Oxford’s Boat Race stance is a travesty

Tom Ford smiles but he has been prevented from taking part in this year's Boat Race — Olympic gold medallist Tom Ford has been prevented from taking part in this year’s Boat Race - PA/John Walton

I am devastated for Tom Ford and all the other Cambridge students who have been stopped from rowing in this year’s Boat Race, as I would be if they were in Oxford’s crews. It is a real travesty that the race has become governed by rules that restrict some of the best athletes from participating. It is also wrong on every level that three trainee teachers have been blocked from taking part. These rulings mean a reigning Olympic champion and up to five other rowers are unable to race.

I have been asked this week what I think about the row that has broken out over all this between Oxford and my old university, and the fact that it has all come about following a rule change made following my participation in the 2019 race aged 46. That is the so-called ‘12-year’ rule that now prevents those entering who – like me and Tom – began their first degree more than a dozen years before joining either of the two universities. It is like asking Jean-Marc Bosman how he feels about so many small football clubs losing out on huge transfer deals when the Bosman rule came in.

My association with the 12-year rule I think is irrelevant. It is a rule that should never have been agreed between the two clubs. And I do wonder that if Tom had not stroked the British men’s eight that won the gold medal in Paris, whether anyone would have bothered invoking it. I know that there has been a KC advising Tom and Cambridge that this rule could be legally challenged. However, in the spirit of the race, Cambridge have agreed to abide by it this year. I have also heard Tom applied to study at Oxford as well and was warned by the university he would be unable to participate in the Boat Race because of the rule.

Tom Ford Ward celebrates his Olympic gold medal in Paris with his sister, Emily, who won bronze with the women's eight — Ford celebrates his men’s eight Olympic gold medal in Paris with his sister, Emily, who won bronze in the women’s race - PA/Peter Byrne

When I last spoke to Cambridge’s chief coach, Rob Baker, they had accepted the decision and he said: “We have to move on as a crew.” Rob spoke a few weeks ago with the guys who are doing the PGCE [postgraduate certificate in education] and with Tom because, even though it was not confirmed, he wanted to make the call early. For years and years, a PGCE has been a qualifying course to do the Boat Race and to change this position now seems wrong. I have done a PGCE and also done a BSc, MSc and an MPhil. The PGCE required the most time, thought and preparation and those who study for one are more than worthy of a spot in the race.

It is ironic that all this has erupted in the same week as World Head Injury Awareness Day, with which I have been involved through my role as vice-president of brain injury charity Headway. My personal reason for enrolling at Cambridge six years ago was that, having suffered a really nasty brain injury, I doubted myself, and other people doubted what I could do. I thought if I could achieve academically and physically, people would no longer say, “Are you okay?”.

When I started at Cambridge, there was a meeting – as there is every year – when each boat club could challenge the choice of people that are in the Boat Race squads. For example, if someone is not academically qualified but has gained a place because they happen to be very good at rowing. I had been accepted to study at both Cambridge and Oxford before I took part (the course I wanted to do was at Cambridge) so it became a pretty moot point in my case. But Cambridge were prepared for Oxford to say I would be bringing the Boat Race into disrepute if I raced age 46. So they had an age-discrimination lawyer ready.

James Cracknell celebrates winning the Boat Race with Cambridge in 2019 at the age of 46 — James Cracknell says he was older than his team-mates’ dads when he won the Boat Race with Cambridge in 2019, aged 46 - Getty Images/Justin Setterfield

There were also people who said, “A 19-year-old’s lost his place because this old guy’s doing it”, which I can understand. But that is also the nature of sport and life. Not everyone is Sir Steve Redgrave, who can make a career out of being a gold medallist. I was older than the dads of everyone else I raced with but we kept in touch and we help each other out. Part of university life is learning, both in the classroom and the people you meet. What I would not want is rowers to do the Boat Race and not to fully engage in university life – just to go there, do the Boat Race, and do their course, and that is it. Beyond that, if you qualified academically, you should be allowed to do the Boat Race. If you have not qualified academically then you shouldn’t. That should be the criteria.

I am also someone who was old when he did it and is biased in favour of Cambridge. But I would be really, really disappointed in Cambridge if Tom had been rowing for Oxford and they had tried to invoke this ruling.

The situation does not surprise me because there is a bizarre level of pettiness between the two universities. Perhaps the best way of solving the situation when the clubs next meet to set the rules are a few naughty steps and banging some heads together.

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