Overview

• The 2025 Boat Race celebrates ten years of gender equality, with women competing on the same course and receiving equal billing with men.
• New eligibility rules have barred Cambridge rowers, including PGCE students and those exceeding a 12-year enrollment limit, from participating.
• High-profile exclusions include Cambridge University Boat Club president Lucy Havard and former under-23 world champion Matt Heywood.
• The crews are increasingly international, with Olympians and global champions contributing to the oldest and fastest teams in recent history.
• Environmental issues, particularly Thames water pollution and sewage discharges, continue to overshadow the event, raising health and ecological concerns.