Cambridge 105 Radio - 2024 Boat Race - Rob Baker

Cambridge University rower Rob expresses excitement and confidence about participating in the upcoming boat race. He discusses the team's preparation, including training at a camp in London, and the mix of experienced and new members in the squad. Rob acknowledges the challenge of selecting the crew and emphasizes the importance of transparency and support within the team. He also mentions the international members who have joined the team this year. Regarding advice for the race, Rob emphasizes the need for each individual to do their best and stay focused. He acknowledges that Oxford will be strong competition, but believes Cambridge can come out on top. When asked about the possibility of another clean sweep, Rob expresses confidence in the team's abilities but acknowledges the challenges they may face. He also highlights the support and passion of the Cambridge rowing community. So Rob, here we go again. A year ago you were victorious in the boat race, it was a clean sweep. Are you excited to do it again? Yeah, always excited. You know, every year is a new beginning really and every year each race means as much to you as any other race in the past. So yeah, very excited and I think we've got a good crew and I think that we can do, yeah, we can do really good things with it. And how's the preparation been going for this year's race? Yeah, it's gone well. You know, we've had some important races in the build-up which we've learnt a lot from and gained a lot of experience and yeah, I think, you know, we've been a little bit lucky as well in that, well, where we row at Ely we can train pretty effectively all year whereas I think a lot of other people have struggled with the river conditions and the flooding. So we've had a pretty seamless block of training and yeah, you know, feeling very ready to go in a week's time. In terms of the preparation, I believe you're at a camp or training camp of some kind in London for the next week. So how's that going? Yeah, we've just got here actually. We arrived today and we've got a couple of training sessions done this afternoon and we continue now onwards each day building towards the race and getting fresher and more prepared. So I'm getting used to the river as well, of course. It's obviously a key factor. So, you know, really, we really want to hone in on the important tactical things as we train the next few days into the race. In terms of the squad itself as well, you've got some returnees and some new faces. It must be quite difficult as a coach because you're going to have people who are going to miss out or not quite make the cut. How difficult is that as a coach to kind of break it to people that haven't made it and how pleasing is it to be able to tell someone actually, yep, you're in again this year or you're going to feature for the first time? Yeah, it's always hard to make those calls and then to have those conversations. But it's part of the job and I guess over the years you get hopefully a little better at it and we try and make things really transparent and really obvious to the group. So not many of the conversations have been that difficult. In the end, it's always tough, but I think mostly people have understood where they're at and we've been transparent about the markers we want to see and the performance we want to see. So, you know, the squad's very good, they're very accepting in the end and they want to support each other and they all want to get the best out of each other and get Cambridge across the finish line first. In terms of the line-up you've got at your disposal this year, are you pleased with the availability of the crew and what have the international stars brought to it? I think there's a couple of Americans that have joined and a Dutch rower, I think, if I remember correctly. Yeah, we've got a lot of international flavour on our side. We've got five returning Blues into the Blue Boat, which is great, and we've got coming in there an Aussie-Brit and he's got a dual national and an American as well. Also a Cox who's come in from the States but he's a Brit, but he Coxed at Harvard for the last four years. So, yeah, some good guys and, you know, the returners have moved on, they've got better and the new guys, yeah, they've brought some good talent into the group. As a coach, what are your words of advice and words of wisdom for the people involved in this year's race? Well, I guess a little figuring out of that for me to do until after the race itself and in terms of the final push-off talk. And, you know, everyone's different and you need to get a little, you know, you need to understand how people tick and some people need a bit more pushing, some people need a little bit more arm around the shoulder. So, you know, we're figuring that out and in the final steps, the psychology is really the key piece. So, yeah, you know, in the end though, we just need people to do their best and under pressure that's a challenge. So, you know, to try and break it down to that though, that they've got to do their best and no more, no less. It's in their hands, it's under their control are sort of the key messages. I've got to ask you about this year's opponents and the opponents that take place in the boat race every year, in fact, Oxford. Now, they were on the wrong end of a clean sweep last year. How do you think they're going to prepare for it and I presume they're going to be really up for it judging by what happened last year? Yeah, I imagine so. Look, they're always competitive and men's team have kind of, you know, we've had a pretty good run of things ourselves in the last five or six years, but there's never any easy races and we know we're going to get a formidable opposition. So, you know, they've got some very good talent in the group as well, maybe less returners, but some very good talent come in. So, yeah, we expect a really challenging race, but we think that if we do our best, we should come out on top. And dare I ask, is a clean sweep on the cards again this year and do you think you can do it? Oh, yeah, I think we can. You know, in the end, we've got a lot of boats and a lot of crews and each one's got to do their job. So, there are some small, you know, micro challenges along the way. But, yeah, the group is good and the crews are fast and, you know, we've just got to hone the knife and get ready to execute on the day now. Excellent. And one other thing I would like to ask you as well is that actually the clean sweep last year wasn't just about the main crews. The veterans also did really, really well in the races too. So, that must have been a great feeling that everyone came together on the same day and in the races leading up to the main race as well. Yeah, I mean, you know, our network is really important and, you know, not just the veterans race but all the people that come back and support the crews and all of our alumni that, you know, not just come back on the day but watch and support us from afar is a really important part about the club and, you know, from my experience, quite unique in how passionate people are about following the race and supporting Cambridge. So, you know, we really appreciate that. It's really important. Okay. Well, Rob, I wish you all the very best of luck for the boat race which takes place on Saturday the 30th of March, that's Easter Saturday, on the Thames. Usual place, usual time. Very best of luck to you and the team. Thanks so much.