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 six men's divisions and five 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

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. 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'.

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.

Double Headship

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

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.

Head of the River - Summary table

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.
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.

Men's Head of Torpids

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
1838Worcester1839Oriel1840Wadham1841Trinity1842Brasenose
1843University1844Oriel1845Brasenose1846Exeter1847Exeter
1848Brasenose1849Wadham1850Brasenose1851Brasenose1852Brasenose
1853Brasenose1854Exeter1855Exeter1856Exeter1857Exeter
1858Pembroke1859Exeter1860Exeter1861Brasenose1862Brasenose
1863Exeter1864Exeter1865Exeter1866Brasenose1867Exeter
1868Exeter1869University1870University1871University1872University
1873University1874Brasenose1875Brasenose1876Trinity1877Pembroke
1878Pembroke1879Pembroke1880Trinity1881Brasenose1882New College
1883Corpus1884Corpus1885Corpus1886Brasenose1887Brasenose
1888Brasenose1889Brasenose1890Brasenose1891Brasenose1892Brasenose
1893Brasenose1894Brasenose1895no racing a1896New College1897Balliol
1898Balliol1899Balliol1900New College1901New College1902New College
1903New College1904New College1905University1906University1907Christ Church
1908Christ Church1909Christ Church1910Christ Church1911Balliol1912Magdalen
1913Magdalen1914Christ Church1915- b1916- b1917- b
1918- b1919- b1920Christ Church1921Christ Church1922Worcester
1923Magdalen1924Christ Church1925Christ Church1926University1927Merton
1928Balliol1929Balliol1930Worcester1931Corpus Christi1932Magdalen
1933Magdalen1934Magdalen1935New College1936Magdalen1937Magdalen
1938New College1939St Edmund Hall1940Trinity & Balliol1941- c1942- c
1943- c1944- c1945- c1946St John's1947New College
1948Christ Church1949New College1950New College1951New College1952New College
1953New College1954Balliol1955Balliol1956Balliol1957Queen's
1958Queen's1959Balliol1960St Edmund Hall 1961St John's1962St Edmund Hall
1963no racing a1964St Edmund Hall1965St Edmund Hall1966St Edmund Hall1967St John's
1968Balliol1969Balliol1970Balliol1971Balliol1972Oriel
1973Oriel1974Oriel1975Oriel1976Oriel1977no racing f
1978Oriel1979Oriel1980Oriel1981Oriel1982Oriel
1983Oriel1984Oriel1985Oriel1986Oriel d1987Oriel
1988Oriel1989Oriel1990Oriel d1991Christ Church e1992Oriel
1993Oriel1994Oriel d1995Oriel d1996Oriel1997Oriel
1998Oriel d1999Pembroke2000no racing f2001Oriel2002no racing f
2003Oriel d2004Oriel2005Oriel2006Oriel2007no racing f
2008Magdalen2009Christ Church2010Christ Church2011Christ Church2012Pembroke
2013Pembroke2014no racing f2015Pembroke2016Pembroke2017Pembroke
2018Oriel d2019Oriel2020no racing f2021Oriel g2022Oriel
2023Christ Church2024202520262027
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

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
1977no racing a1978Hertford1979Wadham1980Jesus1981Jesus
1982Jesus1983Jesus1984Osler House1985St Hugh's1986Osler House b
1987Somerville1988Osler House1989Osler House1990no racing c1991Somerville
1992Somerville1993Somerville1994Somerville b1995Osler-Green b1996Osler-Green
1997Osler-Green1998Osler-Green b1999Osler-Green2000no racing a2001St Catherine's
2002no racing a2003Merton b2004Merton2005New College2006Oriel
2007no racing a2008St Catherine's2009St Catherine's2010Magdalen2011Magdalen
2012Magdalen2013Magdalen2014no racing a2015Wadham2016Magdalen
2017Oriel2018Oriel b2019Wadham2020no racing a2021Wolfson College d
2022Wolfson2023University202420252026 
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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 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.
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