Eights Week

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Oriel Women's Second Eight bump Magdalen Women's Second Eight on the third day of Eights Week, 2005

At Oxford University, Eights Week, a bumps race constitutes the main intercollegiate rowing event of the year, and happens in the fifth week of the summer ('Trinity') term, in May. Men's and women's coxed eights compete in separate divisions for their colleges, some colleges entering as many as five crews for each sex. There are seven men's and six women's divisions, for a total of 158 boats and around 1400 participants. Including the qualifiers (named 'Rowing On') the number of participants was in 2003 was over 1800.

The racing takes place on the Isis (part of the River Thames), a river too narrow for side by side racing. For each division, thirteen boats line up at the downstream end of the stretch, each cox holding onto a rope attached to the bank, leaving around 1.5 boat lengths between each boat. The start of racing is signalled by the firing of a cannon, each crew attempting to progress up their division by bumping the boat in front, while avoiding being bumped by the boat behind. Once a bump has taken place, both of the crews involved stop racing and move to the side to allow the rest of the division to pass. It is possible to 'over bump' if the 2 crews in front of your boat bump (and so drop out) and your boat can catch the boat that was in front of them. They then swap places for the next day's racing, or if the bump occurs on the last day's racing, for next year's racing.

The ultimate aim of a crew is to become "Head of the River" (top of the first division) and stay there. This entitles the winning crew to commission trophy oars in their college colours with the names and weights of the successful crew on them — commonly called 'winning blades'. As this is only possible for crews already near the top of division one, another way to win blades is to bump on each day of the competition. As the responsibility for awarding blades to crews rests with the individual colleges concerned, there are slight differences in the criteria required.

1 Men's Head of River from 1951
2 Women's Head of River from 2000
3 Double Headship
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Men's Head of River from 1951

								2006	Magdalen College
2005	Magdalen College	2004	Magdalen College	2003	Pembroke College	2002	Oriel College	2001	Oriel College
2000	Oriel College	1999	Oriel College	1998	Oriel College	1997	Oriel College	1996	Oriel College
1995	Pembroke College	1994	Oriel College	1993	Oriel College	1992	Oriel College	1991	University College
1990	University College	1989	Oriel College	1988	Oriel College	1987	Oriel College	1986	New College
1985	Christ Church	1984	Oriel College	1983	Oriel College	1982	Oriel College	1981	Oriel College
1980	Oriel College	1979	Oriel College	1978	Oriel College	1977	Keble College	1976	Oriel College
1975	Christ Church	1974	Christ Church	1973	Christ Church	1972	Keble College	1971	Christ Church
1970	Keble College	1969	Keble College	1968	Keble College	1967	Keble College	1966	Oriel College
1965	St. Edmund Hall	1964	St. Edmund Hall	1963	Keble College	1962	Christ Church	1961	St. Edmund Hall
1960	St. Edmund Hall	1959	St. Edmund Hall	1958	Christ Church	1957	Queen's College	1956	Balliol College
1955	Balliol College	1954	Magdalen College	1953	Magdalen College	1952	Balliol College	1951	Merton College

[edit] Women's Head of River from 2000

2006	St. Edmund Hall
2005	New College
2004	New College
2003	Pembroke College
2002	Pembroke College
2001	Pembroke College
2000	Pembroke College

[edit] Double Headship

The 'Double Headship' is an accolade awarded to any college finishing with both their men's and women's crews at the 'Head of the River' in their respective divisions. Pembroke College is the only college to have achieved a Double Headship in Eights, having both men's and women's crews at the Head of the River in 2003.

A silver 'Double Headship Trophy' was commissioned in 2003, to commemorate the historic occasion. Pembroke College retain this trophy.