Torpids

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Torpids
Head of the River
Christ Church Men[1] University Women[1]
Highest 2nd Torpid (Men) Wadham (Division III)[1]
Highest 2nd Torpid (Women) Wolfson (Division III)[1]
Course Isis (upstream)
Course length c. 1800m
Current sponsor Neptune Investment Management
Note: Last Torpids 22nd - 25th February 2023[1]
OURCs - Torpids

Torpids is one of two series of bumping races, a type of rowing race, held yearly at Oxford University; the other is Eights Week.[2] Over 130 men's and women's crews race for their colleges in twelve divisions: six each of men's and women's; almost 1,200 participants in total. The racing takes place on the Isis (part of the River Thames), usually in the 7th week of Hilary Term on four successive days from Wednesday to Saturday (around the start of March).

Overview[edit]

Bumping races evolved in Oxford as the river is too narrow for normal side by side racing. Competing crews start the race lined up in order, one behind another, with their coxes holding ropes ('bung lines') attached to the bank, with gaps of about 1.5 boat lengths between the bow of one boat and the stern of the one in front. Racing is started by the firing of a cannon. Racing is by division, the number of crews in a division depending on river conditions. The bottom men's division starts first with men's and women's alternating, finishing with the top women's division.

Crews attempt to progress up their division by hitting ('bumping') the boat in front without being hit by the boat behind, with the ultimate aim of becoming "Head Of The River" i.e. top of the first division. The Head of the River is awarded the Torpids Challenge Cup, presented to the OUBC by President T.C. Edwards-Moss of Brasenose College Boat Club. Once a bump has taken place, the crew whose boat was bumped has to continue racing (and is liable to be bumped again) whilst the bumping crew moves to the side. This can lead to a crew moving down several places during a day's racing. This is the principal difference in the rules between Torpids and Summer Eights, where both crews stop racing.[citation needed] Commonly a cox will concede a bump, signalled by raising an arm, rather than waiting to be hit. The crew finishing top of a lower division rows again the same day at the bottom of the division above.

The name 'Torpids' derives from the event's origins as a race for the second boats of the colleges, which were of course slower than the first boats. The status of the event - still adjudged below that of Summer Eights on account of the absence of rowers in the varsity boat races - only began to rise at the very end of the nineteenth century, when colleges began to form first boats to compete. Nowadays there is no limit on the number of boats a college may enter, although crews in the last two divisions and crews without a position have to qualify to race by competing in a timed race the preceding Friday, known as 'rowing on'.[citation needed]

Athletes competing in that year's Boat Race, Women's Boat Race or any of the Lightweight University crews at Henley Boat Races may not compete in Torpids, but may compete in Summer Eights.[citation needed]

Double Headship[edit]

The double headship winning Oriel Men's and Women's Eights crews in 2006.

The 'Double Headship' is an accolade of any college finishing with their men's and women's crews at the 'Head of the River'. Oriel is the first to have achieved this in Torpids, in 2006. The college's new first crews repeated this in 2018.[3]

Trophies[edit]

The first day's starting order is based on the previous year's finishing positions, and each subsequent day's starting order is based on the previous day's finishing positions. A crew that bumps on every day or that finishes at the Head of the River is awarded blades - the right to get trophy oars painted up in their college colours with the names and weights of the successful crew emblazoned on them. Spoons are awarded in case the crew was bumped on every single day. A third, somewhat unusual possibility is the award of spades. The crew is both bumped and then proceeds to bump a crew in front of it before the end of the race. Thus being both the bumper and the bumped on the same day. Owing to the differences in rules between Torpids and Lent Bumps at the University of Cambridge this achievement is only possible at Oxford.[citation needed]

Head of the River - Summary table[edit]

