Town Rowing Club (PTRC) is a rowing club on the Tideway, the tidal reach of the River Thames in England. Its official British Rowing registered colours are navy and white.
Balliol College Boat Club (BCBC) is the rowing club for members of Balliol College, Oxford, England. It is one of the college boat clubs at the University of Oxford.
St Cuthbert's Society Boat Club (SCSBC) is the rowing club of St Cuthbert's Society at Durham University. Founded in the summer of 1893 with the aim of representing St Cuthbert's Society at collegiate level, it is one of the oldest and most distinguished of Durham's collegiate clubs.
William Fawcus was a British rower and member of Tynemouth Rowing Club. He won the Wingfield Sculls and the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta in 1871, being the first provincial competitor to do so.
Grey College Boat Club (GCBC) is the rowing club of Grey College at Durham University in North East England.
Durham School Boat Club (DSBC) is a school club offering rowing to students, parents, friends and other local schools. Based at Durham School in the city of Durham, England.
Lancaster University Boat Club (LUBC) is the rowing club of Lancaster University. The club was founded in 1964 with the inception of the university by Sir Harold Parkinson and is the oldest sports club at the university. The club is based in the old Halton railway station and trains on a 3 km stretch of the River Lune, 3 miles north of Lancaster.
The University of St Andrews Boat Club (UStABC), founded in 1962, is the rowing team affiliated to the University of St Andrews. Operating under the University of St Andrews Athletic Union, the club competes in head races and regattas across Scotland and England, including the Head of the River Race (London), British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta. Its national governing body is Scottish Rowing and the registration code of 'SAU'.
The University of York Boat Club (UYBC) is the rowing club of the University of York. It was founded in 1963 by Richard Miles. The club's boathouse is located along the River Ouse in Fulford, York, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom.