Over the past weekend, the longest-standing tradition between Australia's two oldest Universities, Sydney and Melbourne, occurred on the iconic Sydney Harbour. A rivalry since 1860, this race has seen the best men and women student-athlete rowers battle it out.
It was a beautiful spring day, with the sun shining and brewing for high-class rowing. The Sydney University women's team showcased their dominance with their sixth consecutive win of the Australian Boat Race, narrowing the current standings down to only two wins off Melbourne. A tight contest at the beginning began to show Sydney Uni's strength, with Sydney Uni taking a solid lead halfway through; from there, they were too strong for their Melbourne counterparts, winning convincingly.
Speaking after Sydney's captain, Emily Sheppard said: "It is always fun racing out in the harbour. It was pretty chaotic with ferry washing and from the maritime as well. It's so different from racing on the harbour to what it is down at the Yarra River."
Both men's rowers got off to an excellent start in the ABR event. Melbourne University won the coin toss on Friday, allowing them a slight advantage and indicating the line at the beginning of the race. The race was close, and both teams were closely poised in the bumpy conditions of the more open waters of Sydney Harbour. Sydney University was able to use the conditions better, which helped them pull away in the middle stages of the race.
This saw Sydney take a demanding lead, as they never looked back being their 9th consecutive win. Captain Jackson Kench spoke after the event: "It's always good to get out on Sydney Harbour, and alternating between Melbourne and Sydney, Sydney gets the home advantage, which we love".
Furthermore, Kench said, "A few boys have participated in the Australian Boat Race several times. It's always good for a New South Welshman to beat the Victorians. The conditions are always challenging, but with a big boat like this, it is still a great place to row, especially given the excellent turnout from the crowd."
The competition in the men's is only the beginning, as Melbourne's younger crew will only learn from these experiences, with a lot of good takeaways from Sydney, which they will compile back in the Yarra River in 2025.
Earlier in the day, the Women's and Men's College teams fought it out in what was a spectacle to watch. In the women's, Ormond College from Melbourne University showed their class by defeating St Paul's women's. With the college races being part of the program since 2015, Ormond College has never been defeated, making this their seventh consecutive women's college title.
In the men's college race, Trinity College from Melbourne University took the trophy back down South with them. They put on an excellent display against the men's team from St Pauls, taking the eastern side; it proved pivotal, as both College teams from Melbourne were able to take advantage.
This year's Australian Boat Race was a testament not only to the athletic excellence of each university but also to the enduring sportsmanship and passion that makes this rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne so memorable and compelling, with both teams already setting their sights on next year back on the Yarra River, this storied rivalry looking brighter than ever.
