Wolfson College Boat Club Makes History at Torpids 2025

Wolfson College Boat Club (WCBC) has made history at Torpids 2025, securing Men’s Headship for the first time ever and celebrating a dominant week across all crews. With M1 claiming the top spot, M2 winning Blades and M2 Headship, and strong performances from our women’s crews, this year’s Torpids will go down in Wolfson history.

What is Torpids?

Torpids is one of Oxford’s biggest rowing events, featuring bumps-style racing—a unique style of racing, developed because much of the Isis is too narrow for side-by-side racing. Crews start in a single-file line, evenly spaced apart, and the goal is to  “bump” the boat ahead before being ‘bumped’ by the boat behind or reaching the finish line. If a crew bumps, they move up a place for the next day’s race. But if a crew gets caught by the boat behind, they drop down in the rankings, making every race a high-stakes battle.

If a crew bumps every day without being bumped themselves, they earn Blades—a coveted achievement for rowers. The crew at the top of the rankings by the end of the competition earns Headship, the most prestigious title in Oxford rowing.

Wolfson M1 Wins Historic Headship

Wolfson’s Men’s first boat (M1) made history by securing Headship for the first time ever. On Day 1, they bumped Christ Church M1 to claim the top spot and spent the next three days successfully defending their position each day by fighting off Oriel M1 who was chasing close behind. This is a landmark achievement for Wolfson College, cementing its place among Oxford’s elite rowing crews

Blades and Headship for M2

Wolfson’s M2 had an equally outstanding week, bumping every day to claim Blades and M2 Headship!

Strong Performances Across the Women’s Crews

Wolfson’s Women’s first boat (W1) delivered a competitive showing in Division 1, bumping Keble W1 but later being bumped by Wadham W1, retaining their position among Oxford’s top women’s crews.

W2 had a challenging but determined campaign, securing a bump on Day 1 before facing tougher races later in the week. Despite this, they hold a solid standing in Division 3 and showed impressive resilience.

Meanwhile, W3 raced strongly, maintaining their top spot in Division 4 every day.

A Historic Year for WCBC

With M1 claiming Headship, M2 earning Blades and Headship and our women’s crews putting in strong performances, Torpids 2025 will be remembered as a historic moment for Wolfson rowing.

A huge congratulations to all our rowers, coxes, and coaches! Stay tuned for celebrations to come! 🚣‍♂️🔥