Eights Week

Eights Week May 2009 Men's Division 1, showing racing between (from front) Keble College, New College, St Edmund Hall.

Eights Week, also known as Summer Eights, is a four-day regatta of bumps races which constitutes the University of Oxford's main intercollegiate rowing event of the year. The regatta takes place in May of each year, from the Wednesday to the Saturday of the fifth week of Trinity Term. Men's and women's coxed eights compete in separate divisions for their colleges, with some colleges entering as many as five crews for each sex.

Summer VIIIs has seven men's divisions alongside six for women's, encompassing a total of 171 boats and around 1,500 participants. Including the qualifying rounds, in which success is termed "Rowing On", the number of participants in 2003 was over 1,800.

Overview

A busy riverbank scene as a boat is returned to one of the college boathouses in Eights Week 1982.

The scene at Boathouse Island during Eights Week 2005, crammed with spectators awaiting the next race.

The racing takes place on the Isis, a length of the River Thames, which is generally too narrow for side by side racing. For each division, thirteen boats line up at the downstream end of the stretch, each cox holding onto a rope attached to the bank, leaving around 1.5 boat lengths between each boat. The start of racing is signalled by the firing of a cannon, each crew attempting to progress up their division by bumping the boat in front, while avoiding being bumped by the boat behind. Once a bump has taken place, both of the crews involved stop racing and move to the side to allow the rest of the division to pass. It is possible to "over bump" if the 2 crews in front of your boat bump (and so drop out) and your boat can catch the boat that was in front of them. They then swap places for the next day's racing, whether that be the calendar day or the first day of racing in the next year's competition.

The ultimate aim of a crew is to become "Head of the River" (top of the first division) and stay there. This entitles the winning crew to commission trophy oars in their college colours with the names and weights of the successful crew on them — commonly called "winning blades". As this is only possible for crews already near the top of division one, another way to win blades is to bump on each day of the competition. As the responsibility for awarding blades to crews rests with the individual colleges concerned, there are slight differences in the criteria required.

Double Headship

The "Double Headship" is an accolade awarded to any college finishing with both their men's and women's crews at the "Head of the River" in their respective divisions. Pembroke College is the only college to have achieved a Double Headship in Eights, having both men's and women's crews at the Head of the River in 2003.

A silver "Double Headship Trophy" was commissioned from the silversmith Peter Musson^[1] in 2003, to commemorate the historic occasion. Pembroke College retains this trophy.

Early History of Eights

Although regular races between professional watermen had been known since 1715 when Doggett's Coat and Badge was instituted, amateur racing was unknown before 1808.^[2] The first such race may have been held in Yarmouth in that year. These races were, however, "scratch" races between ad hoc crews entering on the day.

Meanwhile, recreational rowing had begun in Oxford very much earlier, with students rowing in single wherries at least as early as 1769.^[3]

The first amateur races between organised clubs which prepared and trained for the event began in Oxford in 1815. In this year, crews from Brasenose College and Jesus College raced for the Head of the River, from Iffley Lock to Mr King's Barge, which was moored near the current Head of the River hotel. The event is also notable for the fact that both crews rowed in eight oared boats, specially built for the purpose. Such recreational as occurred at this time was usually conducted in pairs, or four or six oared cutters. The fact the racing was conducted in eight oared boats gave rise to the event being known as Eights.^[4]

Brasenose College and Jesus College recontested the event in 1816, with Brasenose again triumphing. Christ Church joined in the event from 1817, when they went Head, a position they retained until 1819.

Christ Church did not row in 1820, and it is unknown whether any racing occurred. The next recorded races, between Brasenose and Jesus, were in 1821 and 1822. A dispute about professional watermen being allowed in college crews precluded racing in 1823. Until this time, Jesus and Brasenose had each used paid coaches who rowed in the stroke seats of the crews.

From 1824, Christ Church and Exeter College began racing, with Exeter going Head in that year. A rule banning the use of "out college men" (i.e. men from other colleges) rowing in college crews saw the entry of Worcester College in 1825, University and Balliol Colleges in 1827, and Oriel and Trinity Colleges in 1828.

Men's Head of River

The earliest-known scene of a race between two eight-oared boats at Oxford University. It has been suggested that the picture shows the "disputed bump" of 1822 in a race between Jesus College and Brasenose College, but this is uncertain.

Balliol College Men's 1st VIII rowing to take the Headship in 2008.

Eights Week has been held since 1815.^[5][6]

Summary ^[7]

Victories	College
32	Christ Church
31	Oriel College
22	Brasenose College
20	Magdalen College
16	New College
13	University College
10	Trinity College
10	Balliol College
7	Exeter College
7	Keble College
5	St. Edmund Hall
4	Pembroke College
3	The Queen's College
2	Corpus Christi College
2	Wadham College
1	Hertford College
1	Merton College

