Who are the coxes at the Boat Race 2024 for Oxford and for Cambridge?

CAMBRIDGE and Oxford go head-to-head for the annual Boat Race on the River Thames this afternoon.

Today will mark the 169th time that the men’s race has taken place and the 78th time the women’s crews have faced off.

Cambridge and Oxford meet in The Boat Race once again this weekendPA

Last year saw Cambridge do the double over their university rivals, triumphing in both the men’s and women’s races.

Cambridge lead 86-81 in the men’s series, while they hold a more conclusive advantage of 47-30 in the women’s race.

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Today, approximately 200,000 people will watch the iconic Boat Race from the banks of the River Thames – and millions will watch from their homes.

This year, Cambridge will be aiming to complete back-to-back doubles over Oxford – and a crucial component to their success will be their coxes – but who are they?

Who are Cambridge and Oxford coxes at the Boat Race 2024?

Here are the coxes for both universities at the 2024 Boat Race:

Oxford: Joe Gellett (women), William Denegri (men)

Cambridge: Hannah Murphy (women), Ed Bracey (men)

What does the cox do during the Boat Race?

According to regatta rules, the primary responsibility of a cox is always to ensure crew safety.

The cox is also in charge of steering and will typically turn the boat using two methods.

One is to pull on the tiller, a cable connected to the rudder, while the other is to call for increased pressure from rowers on one side of the boat.

On dry land, the cox acts as the coach’s deputy, but inside the boat, they must attempt to enact the coach’s decisions and make tactical moves of their own.

Why does the winning cox get thrown in the Thames?

It is a tradition that the cox of the winner of the Boat Race between Cambridge and Oxford is thrown into the Thames.

After the race has finished, the winning crew will be presented with the prestigious trophy.

Following the presentation, the cox of the winning team will be then thrown into the Thames by the crew to celebrate the crew’s win.

That said, Boat Race organisers have urged rowers to not enter the River Thames after traces of E. coli were found in the water ahead of the 2024 edition.

It’s a longstanding Boat Race tradition that the winning cox is thrown into the Thames by their teammatesAP