TWO BIG EVENTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 65, 17 March 1934, Page 9

TWO BIG EVENTS

IN LONDON TO-DAY. ROWING AND RUGBY. 'Varsity Race, and England Meets Scotland. THRILLING CONTESTS LIKELY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, March 10. Two immensely popular sporting events will take place in London tomorrow afternoon —the University boat race and the international Rugby match between England and Scotland.

The Thames banks and bridges will hold tho usual vast crowd, approximately 500,000. Many of these will wait long hours for the thrill, lasting a few seconds, of seeing the rival crews flash by. A still larger audience in all parts of the world will listen to the description of the race broadcast from a launch following the boats along the 4\ miles course. Although Oxford are the heavier of the two exceptionally heavy crews, Cambridge men have an advantage of greater experience, and although a close race is anticipated, they are generally expected to add another victory to the long list of post-war Cambridge successes. The England v. Scotland Rugby match is the only international to be played at Twickenham this season. As the fixture is exceptionally popular, and the championship is in the balance, a crowd of 70,000 is anticipated. Tho English fifteen has not been defeated this season and critics favour their chances without, however, diminishing the confidence of Scotland's supporters. A drawn match would give England the championship, but victory is required to regain the Calcutta Cup, of which Scotland is the holder.

The raee has been rowed 85 times, Cambridge having 44 wins, Oxford 40, and the race in 1877 being a dead-heat. The results since the war have been overwhelmingly in favour of Cambridge, who lost only in 1923. Detailed results since the war are:—

Time. Won by 1920 —Cambridge 21.11 4 lengths 1921—Cambridge 19.46 1 „ 1922—Cambridge 19.27 4 J „ 1923 —Oxfor 20.54 i „ 1924—Cambridge 18.41 4$ „ 1925—Cambridge 21.51 — „ 1926—Cambridge ..... 19.29 5 „ 1927 —Cambridge 20.14 3 „ 1928 —Cambridge ..... 20.25 10 „ 1929—Cambridge 19.24 7 „ 1930—Cambridge 19.9 2 „ 3931—Cambridge 19.26 2i „ 1932—Cambridge 19.11 3 „ 1933—Cambridge 20.57 21 „