Cambridge University Boat Club has announced its Women’s and Men’s Blue Boats for The Boat Race 2026.
A mixture of Olympic, international and homegrown student rowing talent has been selected for the meeting on London’s iconic Championship Course, a 4.25-mile (6.8 km) stretch of tidal Thames from Putney to Mortlake, on Saturday 4 April.
More than 200,000 spectators are expected to watch along the riverbanks of the free-to-attend ‘Party by the River’ as Oxford and Cambridge meet in the 2026 chapter of nearly 200 years of competition.
Cambridge Women, who are on a winning streak stretching back to 2017, will be led this year by President Gemma King (St John’s College), whose twin sister Catherine represents Oxford.
Gemma will have fellow two-time winner and fifth-year medic Carys Earl (Gonville & Caius) to count on, along with a sprinkling of new recruits such as world champion Camille Vandermeer and Mia Freischem (Darwin). Mia will make history when she races against her sister Lilli who has been selected for the Oxford Blue Boat.
Gemma told the crew announcement at London’s Somerset House: “It’s such an honour to be able to represent Cambridge in the Boat Race.
“It is such a unique and historic event. We’ve got such a strong squad, there’s so much depth. To see the progress made throughout the year has been really exciting and I really can’t wait for the race.”
Cambridge Men have their eyes on a fourth successive victory in the Men’s Race. They will be led by French national Noam Mouelle (Hughes Hall). His Oxford counterpart Tobias Bernard has dual British/French nationality, marking the first time in Boat Race history that a pair of Frenchmen have led the Oxford and Cambridge Blue Boat crews.
Noam said: “It’s an honour to make the Cambridge Men’s Blue Boat again and we’re taking nothing for granted. We know what it takes to win this race and I believe we have the perfect combination of experience and new blood to extend our winning run in three weeks’ time.”
Noam can call on the experienced Simon Hatcher (Peterhouse), while the selection of Gabriel Obholzer (Peterhouse) represents the continuation of a proud family tradition after his parents both competed in the 1991 event – with father Rupert going on to Olympic honours.
The event is being broadcast live on Channel 4 and on Times Radio for the first time in its history. Broadcaster Clare Balding, who will anchor Channel 4’s coverage, told the crew announcement: “This is the most amazing sporting rivalry… it is a great event, but it is also a real showcase for how education and sport go hand in hand. You don’t have to be academic or sporty – you can be both.”
With 2025 seeing Cambridge win both the Men’s and Women’s Races, the overall records stand as 88-81 in favour of Cambridge Men and 49-30 in favour of Cambridge Women.
The crews selected for The Boat Race 2026 are as follows:
Cambridge Women
Cox – Matt Moran (Emmanuel)
Stroke – Aidan Wrenn-Walz (Fitzwilliam)
7 – Mia Freischem (Darwin)
6 – Camille VanderMeer (Peterhouse)
5 – Antonia Galland (Peterhouse)
4 – Carys Earl (Gonville & Caius)
3 – Charlotte Ebel (Newnham)
2 – Isobel Campbell (Hughes Hall)
Bow – Gemma King (President) (St John’s)
Oxford Women
Cox – Louis Corrigan
Stroke – Heidi Long (President)
7 – Sarah Marshall
6 – Esther Briz Zamorano
5 – Kyra Delray
4 – Julietta Camahort
3 – Lilli Freischem
2 – Emily Molins
Bow – Annie Anezakis
Cambridge Men
Cox – Sammy Houdaigui (Fitzwilliam)
Stroke – Freddy Breuer (Lucy Cavendish)
7 – Will Klipstine (Hughes Hall)
6 – Alexander McClean (Hughes Hall)
5 – Gabriel Obholzer (Peterhouse)
4 – Patrick Wild (Peterhouse)
3 – Kyle Fram (Lucy Cavendish)
2 – Noam Mouelle (President) (Hughes Hall)
Bow – Simon Hatcher (Peterhouse)
Oxford Men
Cox- Tobias Bernard (President)
Stroke – Harry Geffen
7 – Alex Sullivan
6 – Jamie Arnold
5 – Alex Underwood
4 – Fergus Pim
3 – James Fetter
2 – Julian Schöberl
Bow – Felix Crabtree
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source: cam.ac.uk