Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race

The Boat Race, also known as the University Boat Race and The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the Thames in London. Members of both teams are traditionally known as blues and each boat as a "Blue Boat", with Cambridge in light blue and Oxford dark blue.

The first race was in 1829 and it has been held annually since 1856, with the exception of the two world wars. The 2009 boat race took place on 29 March at 15:40 BST, with Oxford (on the Middlesex station) winning. The next race is scheduled to start on Saturday, 3 April 2010 at 4.30pm.The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

The event is a popular one, not only with the alumni of the universities, but also with rowers in general and the public. An estimated quarter of a million people watch the race live from the banks of the river, around seven to nine million people on TV in the UK, and an overseas audience estimated by the Boat Race Company at around 120 million, which would make this the most viewed single day sporting event in the worldBoat Race FAQs however, other estimates"Euro final tops TV sports league", MediaGuardian, 23 December 2004 put the international audience below 20 million.

Having sponsored the event since 2005, the business process outsourcing company Xchanging became title sponsor in November 2009, so the 156th Race next April will be known as The Xchanging Boat Race.

The Oxford and Cambridge Club is at 71 Pall Mall, London, England. The clubhouse was designed for the membership by architect Sir Robert Smirke and completed towards the end of 1837. It was founded for members of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In 1989, the club's Crown lease was extended until 2087, and major refurbishment of the accommodation was carried out in 1996.