THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 21 May 1880, Page 2

THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE.

1 The * dfcrk blue ' kas been victorious in that desperate tthri of skiM» stwsgth, and atamtns that annually lines the Thames from Putney to Mortlake with shouting 'thousands. It is only to be expected that where the rouscuhr youth of a conn* ; try are divided into two camps the saccesses of either should be tolerably even ; and sn it happens that since 1836, when this tfniversity- contest was first estab* lisWa, till this year, victory has on the i whole bestowed her favors with perfect • impartiality. It i« strange though to notice how either University has achieved its triumphs in unbroken succession of years. The first race was rowed from Westminster to Putney, Cambridge being , the winae?, and was then discontinued for two years, after wbieh, over the same > coups©, Cambridge won ft Ibree years ! consecutively. Oxford was the victor the ; last year oyer the Westminister course. : when again the race lapsed for two years, and ia 1845 was transferred to the present ■ waUiv Cambridge then won it for thr.ee

years, then Ox'ord for three, after which sutffcess alternated between the two till 1861, when Oxford commenced a terrible career of triumph. For nine years Ox* ford maintained its sapremacy, Cambridge not scoring a single win between 1860 and 1870. These were tbe dark days for Cambridge orfsmeo, when they persis^entiy stuck to the University tradttion Jrf a quick 'tripping stroke, the Oxford every year growing longer and more measured. Then i n 1970 the great Morrison, best of rowing coaches, who j had so long given the other University the benefit of his ttnrivalled jodgmeDt and advice, took pity on tbe Cantabs and took charge of the practice crews on the oamT He"brooght a fine'erew to Putney, who broke the spell, and for five years in succession Cambridge taught her old victor the taste of that bitterness of defeat that she had herself that such long experience of. Since then success has been various, the race of lß7f|resuUing in a dead heat, Thus it happened that i.p to Sunday last each University had won seventeen times.