“Fearless in the water” as Melbourne-Sydney Boat Race rivalry returns

Sydney Harbour beckons for University of Melbourne rowers as they take up oars against long-time rivals the University of Sydney in the Australian Boat Race.

The Women’s Eights and Men’s Eights rowers will slice across Sydney Harbour from Woolwich to the Darling Harbour finish line on Sunday, 16 October. The Australian Boat Race reignites a 160-year rivalry between Australia’s oldest and best-known Universities, last held on Melbourne’s Yarra River in 2019.

In the 11-race history of the modern race, Melbourne holds eight wins to Sydney’s three in the Women’s Eights Bella Guerin Trophy. Sydney holds nine wins against Melbourne's two for the Men's Eights Edmund Barton Trophy.

Eliza Gaffney, Juris Doctor student and current John Hall Rowing Scholarship recipient, is excited to join the Women’s Eights for her second Boat Race off the back of representing Australia at last month’s 2022 Rowing World Championships in the Czech Republic.

“In 2019 it was my first year out of school and was understandably quite nervous for my first boat race. I’m not nervous this time around,” Gaffney said.

“A key difference for me is how I’ve now raced with many of the girls in the Sydney Uni boat, so that element of familiarity makes it quite fun for me.”

With the Women’s Eights having trained intensely for months, Gaffney says their plan is to “be fearless in the water”, and “set up a simple, straightforward rhythm” to get them from Woolwich to Darling Harbour.

Fraser Miscamble, Bachelor of Biomedicine student and current Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship recipient said the Men’s Eight are gearing up for an intense race.

“The Men’s Eights has been training with our coach, Matt Ryan, for several weeks … practising race pieces in the Docks here in Melbourne to emulate the potential race-day conditions on Sydney Harbour,” Miscamble said.

“Our crew is eager and ready to continue the special tradition between our two Universities and battle it out for the Edmund Barton Trophy.”

Both University teams are eager to face Sydney again after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a two-year hiatus, with alumni, students and the wider rowing community cheering on an anticipated nail-biting program of races.

Watch the live-stream Sunday 16 October from 8.15am at www.australianboatrace.com, in-person spectators can also register to watch from the Darling Harbour ICC Sydney forecourt.