A FORMER RGS Worcester rower is set to race in the most famous rowing fixture in the world – the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race – this weekend.

Ben Thomson, who is in his second year studying Chemistry at Pembroke College, has been selected to row in Isis, the Oxford reserve crew, which is racing the Cambridge Goldie reserves on Sunday afternoon.

Thomson, learnt to row at RGS Worcester under the direction of Head of Rowing, Jane Sullivan, and represented the school, racing at National Schools’ Regatta and the Schools’ Head of the River in 2017. In September 2018 Thomson was selected to train with the Oxford University Boat Club.

He said: “I spent my first year at university rowing for the Pembroke College crew.

"College rowing is a lot of fun and the top crews can be of a very high standard – competitive with the top crews of many other university boat clubs. In the summer term my college rowing coach encouraged me to join the Oxford University Boat Club development squad.

“From there the natural progression was to trial for the squad at the start of this academic year.

The trials process is essentially a month of testing and training before term starts, where the coaches try to cut down the squad to about 20 guys. We did all sorts of ergo tests, including lots of lactate testing, which is something I hadn’t done before. Training with the squad is pretty intense, we do 12 sessions a week with a big focus on spending as many sessions on the water as possible.”

RGS Worcester Head of Rowing Jane Sullivan said: “I am delighted to see the progress that Ben has made with his rowing at Oxford.

"The training regime can be gruelling and let’s not forget it has to be fitted around a rigorous academic timetable – these are not full-time athletes but students trying to get a degree and pursue their sport too. 

Mrs Sullivan has double reason to support Oxford this year as her own son, Patrick, has been selected for the Oxford first boat for Sunday’s Boat Race.

She will also be supporting the Cambridge University Women, as her niece is racing in the women’s reserve boat. “I have never had a rower I’ve coached selected to race in the Oxford or Cambridge crews and now I have not just one, but three reasons to be very excited about Sunday!”

The Boat Race, raced over the 6.8k course from Putney to Mortlake, is one of the oldest sporting fixtures in the world – first raced in 1829 – and is watched by an estimated 250,000 people on the river side and 15 million people on television. 

The Boat Race is on Sunday 7 April. The Women’s Boat Race is at 2.13pm. The Men’s Boat Race is at 3.10pm. Coverage of the 165th Boat Race is on BBC One from 1.25pm.