Cambridge University Boat Club will be competing in the inaugural ’‘Race of Champions' through the centre of Moscow and past the Kremlin this weekend.

The 3.5km race is part of sporting celebrations to mark the 860th anniversary of the Russian capital city, and the 140th anniversary of the First Imperial Rowing Club of Russia.

The Cambridge Boat will feature four existing Blues, three from Goldie and two from the Reserve squad. They will be competing against crews from Moscow State University, the University of Oxford and the University of Washington, the current US Collegiate Champions.

Cambridge Coach Duncan Holland is looking forward to the event. “This is an excellent start to our training regime for the next Boat Race. It will be a fun event but the race itself will be deadly serious.”

The University was invited to take part by the Moscow Committee for Physical Education and Sport, the Russian Students' Sports Union and the Russian Rowing Federation.

The new season sees 14 members of last year's Cambridge University Boat Club squad return to compete for places in the Blue Boat and Goldie.

On Tuesday 18 September the coaching team will be formally welcomed in the Captains' Room at Goldie Boathouse by new CUBC President Dan O'Shaughnessy.

Then at 9am the next morning the first gruelling ergometer tests will begin. Any male University student is entitled to take part, in an effort to convince the coaching team that he has the strength, fitness, technique and determination to compete in one of the greatest rowing contests in the world.

The 154th University Boat Race will start from Putney at 5.15pm on Saturday 29 March 2008.

The history of the University Boat Race was the chosen specialised subject for King's College PhD student Chris Braithwaite when he competed on Mastermind recently. The episode will be broadcast on BBC2 at 7.30pm on Monday 10 September.

The Cambridge crew to row in Moscow is
Cox: Rebecca Dowbiggin (CUBC Blue 2007, Women's Blue 2006 and CU Men's Lightweight Half Blue 2004)
Stroke: Tom Edwards (Blue 2005 and 2006)
7: Dave Billings (Goldie 2007)
6: Kieran West MBE (Blue 1999, 2001, 2006 & 2007)
5: Sam Pearson (Goldie 2006)
4: Dan O'Shaughnessy (President. Blue 2007)
3: Richard Stutt (Reserve 2007)
2: Oli de Groot (Goldie 2004, 2005, 2007)
Bow: Dave Hopper (Reserve 2007)

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