Blade College Men Women Headships Longest time held: Men Longest time held: Women Last Headship: Men Last Headship: Women
Oriel College Boat Club Oriel 36 3 39 1972–90 2017–18 2022 2018
Brasenose College Boat Club Brasenose 22 - 22 1886–94 - 1894 -
New College Boat Club New College 15 1 16 1949–53 2005 1953 2005
Balliol College Boat Club Balliol 14 - 14 1968–71 - 1971 -
Christ Church College Boat Club Christ Church 15 - 15 1907–10 - 2023 -
Magdalen College Boat Club Magdalen 9 5 14 1932–34 2010–13 2008 2016
Exeter College Boat Club Exeter 13 - 13 1854–57 - 1868 -
Pembroke College Boat Club Pembroke 10 - 10 2012–17 - 2017 -
University College Boat Club University 9 1 9 1869–73 - 1926 2023
St Edmund Hall Boat Club St Edmund Hall 6 - 6 1962–66 - 1966 -
Osler-Green a - 5 5 - 1995–99 - 1999
Somerville College Boat Club Somerville - 5 5 - 1991–94 - 1994
Wadham College Boat Club Wadham 2 3 5 - - 1849 2019
Corpus College Boat Club Corpus 4 - 4 1883–85 - 1931 -
Jesus College Boat Club Jesus - 4 4 - 1980–83 - 1983
Osler House b - 4 4 - 1988–89 - 1989
Merton College Boat Club Merton 1 2 3 - 2003–04 1927 2004
St Catherine's College Boat Club St Catherine's - 3 3 - 2008–09 - 2009
St John's 3 - 3 - - 1967 -
Trinity College Boat Club Trinity 3 - 3 - - 1880 -
Worcester College Boat Club Worcester 3 - 3 - - 1930 -
Queen's College Boat Club Queen's 2 - 2 - - 1958 -
St Hugh's College Boat Club St Hugh's - 1 1 - - - 1985
Wolfson College Boat Club (Oxford) Wolfson - 2 2 - - - 2022
a Since 2008 this crew composition does not exist anymore. Prior to the foundation of Green Templeton College members of Green College raced with Osler House whereas members of Templeton College raced with Hertford College.[citation needed]
b Prior to the composite crew with Green College and after the foundation of Green Templeton Boat Club, Osler has raced as an independent crew formed of clinical medical students.[citation needed]

Men's Head of Torpids[edit]

Torpids has been held since 1838. The following gives the colleges that were Head of the River (Head of Torpids) in these years.[4]

Year College Year College Year College Year College Year College
1838 Worcester 1839 Oriel 1840 Wadham 1841 Trinity 1842 Brasenose
1843 University 1844 Oriel 1845 Brasenose 1846 Exeter 1847 Exeter
1848 Brasenose 1849 Wadham 1850 Brasenose 1851 Brasenose 1852 Brasenose
1853 Brasenose 1854 Exeter 1855 Exeter 1856 Exeter 1857 Exeter
1858 Pembroke 1859 Exeter 1860 Exeter 1861 Brasenose 1862 Brasenose
1863 Exeter 1864 Exeter 1865 Exeter 1866 Brasenose 1867 Exeter
1868 Exeter 1869 University 1870 University 1871 University 1872 University
1873 University 1874 Brasenose 1875 Brasenose 1876 Trinity 1877 Pembroke
1878 Pembroke 1879 Pembroke 1880 Trinity 1881 Brasenose 1882 New College
1883 Corpus 1884 Corpus 1885 Corpus 1886 Brasenose 1887 Brasenose
1888 Brasenose 1889 Brasenose 1890 Brasenose 1891 Brasenose 1892 Brasenose
1893 Brasenose 1894 Brasenose 1895 no racing a 1896 New College 1897 Balliol
1898 Balliol 1899 Balliol 1900 New College 1901 New College 1902 New College
1903 New College 1904 New College 1905 University 1906 University 1907 Christ Church
1908 Christ Church 1909 Christ Church 1910 Christ Church 1911 Balliol 1912 Magdalen
1913 Magdalen 1914 Christ Church 1915 - b 1916 - b 1917 - b
1918 - b 1919 - b 1920 Christ Church 1921 Christ Church 1922 Worcester
1923 Magdalen 1924 Christ Church 1925 Christ Church 1926 University 1927 Merton
1928 Balliol 1929 Balliol 1930 Worcester 1931 Corpus Christi 1932 Magdalen
1933 Magdalen 1934 Magdalen 1935 New College 1936 Magdalen 1937 Magdalen
1938 New College 1939 St Edmund Hall 1940 Trinity & Balliol 1941 - c 1942 - c
1943 - c 1944 - c 1945 - c 1946 St John's 1947 New College
1948 Christ Church 1949 New College 1950 New College 1951 New College 1952 New College
1953 New College 1954 Balliol 1955 Balliol 1956 Balliol 1957 Queen's
1958 Queen's 1959 Balliol 1960 St Edmund Hall 1961 St John's 1962 St Edmund Hall
1963 no racing a 1964 St Edmund Hall 1965 St Edmund Hall 1966 St Edmund Hall 1967 St John's
1968 Balliol 1969 Balliol 1970 Balliol 1971 Balliol 1972 Oriel
1973 Oriel 1974 Oriel 1975 Oriel 1976 Oriel 1977 no racing f
1978 Oriel 1979 Oriel 1980 Oriel 1981 Oriel 1982 Oriel
1983 Oriel 1984 Oriel 1985 Oriel 1986 Oriel d 1987 Oriel
1988 Oriel 1989 Oriel 1990 Oriel d 1991 Christ Church e 1992 Oriel
1993 Oriel 1994 Oriel d 1995 Oriel d 1996 Oriel 1997 Oriel
1998 Oriel d 1999 Pembroke 2000 no racing f 2001 Oriel 2002 no racing f
2003 Oriel d 2004 Oriel 2005 Oriel 2006 Oriel 2007 no racing f
2008 Magdalen 2009 Christ Church 2010 Christ Church 2011 Christ Church 2012 Pembroke
2013 Pembroke 2014 no racing f 2015 Pembroke 2016 Pembroke 2017 Pembroke
2018 Oriel d 2019 Oriel 2020 no racing f 2021 Oriel g 2022 Oriel
2023 Christ Church 2024 no racing f 2025 2026 2027
a No racing due to ice on the river
b No racing due to World War I
c No racing due to World War II
d Racing held on fewer than four days
e Oriel were penalty bumped four places for training while the river was in flood
f No racing due to high stream
g Racing held in Trinity Term instead of Summer Eights due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Women's Head of Torpids[edit]

