When the way forward is to go backwards

The plan to retrace the victors' strokes up the length of the four-and- a-quarter mile course has already been presented to The Boat Race Company and was given instant approval by the man behind Oxford's crushing six-length victory over Cambridge on Saturday.

Sean Bowden, the Oxford head coach, said: "As traditional as the race is, it is ultimately pragmatic as well and the parading of the trophy is an interesting idea to be given serious consideration.

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"One thing we really value is the people who flock to the towpath to watch the race. The rowers do not watch the television, they turn up. People on the bank make it the event it is."

It is a moot point whether the prospect of the soccer-style opentop parade itself would attract a bigger crowd. But there can certainly be an element of disappointment — 'is that all there is?' — when the boats pass all too quickly any given point. (Not very quickly on Saturday, as it happened, with the winning time of 20 minutes and 53 seconds the slowest since 1947, the result of strong headwinds). Without big screens, most of the spectators never see the final stages, having to rely on radios for news of the outcome.

The pageantry might be enhanced as the public are given the opportunity to show their appreciation for the efforts of the students.

"The values of the Boat Race are extremely pertinent to normal people," Bowden insisted. "It is about hard work, it is about selfless effort. It is about key values, about education.

"The tradition and the place in the calendar are part of a great formula. But also people love endurance events and extraordinary feats.

"They always relate to that, whether climbing Mount Everest or whether it is the old gunrunning at the Royal Tournament.

"There is a deep fascination for that kind of thing and the Boat Race is, par excellence, the best example of a pure endurance event. It does not need a fancy makeover or jazzing up. That said, we are quite contemporary because we have to survive in the market place with sponsorship and television. We are not a bunch of state-sponsored athletes funded by the Lottery."

That could be in the future for winning cox and Oxford president Nick Brodie. As he recovered from the traditional ducking in the water at Mortlake and a drenching from champagne, Brodie, barely eight stone wet through, admitted to the attraction of taking part in the 2012 London Olympics.

"If they make me an offer I can't refuse," he said. Brodie — mouthy, emotional, intense and occasionally over the top — had become the focal point of this year's race as he sought revenge over Cambridge cox Rebecca Dowbiggin, praised for her calming influence in the Cambridge success last year.

So when Brodie, watching a re-run of the race in the company of his coach, heard the television commentator describe him as 'calm and composed', he clenched his fist and declared 'job done'. There had been no love lost between the two coxes.

"I started off in my first year as a gawky, arrogant kid," Brodie admitted.

"I lost in the Isis boat that year, was picked for the Blue boat in my second year as still quite an immature kid and was then dropped. I learned from that and matured. We lost to a stronger Cambridge crew last year.

"There was a moment when I thought that was it. But I came back as president this time and it could not have gone better."

His immediate plan is a job in banking. Surely a case of out of the river and into really deep water.