Three former Abingdon School pupils will battle it out in this year’s Cancer Research UK Boat Race on Easter Sunday, March 27, writes John Wiggins.

James Cook has been named in the Oxford boat, with fellow old Abingdonians Felix Newman and cox Ian Middleton in the Cambridge line-up.

Newman, one of four Cambridge undergraduates, was in the losing 2015 Goldie crew, while Cook and Middleton were in opposing Blue boats.

Cook is the only returning Blue for Oxford, whereas Cambridge have a further three, all American, including their president Henry Hoffstot, keen to avenge their defeats in 2014 and 2015.

The Oxford president, Morgan Gerlak is the only American in a predominantly British crew that will rely heavily on the experience of four of the victorious 2015 Isis reserve crew.

Cambridge have the averages tipped in their favour being slightly older, heavier (88.8 to 87.0 kg) and taller, though Oxford, have the heaviest and lightest oarsmen in Joshua Bugajski and George McKirdy.

On the evidence of the warm-up fixtures with Oxford Brookes, only an ardent Dark Blues supporter would back Oxford to win.

The crews for the women’s Boat Race, which will be held on the same day, include only two undergraduates apiece Boat Race experience is on Oxford’s side with three Blues to Cambridge’s two.

These include Oxford’s under graduate president, Maddy Badcock, ex-president Anastasia Chitty, formerly of The Dragon School Oxford, and a veteran of the last three winning races, while stroke Lauren Kedar (formerly St Helen and St Katherine School Abingdon) has two Blues to her name.

The women’s Boat Race will begin at 3.10pm, with the men’s an hour later.

MEN’S CREWS

Oxford: G McKirdy 76.8kg, J White 87.0, M Gerlak 85.8, J Bugajski 96.4, L Carrington 87.0, J Tveit 82.4, J Cook 84.0, N Hazell 94.8k. Cox: S Collier 56.2.

Cambridge: F Newman 83.2, A Abbasi 88.4, C Fisher 91.8,C Auersperg 90.4, L Juckett 82.0, H Hoffstot 92.6, B Ruble 83.4, L Tredell 94.2. Cox: I Middleton 54.0.

WOMEN’S CREWS

Oxford: E Lukasiewicz 60.4, E Spruce 72.0, J Jansen 67.0, R Siddorn 75.2, Ë Luik 78.2, A Chitty 71.0, M Badcott 74.8, L Kedar 65.6. Cox: M Baynham-Williams 60.0.

Cambridge: A Brown 81.0, F Macklin 64.0, A Jackson 77.2, T Zabell 79.4, D Martschenko 76.6 Z Goozee 66.2, H Roberts 73.6, M Goudet 80.4 Cox: R Ostfeld 50.0.