Shove over Oxford versus Cambridge and Harvard versus Yale.
sa国际传媒 has a darn good university rowing match race of its own.
The Brown Cup, between the University of Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds, goes Saturday along the Gorge waterway with the women鈥檚 varsity race at 11:30 a.m. and men鈥檚 at noon.
UVic women鈥檚 head coach Barney Williams, an Olympic silver medallist, is also a two-time winner of the Boat Race along the Thames with Oxford, once as captain. There is nothing like a match race between varsity crews to get the blood boiling among rowers, he said.
鈥淎 match race provides such clarity in terms of focus because there is only one other crew out there to worry about,鈥� Williams said.
鈥淵ou trade virtual body blows down the course until one of the crews bows. You have to make some strategic decisions as the race unfolds.鈥�
This event has earned its pedigree in Canadian rowing, said Williams: 鈥淭he Brown Cup is an iconic race for Canadian rowing because it features the two biggest and most successful university programs in the country.鈥�
Both programs, especially UVic鈥檚, have produced numerous Olympians and several Olympic medallists over the years.
The Vikes women have been dominant and are 23-3 in Brown Cup races against the Thunderbirds, although UBC has had recent success with two of its victories coming in 2014 and 2017.
The UVic men, with a crew dotted with rowers who have already represented sa国际传媒 at the world championships in the junior and U-23 levels, will be after their fourth consecutive victory over UBC in the 28th edition of the men鈥檚 race.
鈥淭his is the most important race of the year for our rowers, outside of international competitions,鈥� said Vikes men鈥檚 head coach Aalbert van Schothorst.
鈥淕uys dream about being in this race. There are athletes who pick UVic to row at because of this race. It is so deeply rooted in, and such a profound part, of the UVic-UBC rowing rivalry. These rowers will come away with a lot of stories from this day to tell their children.鈥�
Expect a muscular race.
鈥淯BC is always well drilled, but we have always been a physical crew with good aggression,鈥� said van Schothorst.
The women鈥檚 reserve race is at 10:30 a.m. and men鈥檚 reserve race at 11 a.m. before the women鈥檚 varsity race at 11:30 a.m. and the men鈥檚 varsity race at noon. The best vantage points for viewing include the Selkirk Trestle, Bay Street Bridge and the Gorge Narrows Rowing Club docks. There will also be a viewing party at the Delta Ocean Pointe Hotel ballroom. The awards ceremony is at 1 p.m. at the Gorge Narrows Rowing Club.
It takes about nine to 10 minutes for athletes of this calibre to row the 3.6-kilometre course up the Gorge and to the finish line in the Inner Harbour.
