Rebecca Dowbiggin, a post-graduate student of Economics in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms studying at Emmanuel College, has been promoted to cox Cambridge’s Blue Boat with under two weeks to go to the 2007 Boat Race, taking place on April 7th and sponsored by Xchanging.

Dowbiggin replaces Russell Glenn, the American who had hoped to win a rowing Blue a month after boxing for Cambridge in this year’s Varsity Match.

Cambridge Head Coach Duncan Holland has made the decision since Cambridge’s second pre-Race fixture against Molesey Boat Club.

“It’s normal to make these kind of changes in sport”, said Holland today. “Rebecca has been improving rapidly and she has now overtaken Russ. The choice of a coxswain is always subjective because you can’t measure their output in the same way as that of a rower but you try to find the right coxswain for the crew”.

A naturally elated Dowbiggin said: “The coaching team has placed their confidence in me and I’m looking forward to stepping up to the challenge. The decision came as a bit of a surprise but I’m not fazed by it. I’m confident that we’ve got a great coaching team and support staff and I have no doubt that we’ll be the fastest crew on the day”.

Glenn meanwhile, after two previous years with Goldie, took the news with disappointment but with good grace: “Naturally I’m disappointed but the priority remains the Blue Boat winning and I have the utmost faith in the Blue Boat and Rebecca”.

Dowbiggin is now set to become the first female cox with Cambridge since Eleanor (Ellie) Griggs in 2002. She will pit her wits against Oxford’s Nicholas Brodie who is in the Blue Boat seat this year after, somewhat ironically, being dropped three weeks before The Race a year ago.

Their battle will be a true Oxford v Cambridge affair as Brodie is from Oxford originally and Dowbiggin, whilst born in St Albans, was raised and schooled in Cambridge where she also completed her undergraduate degree.

Her previous coxing pedigree includes the Cambridge Lightweight Blue Boat in 2004 and the 2006 Cambridge women’s Boat Race Blue Boat as well as the Furnival SC women’s eight who won the national championships title. She has risen through the ranks since becoming a novice cox at Cambridge whilst an undergraduate. Before going up to Cambridge she had never played any sport at all.

Cambridge female coxes

Henrietta Shaw (1985) Carole Burton (1986) Leigh Weiss (1989) Lisa Ross-Magenty (1990) Vian Sharif (1999) Eleanor Griggs (2002).

Oxford female coxes

Sue Brown (1981 & 2) Alison Norrish (1989) Samantha Benham (1993) Liz Chick (1992 & 1994) Abbie Chapman (1995) Kajsa McLaren (2000)