The countdown has begun to this Sunday’s Henley Boat Races in which the Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club and Lightweight Men will race against their arch rivals, Oxford.

At the official weigh-in at Henley’s River and Rowing Museum the Cambridge women's Blue Boat tipped the scales at an average 74.5kg per athlete, making them the heaviest Light Blue crew to contest the race for six years.

It also gave them a slight weight advantage over Oxford, who were just 1.7Kg lighter at an average weight of 72.8kg.

Cambridge, who hold the series advantage of 40 wins to Oxford's 22, are looking to retain the trophy they won last year while Oxford are looking for their sixth win in nine years.

Oxford’s emphatic win in the Women's Eights Head on the Tideway two weeks ago, some 30 seconds faster than Cambridge, has made them the pre-race favourites in Sunday’s Women’s Boat Race on the 2000m Royal Regatta course at Henley.

But with both squads under the direction of experienced coaching teams the last-minute preparation is proving crucial and the result could still go either way, as Cambridge proved last year, winning the race despite starting as underdogs.

The Women's Boat Race, rowed over the Henley Regatta course, started as a style contest in 1927 but these days is every bit as tough as the more famous men's race between Putney and Mortlake.

Race Day on 23 March also includes the Lightweight Boat Races for men and women, restricted to those athletes whose weight falls below the threshold of 70kg for men and 59kg for women.

The full programme is:

  • 2.00pm The Reserve Women's Boat Race: Osiris (Oxford) v. Blondie (Cambridge)
  • 2.30pm The Lightweight Women's Boat Race: Oxford v. Cambridge
  • 3.00pm The Women's Boat Race: Oxford v. Cambridge
  • 3.30pm The Lightweight Men's Boat Race: Oxford v. Cambridge

Please visit the official website linked above right for directions and spectator information.

The weigh-in for the 154th Boat Race on the Tideway will take place on Tuesday 25 March at the Hurlingham Club, with the race starting at 5.15pm on Saturday 29 March between Putney and Mortlake. There will be live television coverage on ITV1.

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