Australian Boat Race: Sydney University rower’s motivation v Melbourne University, crews, course, preview

Few sports could be more different. But it’s an AFL loss that is firing up these Sydney University rowers for the Australian Boat Race. Preview, crew lists.

A Sydney University women’s eight in The Australian Boat Race.

They don’t run, leap or tackle themselves but rowers are being inspired ahead of Sunday’s Australian Boat Race by the Sydney Swan’s loss to the Geelong Cats in the recent AFL grand final.

Players in the Sydney University women’s eight are big AFL fans and felt the pain of the Swans in their shattering loss to the Victoria side.

“There’s always a rivalry between NSW and Victoria in rowing,’’ said Olympian Tara Rigney.

“But there’s something more this year. A lot of us are AFL fans and it hurt when the Sydney Swans got beaten.

“The Boat Race is big for us ... it’s our chance to even things out. It’s really motivating us to beat Melbourne. This feels a bit like retaliation.’’

The women’s eight from Sydney University are on a winning streak against their Melbourne University opposites and Rigney and her crewmates is keen to extended it.

While relatively new to rowing, she was in both the 2018 and 2019 crew which won the women’s event before Covid forced the race cancellation for tow years.

The Sydney Swans at the MCG.

The Cats celebrating their win.

Crews from the two famous old Australian universities resume their fierce and long rivalry from early Sunday morning with the 4.5km race from Woolwich on the Parramatta River to Darling Harbour.

The annual rowing event is based on the famous boat battle between Oxford and Cambridge universities.

And while the Universities rowing rivalry dates back to 1860, the Boat Race between the two was held for the first time back in 2009.

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S EIGHT CREW

1 Lucy Coleman (Bow), 2 Nikki Greenland, Zoe McKellar, Emily Sheppard, 5 Eleanor Price, 6 Tara Rigney, Ella Mentzines, 8 Jaimie Ford, Talia Barnet-Hepples (Cox).

Reserves: Sophia Wightman, Ella Cassin.

Coach: Alfie Young

The Sydney University Boat Club men's team after winning the Australian Boat Race.

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY MEN’S EIGHT CREW

1 Hamish Danks, 2 Marcus Britt, 3 Kieran Riach, 4 Tom Anderson, 5 David Bartholot, 6 Nick Mirow, 7 Will O’Shannessy, 8 Jakson Kench, Lizzie Bolster (Cox).

Reserves: Henry Ryan, Ryan Gibson.

Coach: Don McLachlan

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE WOMEN’S EIGHT

Hayley Verbunt, cox, Eliza Gaffney (Captain), Sara de Uray, Zara Lavery, Stephanie Gordon, Brooke Doolan, Romy Cantwell, Katerina Bitzios, Louisa Bongrain.

Reserve: Evelyn Dow.

Coaches: Mitch Nelson, Connor McConville.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE MEN’S EIGHT

Isabella Carton, cox, Felix Oliver, Fraser Miscamble (Captain), Tom McPhail, Alexander Colley, Thomas Caine, Joe Bryant, Hamish Nicol, Damien Schroder.

Reserve. Alex Coleman

Coach: Matt Ryan

The women’s crew back in the 2018 race.

2022 RACE TIMES

8.15am: Women’s College Race, Wesley College, Sydney vs Ormond College, Melbourne

8.30am:- Men’s College Race, St Paul’s College, Sydney vs Trinity College, Melbourne

9am: Women’s Australian Boat Race

9.40am: Men’s Australian Boat Race

THE AUSTRALIAN BOAT RACE COURSE

The course starts at Woolwich Point, just inside the mouth of the Lane Cove River. The crews head east, rounding Greenwich Point and steering more easterly.

They will pass to the north of Long Noise Point, Birchgrove, traverses the Balmain Peninsula and turning slightly south as they approach the channel between Goat Island and Balmain.

As the crews approach East Balmain they slowly turn to the south and pass the entrance of White Bay. Barangaroo is now on the left of the crews as they prepare for the final sprint into the finish line under the old Pyrmont Bridge and at the end of the marina in Darling Harbour.