Summer VIIIs

Niamh Walker (2021 MBiomedsci Neuroscience), KCBC President 2024-25, writes:

The M1 started third on the river, a challenging position to defend, with boats stacked with returning Blues rowers either side of them. Despite valiant efforts, they were bumped by Wolfson M1 (who eventually claimed Headship from Oriel M1) on Day 1, and Pembroke M1 on Day 2. Day 3 saw their gutsiest rowing of the week and they secured a powerful row-over, managing to evade University M1 behind them. On the final day of racing, they found themselves in an exciting three boat sandwich, closing rapidly on Christ Church M1 ahead of them, while University M1 were right on their heels. Unfortunately, University M1 prevailed, bumping Keble M1 just before the finish. 

The W1 started ninth on the river. On Day 1, after a powerful start, they rapidly closed on Oriel W1, bumping them in the first minute of the race. This ended their 22-day streak of not getting a bump in Summer Eights, making it the first W1 bump in over five years of racing! On Day 2, after the surrounding crews bumped out, the W1 rowed over. Day 3 saw the W1 secure another bump, after they caught St Edmund Hall before they reached Donnington Bridge. On Day 4 they also rowed over; this made them the most successful W1 crew (in terms of numbers of bumps in a campaign) in eight years.

The M2 started third in Division 4. Surrounded by several rapid M1 crews, they put down some strong rowing and impressive starts, but were bumped by St Hilda’s M1 on Day 1, St Anthony’s M1 on Day 2 and Wadham M2 on Day 3. Knowing their strength lay in their powerful start, they went out all guns blazing aiming for a revenge bump on Wadham M2, which they achieved before Donnington Bridge.

Having secured Blades in their last two campaigns, and a place in fixed divisions last year, the W2, starting eleventh in Division 4, were keen to replicate their previous success. Excitingly, they managed to secure bumps on St John’s W2 on Day 1, Brasenose W2 on Day 2, Lincoln W2 on Day 3 and Worcester W2 on Day 4, all within 30 seconds of the race start. This secured them Blades once again! This is the highest they’ve been on the river since 2005, and makes them one of the only college crews to ever achieve three consecutive sets of Blades.

This is only the ninth time in the history of the boat club that we have successfully qualified a W3 in Summer Eights and considering this was a boat of novice women who all started rowing with Keble this year, this was a huge achievement. A rocky start and some equipment malfunctions resulted in them being bumped by Jesus W3 on Day 1, Somerville W3 on Day 2, and Reuben W2 on Day 3. Without the pressure of a chasing crew on Day 4, they went out with confidence, had a clean, strong start and managed to bump Reuben W2 before they reached Donnington Bridge.