Keble Boat Race Contenders
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Keble College will be proudly represented in this year’s Boat Race, with five of our students selected to compete in one of the most iconic events of the Oxford sporting calendar. Keble members span both the men’s and women’s squads, and include Sian Dennett, Seren Ford, Harry Geffen, Simran Gill and Theodore Siri Heath.
The Boat Race, contested between Oxford and Cambridge, has a long and storied history dating back to 1829, drawing international attention and showcasing the very best of student rowing. Selection for the crews is highly competitive, reflecting months of rigorous training.
This year, the Men’s and Women’s Openweight races (including reserves) will be taking place on Saturday 4 April, while Lightweight crews will be racing the day before.
Sian Dennett (2020 Healthcare Data Science EPSRC CDT)
Women’s Reserve Crew, seat 5
“It is a huge privilege to be able to train and race with the OUBC squad and I am so proud to represent Keble College in the Women's Reserve Boat Race. I joined the squad last year after doing the Development Squad in summer 2024. I would encourage anyone who is even a little bit interested in trialling to go along and see how far they can go — I never dreamed I'd make a crew for the Boat Race but I've learned just how much I'm capable of through being on the team at OUBC.”
Seren Ford (2019 DPhil Genomic Medicine and Statistics)
Women’s Lightweight Crew, seat 4
“I learnt to row at Queen's College in 2019 when I started my undergraduate degree at Oxford and, when I moved to Keble for my DPhil, I kept rowing and improving, which led me to trialling for the first time this year for OUBC's Lightweight Women's squad. I'm so excited to race on Friday 3 April, and cheer on the Blue Boat and Reserve crews the next day. It's such a privilege to be training and racing alongside such strong and driven women studying all sorts of different subjects. I wasn't particularly sporty at school, so it's an amazing opportunity to represent my university in such a historic event.”
Harry Geffen (2025 MSc African Studies)
Men’s Crew, Stroke
“I’m very excited to be representing Oxford in the boat race. I’m grateful for those that have made it possible, the support from friends, my family and Keble. Hoping to make it a great day for Oxford!”
Simran Gill (2025 MSc Energy Systems)
Men’s Lightweight Crew, Cox
“Trialling for OUBC has been an amazing experience that has added so much to my time at Oxford so far. I can't wait for us to showcase all the training we've been doing and how far we've pushed on as a squad. Balancing training with my course has been challenging but it's provided great structure and taught me to become more efficient with my time.”
Theodore Siri Heath (2023 History and Politics)
Men’s Reserve Crew, seat 7
“I learnt to row at Keble just over two years ago, so making my seat in Isis (the Reserve boat) has been completely surreal. It's been a long year of early mornings and single-mindedness but I'm so excited for the racing to come.”
