Torpids


Torpids is one of two series of bumping races, a type of rowing race, held yearly at Oxford University; the other is Eights Week. More than 130 men's and women's crews race for their colleges in twelve divisions: six each of men's and women's; almost 1,200 participants in total. The racing takes place on the Isis, usually in the 7th week of Hilary Term on four successive days from Wednesday to Saturday.

Overview

Bumping races evolved in Oxford as the river is too narrow for normal side by side racing. Competing crews start the race lined up in order, one behind another, with their coxes holding ropes attached to the bank, with gaps of about 1.5 boat lengths between the bow of one boat and the stern of the one in front. Racing is started by the firing of a cannon. Racing is by division, the number of crews in a division depending on river conditions. The bottom men's division starts first with men's and women's alternating, finishing with the top women's division.
Crews attempt to progress up their division by hitting the boat in front without being hit by the boat behind, with the ultimate aim of becoming "Head of the River" i.e. top of the first division. The Head of the River is awarded the Torpids Challenge Cup, presented to the OUBC by President T.C. Edwards-Moss of Brasenose College Boat Club. Once a bump has taken place, the crew whose boat was bumped has to continue racing whilst the bumping crew moves to the side. This can lead to a crew moving down several places during a day's racing. This is the principal difference in the rules between Torpids and Summer Eights, where both crews stop racing. Commonly a cox will concede a bump, signalled by raising an arm, rather than waiting to be hit. The crew finishing top of a lower division rows again the same day at the bottom of the division above.
The name 'Torpids' derives from the event's origins as a race for the second boats of the colleges, which were of course slower than the first boats. The status of the event – still adjudged below that of Summer Eights on account of the absence of rowers in the Varsity boat races – only began to rise at the very end of the nineteenth century, when colleges began to form first boats to compete. Nowadays there is no limit on the number of boats a college may enter, although crews in the last two divisions and crews without a position have to qualify to race by competing in a timed race the preceding Friday, known as 'rowing on'.
Athletes competing in that year's Boat Race, Women's Boat Race or any of the Lightweight University crews at Henley Boat Races may not compete in Torpids, but may compete in Summer Eights.

Double Headship

The "Double Headship" is an accolade of any college finishing with their men's and women's crews at the "Head of the River". Oriel is the first to have achieved this in Torpids, in 2006. The college's new first crews repeated this in 2018.

Trophies

The first day's starting order is based on the previous year's finishing positions, and each subsequent day's starting order is based on the previous day's finishing positions. A crew that bumps on every day or that finishes at the Head of the River is awarded blades – the right to get trophy oars painted up in their college colours with the names and weights of the successful crew emblazoned on them. Spoons are awarded in case the crew was bumped on every single day. A third, somewhat unusual possibility is the award of spades. The crew is both bumped and then proceeds to bump a crew in front of it before the end of the race. Thus being both the bumper and the bumped on the same day. Owing to the differences in rules between Torpids and Lent Bumps at the University of Cambridge this achievement is only possible at Oxford.

Men's Head of Torpids

Torpids has been held since 1838. The following gives the colleges that were Head of the River in these years.
YearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollege
1838 Worcester1839 Oriel1840 Wadham1841 Trinity1842 Brasenose
1843 University1844 Oriel1845 Brasenose1846 Exeter1847 Exeter
1848 Brasenose1849 Wadham1850 Brasenose1851 Brasenose1852 Brasenose
1853 Brasenose1854 Exeter1855 Exeter1856 Exeter1857 Exeter
1858 Pembroke1859 Exeter1860 Exeter1861 Brasenose1862 Brasenose
1863 Exeter1864 Exeter1865 Exeter1866 Brasenose1867 Exeter
1868 Exeter1869 University1870 University1871 University1872 University
1873 University1874 Brasenose1875 Brasenose1876 Trinity1877 Pembroke
1878 Pembroke1879 Pembroke1880 Trinity1881 Brasenose1882 New College
1883 Corpus Christi1884 Corpus Christi1885 Corpus Christi1886 Brasenose1887 Brasenose
1888 Brasenose1889 Brasenose1890 Brasenose1891 Brasenose1892 Brasenose
1893 Brasenose1894 Brasenose1895no racing 1896 New College1897 Balliol
1898 Balliol1899 Balliol1900 New College1901 New College1902 New College
1903 New College1904 New College1905 University1906 University1907 Christ Church
1908 Christ Church1909 Christ Church1910 Christ Church1911 Balliol1912 Magdalen
1913 Magdalen1914 Christ Church1915— 1916— 1917—
1918— 1919— 1920 Christ Church1921 Christ Church1922 Worcester
1923 Magdalen1924 Christ Church1925 Christ Church1926 University1927 Merton
1928 Balliol1929 Balliol1930 Worcester1931 Corpus Christi1932 Magdalen
1933 Magdalen1934 Magdalen1935 New College1936 Magdalen1937 Magdalen
1938 New College1939 St Edmund Hall1940 Trinity & Balliol1941— 1942—
1943— 1944— 1945— 1946 St John's1947 New College
1948 Christ Church1949 New College1950 New College1951 New College1952 New College
1953 New College1954 Balliol1955 Balliol1956 Balliol1957 Queen's
1958 Queen's1959 Balliol1960 St Edmund Hall1961 St John's1962 St Edmund Hall
1963no racing 1964 St Edmund Hall1965 St Edmund Hall1966 St Edmund Hall1967 St John's
1968 Balliol1969 Balliol1970 Balliol1971 Balliol1972 Oriel
1973 Oriel1974 Oriel1975 Oriel1976 Oriel1977no racing
1978 Oriel1979 Oriel1980 Oriel1981 Oriel1982 Oriel
1983 Oriel1984 Oriel1985 Oriel1986 Oriel 1987 Oriel
1988 Oriel1989 Oriel1990 Oriel 1991 Christ Church 1992 Oriel
1993 Oriel1994 Oriel 1995 Oriel 1996 Oriel1997 Oriel
1998 Oriel 1999 Pembroke2000no racing 2001 Oriel2002no racing
2003 Oriel 2004 Oriel2005 Oriel2006 Oriel2007no racing
2008 Magdalen2009 Christ Church2010 Christ Church2011 Christ Church2012 Pembroke
2013 Pembroke2014no racing 2015 Pembroke2016 Pembroke2017 Pembroke
2018 Oriel 2019 Oriel2020no racing 2021 Oriel 2022 Oriel
2023 Christ Church2024no racing 2025 Wolfson 20262027

Women's Head of Torpids

Women's divisions in Torpids have existed since 1978. This was delayed from 1977 when the river was flooded and Torpids was cancelled.
YearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollege
1977no racing 1978 Hertford1979 Wadham1980 Jesus1981 Jesus
1982 Jesus1983 Jesus1984Osler House1985 St Hugh's1986Osler House
1987 Somerville1988Osler House1989Osler House1990no racing 1991 Somerville
1992 Somerville1993 Somerville1994 Somerville 1995Osler-Green 1996Osler-Green
1997Osler-Green1998Osler-Green 1999Osler-Green2000no racing 2001 St Catherine's
2002no racing 2003 Merton 2004 Merton2005 New College2006 Oriel
2007no racing 2008 St Catherine's2009 St Catherine's2010 Magdalen2011 Magdalen
2012 Magdalen2013 Magdalen2014no racing 2015 Wadham2016 Magdalen
2017 Oriel2018 Oriel 2019 Wadham2020no racing 2021 Wolfson
2022 Wolfson2023 University2024no racing 2025 Pembroke 2026