Summer Eights 2023

Balliol College Boat Club’s four crews – two men’s and two women’s – enjoyed a week of sunshine, camaraderie, tremendous effort, bumps and even blades, as BCBC’s Sian Dennett (from the W1 crew) reports:

Summer Eights was a successful event for BCBC. We entered four crews after spending much of Hilary and Trinity Term training the men’s and women’s squads. Every crew member sported the iconic bright red bucket hat, and many supporters came down to the river to cheer on the crews throughout the week.

After last year’s spoon-earning fall into Division 2 last year, the Women’s 1st Eight had a very successful week, climbing four places into Division 1 and securing blades! Bumping before the gut every day, the crew caught St Catz, Hertford, New and St Anne’s. This success comes after a year of dedicated training and hard work from crew and coach, and they head into next season with a new-found confidence and desire for further success.

The Men’s 1st Eight did Balliol proud with a week of excellent rowing. They reached 6th position of Division 1 on the first day with a bump on Wadham. The remaining three days saw no bumps at all between any of the top six men’s crews, meaning that the men successfully held their position in the chart with three clean row-overs. The competition was fierce and their strong, dedicated efforts certainly showed throughout the week.

The week saw an eventful time for the Men’s 2nd Eight, including a klaxon in every race and a sizeable collision with a fast-moving Wolfson boat. The men’s determination did not suffer, however, and they hastily bumped Teddy Hall on their last day before the klaxon, resulting in +2 places overall.

The Women’s 2nd Eight campaign got off to a great start with a bump and a thrilling chase with Hertford during the first two days. Despite great efforts, however, their success waned and they were bumped on Friday and Saturday. Nonetheless, they put on an excellent display of team spirit and camaraderie and threw themselves into the week.