Cambridge President, Tom James, and Oxford Blue Colin Smith might prove to be the surprise package of the recently-announced Great Britain team for the World Championships from August 20-27th at Eton.

The duo, who took some time out after this year’s Boat Race to concentrate more fully on their exams, were teamed up in a men’s pair for the final World Cup regatta of the season in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The outfit showed a good turn of speed, reached the final and took an outstanding silver medal behind the world champions Nathan Tweddle and George Bridgewater whom they led for the first half of the race.

James was previously in the men’s eight, and won a world bronze in 2003 whilst Smith was GB’s single sculler in Gifu last year.

Meanwhile, Andy Hodge and Peter Reed, two Oxford Blues, remain undefeated in the men’s four in 2005 and 2006 and move into the event at Eton as defending World Champions. Both are looking forward to performing in front of a large home crowd.

"We have been thinking about this all year", said Hodge recently. "We don’t want to be beaten on home water". As his crew-mate Alex Partridge explained: "Having the World Championships at Eton, means a huge amount to the whole team. Competing in front of your home crowd is something as rowers we rarely get to do. I was unfortunate to miss out at the Athens Olympics but the crowds there looked amazing, and from what I am told the World Championships this year could be very similar. I can’t wait to see".

Britain’s men’s eight, stroked at many of the World Cup regattas by Cambridge-Blue and former President Kieran West, has not yet fired on all cylinders in competitive racing this year. A home crowd may just be the catalyst to change that trend in a boat which also features former Cambridge Blues Tom Stallard and Josh West and is coxed by Acer Nethercott, a former Oxford Blue.

From the eights training group, Great Britain has yet to name its eights line-up. Those who don’t make the cut will probably feature in a men’s coxed four. That means that Oxford’s Tom Parker may also be in with a chance at the last minute to make the blue riband event.

Former Cambridge coach Robin Williams will also be part of the set-up as he is now coaching many of Great Britain’s lightweight crews and Caroline Searle, The Boat Race Press Officer is overall Press Officer for the Championships.

GB TEAM LIST for the 2006 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Eton, August 20-27th.

Eight

Beth Rodford (Thames RC)/Carla Ashford (Thames RC)/Vicki Etiebet (Thames RC)/Elise Laverick (Thames RC)/Natasha Howard (Tideway Scullers)/Natasha Page (Reading Uni)/Katie Greves (Uni of London)/Alison Knowles (Thames RC)/ Caroline O’Connor (cox) (Oxford Brookes) Coaches: Ron Needs/Gary Stubbs

Double scull

Annie Vernon (Thames RC)/Anna Bebington (Leander) Coach: Miles Forbes Thomas

Quadruple scull

Debbie Flood (Leander)/Sarah Winckless (Walbrook)/ Frances Houghton (Uni of London)/Katherine Grainger (St Andrew) Coach: Paul Thompson

WOMEN’S RESERVES

Baz Moffat (Thames RC) Jess Eddie (Uni of London)

MEN

Pair

Colin Smith (Oxford Uni)/Tom James (Cambridge Uni) Coach: Rusty Williams

Four

Alex Partridge (Leander)/Steve Williams (Leander)/Peter Reed (Leander)/Andy Hodge (Molesey) Coach: Jurgen Grobler

Squad for eight and four

Marcus Bateman (Reading Uni) Jonno Devlin (Oxford Brookes) Richard Egington (Leander) Simon Fieldhouse (Molesey) Toby Garbett (Leander) Matt Langridge (Leander) Hugo Lee (Oxford Brookes) Tom Parker (Oxford Uni) Tom Solebury (Molesey) Tom Stallard (Leander) Josh West (Leander) Kieran West (CUBC)

Cox: Acer Nethercott (OUBC) Coaches: Steve Gunn and Richard Tinkler

Single scull

Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers) Coach: Bill Barry

Double scull

Matthew Wells (Uni of London)/Stephen Rowbotham (Leander) Coach: Mark Earnshaw

LIGHTWEIGHT

WOMEN

Double scull

Helen Casey (Wallingford)/Jane Hall (Leander) Coach: Rob Dauncey

Quadruple scull (To be confirmed)

MEN

Pair (to be confirmed)

Four

Matt Beechey (Leander)/Daniel Harte (London)/Paul Mattick (Wallingford)/James Clarke (Durham Uni) Coach: Mark Banks

Single scull

Zac Purchase Coach: Darren Whiter

Double scull

James Lindsay-Fynn (London)/Mark Hunter (Leander) Coach: Robin Williams

Quadruple scull (to be confirmed)

ADAPTIVES

Mixed adaptive coxed four

Victoria Hansford (Guildford RC/Katie George Dunley (Maidenhead RC)/Alastair McKean (Herne Bay ARC)/ Alan Crowther (Nottingham Boat Club)/Alan Sherman (Thames Tradesman RC)

Coach: Chad King

Women’s adaptive single

Helen Raynsford (Guildford RC)

Coach: Simon Goodey (Royal Docks RC)