Cambridge seeking revenge on the Waikato

The ninth annual Gallagher Great Race in Hamilton will see the Boat Race winning University of Cambridge challenge the University of Waikato to the annual race on the Waikato river on Sunday 5 September 2010 as the region’s huge build up to the start of the rowing World Championships at Karapiro on October 31st begins.

This will be the fifth time these two rowing giants have competed against each other since the inaugural event in 2002 and the score currently stands at 2-2.

The last time they met in 2008 Cambridge won by a scant quarter of a boat length after a mad sprint for home in what was regarded as the best ever Great Race. This year promises once again to be a fiercely contested battle for glory over the 3.85km course, with Cambridge particularly having a point to prove over their Kiwi rivals.

Coached by long-time Light Blues rowing stalwart Donald Leggett, Cambridge will be out for revenge against their rivals from New Zealand after the Boat Race winners suffered a very public defeat against a New Zealand squad eight at the Henley Royal Regatta recently in front of the Princess Royal. Both crews in that dramatic encounter contained several athletes with Gallagher Great Race experience.

The provisional crew list from Cambridge contains a very international looking cast, with athletes from Australia, Germany, the USA, Canada and Britain likely to be in the starting line-up when the race gets underway at 1.00pm on September 5th.

There’s no word yet on Ross Tong’s Waikato line up for the Hamilton clash, but the calibre of rowing athletes available to the University means that despite many being on international duty for New Zealand at the World Championships at Karapiro at the end of October, the boat is still likely to contain some existing or future internationals.

“Everyone is talking about rowing this year, with the World Championships here and the continuing success of our international rowing teams abroad,” explained Gallagher Great Race organiser Rob Hamill.

“Many of those athletes have raced the Great Race or have studied at the University, so it is only appropriate that the ninth Great Race should kick off what will be an incredible period for rowing in the region in the last part of 2010.

“The efforts of the Cambridge squad in the Boat Race and at Henley showed once again that they are one of the world’s top rowing universities and we know from past crews that they will come down to New Zealand with only a win in mind. With the squad looking specifically for a victory over New Zealand following their Henley defeat, it is going to be a highly charged and competitive race. “

The Waikato women will compete for the Bryan Gould Cup against old rivals Sydney University’s top crew.