Hatfield lose Erg Challenge for 7th year running

A 3006m defeat: once again, Castle are crowned champions of the annual 6 hour Castle-Hatfield rowing marathon.


The annual Castle-Hatfield Erg Challenge took place in its usual venue of Varsity. Each college had 2 ergs, and competitors took it in turns to row for 30 seconds at a time.

A whole lot of lycra

And the challenge was certainly not reserved just for the boat clubs – rugby teams, football teams and exec members all came along to help out:

Castle’s Male Welfare Officer gave it his all in jeans and some stylish leather shoes

It was a tense 6 hours, and stress levels built as the computer monitoring each club’s progress crashed twice.

But the determination did not fade. Castle began to take the lead…

Each college had to ensure that girls rowed for at least 60 minutes

After 6 hours of rowing, Castle were crowned champions of this years competition, finishing 3006m ahead of Hatfield.

Rowers tweeted their delight:

UCBC rower Sam Reeve told The Tab: “Winning against Hatfield was glorious but the true victory was over our minds and bodies. The challenge pushed us to our absolute limits and only rock-hard determination, grit, and teamwork saw us through.”

Hatfield Boat Club President Josh Tipper told The Tab: “Obviously it’s disappointing to lose, but the day as a whole is really great and the commitment and effort from both colleges is extremely commendable.

“Congratulations go to Castle obviously for their continued winning streak, but I think the fact that Hatfield come back fighting every year is a true testament to the Hatfield spirit.”