Boat Race sinks to academic snobbery lows amid ‘slimy’ eligibility row

A disagreement between Oxford and Cambridge has erupted with the ban of PGCE students because their qualifications are seen as ‘a diploma not a degree’. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

With almost 200 years of intense rivalry the Boat Race has already inspired several major films, and after an extraordinary week Hollywood producers now have plenty more material to go at.

What began last December as a disagreement between various alumni of Oxford and Cambridge over eligibility criteria for next month’s race exploded into a full-blown incident this week, with allegations of “slimy tactics,” academic snobbery and female rowers being viewed as collateral damage in a dispute between the male boat clubs.