Tom James already has his place in history by becoming the Cambridge President for the 2007 Boat Race, sponsored by Xchanging.

“Back in Cambridge they’ve got the names of the past Presidents in the clubhouse, so it brings it home to you what a special honour it is,” he said. “I’m still getting used to the role.

The British rower has never finished on the winning side in the Boat Race, having rowed in Cambridge’s 2003, 2005 and 2006 Light Blue crews.

“It does put extra pressure on you as President,” he said. “I can imagine what it’s like to win a Boat Race, but I’ve not experienced it yet.

Cambridge have recently returned from their training base at Banyoles, near Barcelona.

“Our trial races were very good. We tried to keep crews together and not chop and change, and it made for some very tough, competitive trials.”

Cambridge have five returning Blues in their crew for the 2007 Boat Race, which gets underway at 4.30pm on Saturday 7th April.

“That does have its pros and cons, but experience certainly helps a lot,” he said.

“On the day itself, what I say will depend on the moment,” he said. “There’s a lot of experience in the crew, so they don’t really need a pep talk. They’ll just get on with the job.

“The crew has a common cause and a common purpose,” he added. “There are no heats semi-finals, there’s just one chance to get it right.”