The Boat Race is a
side-by-side rowing competition between the
University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the
University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and, as of 2014, broadcast worldwide. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the
1949 race by a quarter of a length, with Cambridge leading overall with 51 victories to Oxford's 43 (excluding the
"dead heat" of 1877). Cambridge were coached by R. Beesly (who had rowed for the Light Blues in the
1927,
1928 and
1929 races), Roy Meldrum (a coach for
Lady Margaret Boat Club), Mike Nicholson (non-rowing boat club president for the
1947 race),
Harold Rickett (who rowed three times between 1930 and 1932) and R. H. H. Symonds (who had rowed in the
1931 race). Oxford's coaches were T. A. Brocklebank (who had rowed for Cambridge three times between 1929 and 1931 and who had also coached the Light Blues in the
1934 race), R. E. Eason (a Dark Blue in the
1924 race),
Hugh "Jumbo" Edwards (who rowed for Oxford in
1926 and
1930) and J. A. MacNabb (who rowed for Cambridge in the 1924 race). The race was umpired for the second time by the former British Olympian
Kenneth Payne, who had rowed for Cambridge in the
1932 and 1934 races. The Light Blues were initially considered "hot favourites" and were described by the rowing correspondent of
The Manchester Guardian as "full of brilliant promise" while Oxford were "a collection of competent oarsmen who had to be moulded into a crew".
The Observers G. I. F. Thomson suggested that "it is anyone's race". ==Crews==