Women's division in Torpids have existed since 1978. This was delayed from 1977 when the river was flooded and Torpids was cancelled.[5][6]

Year College Year College Year College Year College Year College
1977 no racing a 1978 Hertford 1979 Wadham 1980 Jesus 1981 Jesus
1982 Jesus 1983 Jesus 1984 Osler House 1985 St Hugh's 1986 Osler House b
1987 Somerville 1988 Osler House 1989 Osler House 1990 no racing c 1991 Somerville
1992 Somerville 1993 Somerville 1994 Somerville b 1995 Osler-Green b 1996 Osler-Green
1997 Osler-Green 1998 Osler-Green b 1999 Osler-Green 2000 no racing a 2001 St Catherine's
2002 no racing a 2003 Merton b 2004 Merton 2005 New College 2006 Oriel
2007 no racing a 2008 St Catherine's 2009 St Catherine's 2010 Magdalen 2011 Magdalen
2012 Magdalen 2013 Magdalen 2014 no racing a 2015 Wadham 2016 Magdalen
2017 Oriel 2018 Oriel b 2019 Wadham 2020 no racing a 2021 Wolfson College d
2022 Wolfson 2023 University 2024 no racing a 2025 2026  
a No racing due to high stream
b Racing held on fewer than four days
c Only informal racing due to a fast stream
d Racing held in Trinity Term instead of Summer Eights due to the CoVID-19 pandemic

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Oxford University Rowing Clubs, Historical Results Torpids, retrieved 16 February 2022
  2. ^ Sherwood, W. E. (1900). "The Torpids". Oxford Rowing: A History of Boat-Racing at Oxford from the Earliest Times. Oxford and London. pp. 43–49. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  3. ^ "Oriel Crews Take Torpids Double Headship". Oriel College. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  4. ^ Sherwood, W. E. (1900). "The Torpids (results)". Oxford Rowing: A History of Boat-Racing at Oxford from the Earliest Times. Oxford and London. pp. 147–170. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. ^ "A History of Oxford College Rowing". eodg.atm.ox.ac.uk.
  6. ^ "Oxford Bumps Charts". eodg.atm.ox.ac.uk.

External links[edit]