The Boat Race - who cares anymore?

The Boat Race was a big deal when there were far fewer events for people to go to. Nowadays there is just so much else on from sport to concerts to demonstrations to go to that iterest is dissipated.

When I was a child events like the Boat Race, Football Cup Final, Derby, Grand National were all huge events that shut the country down to listen or watch them. Now even the Grand National, big event though it still is, takes up far less media space than it used to.

Is it over yet ?

Not strictly true, pce612, they do not have to be under-graduates.

However, all crew members are students at the relevant universities.

I always thought that it was for undergraduates of the universities concerned. Now it seems that they get in anyone.
I am not interested any more as it has lost it's old spirit.

I love it, I was lucky enough to be there on the river many years ago.
I love our traditions , the Boat Race , is part of our history & hopfully will long continue .

It's tradition and part of history
I'd like to see Glasgow against Edinburgh
I'm Oxford fan mainly because of Morse haha

I shall be watching, Oxford has always been my choice. I've had a real sporty weekend on the telly Grand National, Match of the Day twice my team won & Boat Race today

I used to love it as part of the grand national weekend but don’t really enjoy the huge professionalism and commercialism but I suppose that’s the price to pay for such splendid athletes...

I always enjoy watching the boat race ( and The Grand National for that matter.)
I support Oxford, come on you dark blues!

Surely James Cracknell has won his place on merit aa a Cambridge uni student. He wouldn’t have just been shoe horned in because of who he is. Well done to him and good luck to Cambridge. I’ve always supported Cambridge since I was a young child living in Middlesex. It was a big thing in the 50’s and 60’s and everyone wore rosettes in appropriate colours.

I used to watch it on telly when I was a child but it holds little interest for me now. If I remember rightly, one year both boats sank and my DH thought it was most entertaining and almost laughed his socks off.

Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridge!!! C’mon!

Yes love it and agree with you HannahLoisLuke

I enjoy watching it.

I’ve just tuned in - do every year although it is boring . It reminds me of watching with my parents who didn’t go to Uni but we always watched as a family - so I’m there in the kitchen watching again!!

When I was a child in the 30s it was on a weekday, school day and rosettes and favours were worn by all the pupils. I was Cambridge and my sister Oxford.

I have always watched the boat race from being a child.MyMum,as I do now, enjoyed seeing Putney Bridge and area near where she went to college in the 30s and where I went in the 60s. We used to go down to the river to watch the start of the race when at college. I have always supported Oxford .

I care.....come on Oxford. Better then watching perpetual football at the weekend or little men beating noble horses over too big jumps!

Henley Regatta is alive and well. I go every year as I grew up in Henley in the 1960s.My father had rowed at Henley in the 1930s and my son rowed there for his school in 2003. It's a lovely occasion even if you have little interest in rowing!

I love all the big sporting events (except horse racing) and I’ll support Oxford as usual - not a big James Cracknell fan anyway.

I still love watching it. Supported Cambridge since I was young. Will time work break to watch it todsy

I always watch the boat race used to watch with my Dad and never lost the habit, I’m a Cambridge fan purely because I was born in Cambridge Gdns. Us kids had a great rivalry in the 50s with the kids who lived in the next street Oxford Rd.

Henley is still held it’s usually early July time.

When I was young I used to go to Putney Bridge to watch it then walk along the river to a pub for lunch. There was always a great atmosphere. I've always supported Cambridge simply because I prefer light blue to navy! I still watch it on TV each year, but the original ethos of university students competing against each other is being hijacked a bit by the media.

Does anyone else remember the Henley Regatta? Another great river event. I don't know if it still takes place.

The Boat Race has been going since 1856 - has it ever been just 'a bit of fun'?
As far as I can remember (not as far as 1856) it has always been fiercely competitive.

Yes I agree BlueBelle at least the rowers are doing it of their own free will. It would be a shame to lose yet another tradition.