Temple Challenge Cup

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Two crews racing in the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley in 2003
Two crews racing in the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley in 2003

The Temple Challenge Cup is one of the eights races at the prestigious annual Henley Royal Regatta, held at Henley-on-Thames, England, and is open to male crews from universities, colleges or schools. Combined entries from two colleges of the same university, or from different schools, are allowed. There are restrictions on individuals rowers to ensure that the faster crews row in the Ladies' Challenge Plate. A rower cannot take part in this race if he has previously won an event at Henley, except The Princess Elizabeth or The Fawley Challenge Cups.

The event was first staged in 1990, and, after a successful first year, the Regatta Stewards decided to make it a permanent fixture. The cup, awarded to the winning crew on finals day, was made in 1835 by Charles Fox, and has been engraved with a sketch of the Temple on Temple Island at the start of the regatta course.

There was no foreign winner until 1996, when the United States' Yale University triumphed in the final. Since then, foreign crews have dominated the event with 7 of the last 8 winners being overseas crews. Only Oxford Brookes University broke the foreign stranglehold on the trophy by winning the event in 2006.

Contents

[edit] Winners

[edit] 1990-1999

† The trophy was originally called the Henley Prize in 1990 and 1991. It was renamed to the Temple Challenge Cup in 1992.

[edit] 2000 onwards

[edit] Sources