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. Over 130 men's and women's crews race for their colleges in six men's divisions and five 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.
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 hit 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.
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 varsity oarsmen and women - 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 awarded to any college finishing with both their men's and women's crews at the 'Head of the River'. Oriel College is the only college to have achieved a Double Headship in Torpids, having both men's and women's crews at the Head of the River in both 2006 and 2018. Despite the double headship, only one boat was burnt.

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 without being bumped itself 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. Due to the differences in rules between Torpids and Lent Bumps at the University of Cambridge this achievement is only possible at Oxford.

Head of the River - Summary Table

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
1838Worcester1839Oriel1840Wadham1841Trinity1842Brasenose
1843University1844Oriel1845Brasenose1846Exeter1847Exeter
1848Brasenose1849Wadham1850Brasenose1851Brasenose1852Brasenose
1853Brasenose1854Exeter1855Exeter1856Exeter1857Exeter
1858Pembroke1859Exeter1860Exeter1861Brasenose1862Brasenose
1863Exeter1864Exeter1865Exeter1866Brasenose1867Exeter
1868Exeter1869University1870University1871University1872University
1873University1874Brasenose1875Brasenose1876Trinity1877Pembroke
1878Pembroke1879Pembroke1880Trinity1881Brasenose1882New College
1883Corpus1884Corpus1885Corpus1886Brasenose1887Brasenose
1888Brasenose1889Brasenose1890Brasenose1891Brasenose1892Brasenose
1893Brasenose1894Brasenose1895no racing1896New College1897Balliol
1898Balliol1899Balliol1900New College1901New College1902New College
1903New College1904New College1905University1906University1907Christ Church
1908Christ Church1909Christ Church1910Christ Church1911Balliol1912Magdalen
1913Magdalen1914Christ Church1915*-1916*-1917*-
1918*-1919*-1920Christ Church1921Christ Church1922Worcester
1923Magdalen1924Christ Church1925Christ Church1926University1927Merton
1928Balliol1929Balliol1930Worcester1931Corpus Christi1932Magdalen
1933Magdalen1934Magdalen1935New College1936Magdalen1937Magdalen
1938New College1939St Edmund Hall1940Trinity & Balliol1941*-1942*-
1943*-1944*-1945*-1946St John's1947New College
1948Christ Church1949New College1950New College1951New College1952New College
1953New College1954Balliol1955Balliol1956Balliol1957Queen's
1958Queen's1959Balliol1960St Edmund Hall1961St John's1962St Edmund Hall
1963no racing1964St Edmund Hall1965St Edmund Hall1966St Edmund Hall1967St John's
1968Balliol1969Balliol1970Balliol1971Balliol1972Oriel
1973Oriel1974Oriel1975Oriel1976Oriel1977no racing
1978Oriel1979Oriel1980Oriel1981Oriel1982Oriel
1983Oriel1984Oriel1985Oriel1986*Oriel1987Oriel
1988Oriel1989Oriel1990*Oriel1991Christ Church1992Oriel
1993Oriel1994*Oriel1995*Oriel1996Oriel1997Oriel
1998*Oriel1999Pembroke2000*no racing2001Oriel2002*no racing
2003Oriel2004Oriel2005Oriel2006Oriel2007*no racing
2008Magdalen2009Christ Church2010Christ Church2011Christ Church2012Pembroke
2013Pembroke2014*no racing2015Pembroke2016Pembroke2017Pembroke
2018*Oriel2019Oriel2020*no racing20212022

Women's division in Torpids have existed since 1978. This was delayed from 1977 when the river was flooded and Torpids was cancelled.
YearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollegeYearCollege
1978Hertford1979Wadham1980Jesus1981Jesus1982Jesus
1983Jesus1984Osler House1985St Hugh's1986*Osler House1987Somerville
1988Osler House1989Osler House1990*no racing1991Somerville1992Somerville
1993Somerville1994*Somerville1995*Osler-Green1996Osler-Green1997Osler-Green
1998*Osler-Green1999Osler-Green2000*no racing2001St Catherine's2002*no racing
2003*Merton2004Merton2005New College2006Oriel2007*no racing
2008St Catherine's2009St Catherine's2010Magdalen2011Magdalen2012Magdalen
2013Magdalen2014*no racing2015Wadham2016Magdalen2017Oriel
2018*Oriel2019Wadham2020*no racing20212022