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Olympic legend Sir Steve Redgrave insists this weekend’s Boat Race participants “deserve better” amid concerns over the water quality of the River Thames.
Oxford and Cambridge crews have received “Guidance for Rowing When Water Quality is Poor” safety information ahead of Sunday’s regatta on the capital’s river.
Last year’s event was marred by an E. coli presence in the water and a bout of illness for a number of the rowers.
“It’s a real worry that in 2025, unsafe water quality in the Thames is still a concern,” Redgrave said. “Rowers, river users, and the public deserve better.”
It is the latest controversy surrounding the iconic river race, following a row over PGCE students being banned from competing for Cambridge after a query was raised by Oxford.
Boat Race water unavoidable threat to health
“It’s unacceptable that we have to compete on a river with such an unavoidable threat to health,” she added.
It comes as campaign group River Action warned that a stretch of the Boat Race course – which goes from Putney Bridge to Chiswick Bridge – has failed basic water quality standards after tests carried out by the organisation.
Nearly one third of samples exceeded safe limits for entering the water, their findings suggested.
This year’s Boat Race will be sponsored by luxury firm Chanel for the first time, with the event being used to showcase its wristwatches.
River Action’s head of communities, Erica Popplewell, said: “The Mayor of London’s vision for clean and healthy rivers is simply a pipe dream without systematic reform of the water industry and its regulators.
“Right now, if the stretch of the Thames used for the Boat Race were an official bathing site it would be graded poor, the lowest possible rating.
“The government’s own advice for such water is ‘do not swim.’ So, we strongly suggest that the winning team on Sunday think twice before throwing their cox in the Thames.”
