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What 2k erg times are required for Oxbridge women?

I can't seem to find another thread with this topic for women in particular. What times are needed to row for Oxbridge as well as the top rowing colleges as a female. Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

Helenia

Original post by eileencait

I can't seem to find another thread with this topic for women in particular. What times are needed to row for Oxbridge as well as the top rowing colleges as a female. Thanks :smile:

I'm not aware of a cut-off, but if you look on the CUWBC/OUWBC websites they might give you an idea. For college rowing, if you've rowed before and are generally fit and keen you usually wouldn't have too much trouble getting into the first boat.

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Reply 2

username1865079

Original post by eileencait

I can't seem to find another thread with this topic for women in particular. What times are needed to row for Oxbridge as well as the top rowing colleges as a female. Thanks :smile:

As Helenia said, I don't think there's any fixed cut-off. I have 3 ex-Cambridge college rowers in the family but never heard any of them mentioning about erg times when deciding who to choose.
As you might well know, rowing on erg is very different from rowing on a river. I really don't think that's how they choose crews. There're many elements they need to look at.

Reply 3

inhuman

Original post by eileencait

I can't seem to find another thread with this topic for women in particular. What times are needed to row for Oxbridge as well as the top rowing colleges as a female. Thanks :smile:

If you just want to row, you row. They will not turn you away.

If you want to be in the best boat, I suppose that depends on the current quality of women there. You gotta bring your best, not beat a certain time.

Reply 4

nexttime

Of course erg times are important and they do form an aspect of selection.

To row in the blues boat? Don't really know, but the men are all sub-6 mins so I'd expect all the women to be sub 7 at least. Slightly slower for the lightweights.

Top college boats I'd probably suggest 7.30 as a guideline to scrape in, maybe quicker I don't really know.

Reply 5

Doones

Original post by eileencait

I can't seem to find another thread with this topic for women in particular. What times are needed to row for Oxbridge as well as the top rowing colleges as a female. Thanks :smile:

BUCS will give you an idea of university-level times (although Oxbridge doesn't participate)

http://bucs.org.uk/page.asp?section=17734&sectionTitle=Indoor+Rowing

Best women's time was 6:51

Best bet for Oxbridge info is to contact the boat clubs and ask.

BTW assuming you are an undergraduate you can't apply to both. You have to pick one. And you won't get in solely as a good rower, academics come first...

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(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 6

R T

Original post by eileencait

I can't seem to find another thread with this topic for women in particular. What times are needed to row for Oxbridge as well as the top rowing colleges as a female. Thanks :smile:

I'm not trying to be sexist here, but I think erg splits aren't as important as just being keen and wanting to row and turning up.

I know for my college (st Johns) this is true, as well as for Newnham. If you are a keen novice who has never rowed before, you can potentially make the 1st boat by the end of first year or at least the 2nd boat with a view to row for the 1st boat next year. If you can already row, the rowing club will be very excited to have you. Perhaps the top womens colleges are different. But unless you are very short and slight, progress should be fine (and if you are short and slight, other sports would suit you more frankly).

It's worth noting that across the board, college level sport is really quite low-level. "Even" for men, a hard dedicated person who commits to rowing will be fine. Going beneath 6:40 for men is roughly the standard but for women I guess this would translate to about 7:40* (but again, pretty sure some of our women have never done a serious 2k). Adding in cardio training for 3 times a week over a term brought my 2k down from 6:55 to 6:38 so really all this means is you have to work kind of hard at it. But the captain(s) have always been happier with people who are keen than people who just have more raw power.

* - I am basing this off the fact that women tend to be about 1min slower over 2k as a very general estimate.