Cambridge have been forced into changing their crew with just three days to go before this Saturday’s Boat Race after illness hit stroke Shane O’Mara overnight.

He is replaced in the Blue boat by fellow-American Ryan Monaghan from Rochester, New York who switches from the stroke seat in the Goldie boat.

“Medical advice suggested that Shane wouldn’t be ready to race on Saturday and so we have moved Ryan Monaghan from Goldie to the Blue boat stroke,” said Head Coach Duncan Holland. “Ultimately, the Race is between the two clubs and we will race what we believe to be the best eight,” he added.

Ryan, 23, who is studying Physics at St. Edmund’s College, took up rowing to help stay fit for American football, but later decided to focus entirely on rowing. While studying in the United States, he rowed in the Cornell first varsity boat between 2005-2007.

He weighed in at 96.6 kilograms at yesterday’s official Weigh-In - 6.4 kilograms heavier than Shane. It takes the total weight of the Cambridge crew up to 749.8 kilograms, excluding the cox (against the 786.6 kgs of the Oxford boat).

Replacing Ryan in the Goldie boat will be 21-year-old Richard Stutt from Wimbledon, who is in this final year studying Mathematics at Girton College. His exact seat in the Goldie boat is still to be decided.