Year	College	Year	College	Year	College	Year	College	Year	College
2015	Oriel College	2014	Oriel College	2013	Pembroke College	2012	Oriel College	2011	Oriel College
2010	Christ Church	2009	Christ Church	2008	Balliol College	2007	Magdalen College	2006	Magdalen College
2005	Magdalen College	2004	Magdalen College	2003	Pembroke College	2002	Oriel College	2001	Oriel College
2000	Oriel College	1999	Oriel College	1998	Oriel College	1997	Oriel College	1996	Oriel College
1995	Pembroke College	1994	Oriel College	1993	Oriel College	1992	Oriel College	1991	University College
1990	University College	1989	Oriel College	1988	Oriel College	1987	Oriel College	1986	New College
1985	Christ Church	1984	Oriel College	1983	Oriel College	1982	Oriel College	1981	Oriel College
1980	Oriel College	1979	Oriel College	1978	Oriel College	1977	Keble College	1976	Oriel College
1975	Christ Church	1974	Christ Church	1973	Christ Church	1972	Keble College	1971	Christ Church
1970	Keble College	1969	Keble College	1968	Keble College	1967	Keble College	1966	Oriel College
1965	St. Edmund Hall	1964	St. Edmund Hall	1963	Keble College	1962	Christ Church	1961	St. Edmund Hall
1960	St. Edmund Hall	1959	St. Edmund Hall	1958	Christ Church	1957	Queen's College	1956	Balliol College
1955	Balliol College	1954	Magdalen College	1953	Magdalen College	1952	Balliol College	1951	Merton College
1950	New College	1949	Trinity College	1948	Trinity College	1947	Trinity College	1946	Trinity College
1940-45	No races due to World War II	1939	Trinity College	1938	Trinity College	1937	New College	1936	Oriel College
1935	Oriel College	1934	Oriel College	1933	Oriel College	1932	Magdalen College	1931	Brasenose
1930	Brasenose College	1929	Brasenose College	1928	Brasenose College	1927	Christ Church	1926	Christ Church
1925	Christ Church	1924	Christ Church	1923	Magdalen College	1922	New College	1921	New College
1920	Magdalen College	1915-19	No races due to World War I
1914	University College	1913	New College	1912	New College	1911	New College	1910	Magdalen College
1909	Christ Church	1908	Christ Church	1907	Christ Church	1906	Magdalen College	1905	Magdalen College
1904	New College	1903	New College	1902	University College	1901	New College	1900	Magdalen College
1899	New College	1898	New College	1897	New College	1896	New College	1895	Magdalen College
1894	Magdalen College	1893	Magdalen College	1892	Magdalen College	1891	Brasenose College	1890	Brasenose College
1889	Brasenose College	1888	Brasenose College	1887	New College	1886	Magdalen College	1885	Corpus Christi College
1884	Exeter College	1883	Exeter College	1882	Exeter College	1881	Hertford College	1880	Magdalen College
1879	Balliol College	1878	University College	1877	University College	1876	Brasenose College	1875	University College
1874	University College	1873	Balliol College	1872	Pembroke College	1871	University College	1870	University College
1869	University College	1868	Corpus Christi College	1867	Brasenose College	1866	Brasenose College	1865	Brasenose College
1864	Trinity College	1863	Trinity College	1862	Trinity College	1861	Trinity College	1860	Balliol College
1859	Balliol College	1858	Exeter College	1857	Exeter College	1856	Wadham College	1855	Balliol College
1854	Brasenose College	1853	Brasenose College	1852	Brasenose College	1851	Balliol College	1850	Wadham College
1849	Christ Church	1848	Christ Church	1847	Christ Church	1846	Brasenose College	1845	Brasenose College
1844	Christ Church	1843	University College	1842	Oriel College	1841	University College	1840	Brasenose College
1839	Brasenose College	1838	Exeter College	1837	Queen's College	1836	Christ Church	1835	Christ Church
1834	Christ Church	1833	Queen's College	1832	Christ Church	1831	Christ Church	1830	Christ Church
1829	Christ Church	1828	Christ Church	1827	Brasenose College	1826	Christ Church	1825	Christ Church
1824	Exeter College	1823	No races	1822	Brasenose College	1821	Brasenose College	1820	Unknown
1819	Christ Church	1818	Christ Church	1817	Christ Church	1816	Brasenose College	1815	Brasenose College

Women's Head of River

Oriel Women's Second Eight bump Magdalen Women's Second Eight on the third day of Summer Eights, 2005.

Summary

Victories	College
8	Somerville College
5	Pembroke College
5	Osler House
4	Osler-Green
4	St. Edmund Hall
4	St Hugh's College
4	Wadham College
2	Balliol College
2	New College
1	Lady Margaret Hall
1	St John's College

Year	College	Year	College	Year	College	Year	College	Year	College
2015	Wadham College	2014	Wadham College	2013	St John's College	2012	Pembroke College	2011	Balliol College
2010	Balliol College	2009	St. Edmund Hall	2008	St. Edmund Hall	2007	St. Edmund Hall	2006	St. Edmund Hall
2005	New College	2004	New College	2003	Pembroke College	2002	Pembroke College	2001	Pembroke College
2000	Pembroke College	1999	Osler-Green	1998	Osler-Green	1997	Osler-Green	1996	Osler-Green
1995	Osler House	1994	Osler House	1993	Somerville College	1992	Somerville College	1991	Somerville College
1990	Somerville College	1989	Osler House	1988	Osler House	1987	Somerville College	1986	Somerville College
1985	Osler House	1984	St Hugh's College	1983	St Hugh's College	1982	St Hugh's College	1981	Somerville College
1980	Somerville College	1979	St Hugh's College	1978	Wadham College	1977	Lady Margaret Hall	1976	Wadham College

See also

• May Bumps, the equivalent event in Cambridge
• Torpids, a similar event in Hilary Term

References

1. Peter Musson.
2. Norfolk Chronicle, 16 July 1808.
3. Jackson's Oxford Journal, 25 March 1769.
4. O'Chee, W.G. "Brasenose College and the Origins of Oxford rowing". Retrieved 6 February 2015.
5. Sherwood, W. E. (1900). "The Eights". Oxford Rowing: A History of Boat-Racing at Oxford from the Earliest Times. Oxford and London: Henry Frowde, Archive.org. Retrieved 11 April 2012. External link in |work= (help)
6. O'Chee, W.G. "Brasenose College and the Origins of Oxford rowing". Retrieved 6 February 2015.
7. http://www.atm.ox.ac.uk/rowing/bumps/estats/nhead.html

External links

• Oxford University Rowing Clubs
• Oxford Bumps Charts