Ed Dean stands on the banks of the River Dee, watching his two newest students maneuver a wide coxed-pair training boat into the water.
As head coach of University Rowing Aberdeen, Ed oversees the sport for both Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen. A seasoned coach from Henley — a town on the Thames synonymous with rowing — he has taught hundreds how to row.
Today, though, he has his work cut out. His latest recruits are complete novices.
The first, RGU principal Steve Olivier, is an avid surf skier but admits rowing is a whole new world.
The second, RGU sports president Abhishek Kumar, had never stepped into a boat before training with Ed.
He also can’t swim.
None of which would really matter, except Ed has a deadline. On Saturday, March 15, Steve and Abhishek take on two opposing faculty members from Aberdeen University.
It is a special addition to this year’s running of the university boat race that RGU and Aberdeen University compete in every year, attracting a large number of spectators.
So, can Ed do it? Can he get his novices ready in time?
The coach pauses.
“Enough to race,” he says at last.
Why rowing is one of the toughest sports to learn
For anyone whose closest encounter with rowing is a machine at the gym, it’s difficult to comprehend just how technical the sport is.
“People think it’s easy, but it’s very hard,” Ed says.
Rowers must constantly adjust to unpredictable currents, where even small movements can disrupt balance and stroke efficiency.
For beginners, the difficulty lies in coordinating multiple elements at once — keeping the oars level, timing strokes properly, and staying in sync with crew members if rowing as a team.
It’s a sport that looks graceful when done well but requires serious skill and focus to master, especially on a tidal river like the Dee.
Scotland’s answer to Oxford and Cambridge boat race
On this day, the river looks calm. It’s cold, but downstream from the Aberdeen Boat Club, where we are standing, another crew slips smoothly through the water.
“That’ll be us in a few weeks,” shouts Steve with conviction.
Still, it is a mammoth task he and Abhishek have set themselves.
The annual boat race between Aberdeen’s two universities is billed as Scotland’s answer to Oxford and Cambridge’s equivalent on the Thames.
It doesn’t grab the same headlines as Oxbridge but still comes with a healthy dose of needle — especially in this upcoming 30th edition, with Aberdeen Uni holding a commanding 21-8 lead in overall wins.
Steve and Abhishek’s race has the makings of a grudge match, too. It’s the first time the boat race has featured a staff duel like this.
“Ultimately, it’s just a bit of fun,” Steve insists with a laugh, downplaying the competitive edge.
Still, he can’t help but note that Aberdeen University’s vice-principal declined the invitation to race. (His direct counterpart, principal George Boyne, is set to retire this year at 70, so was never likely to take part.)
Instead, Aberdeen University’s dean for enterprise and innovation, Dr Heather May Morgan, and VP for activities, Tonis Tilk, stepped up. On March 15, they’ll be the ones crossing oars with their city rivals.
Why Steve and Abhishek are taking part in the Aberdeen university boat race
In contrast to the whiff of reluctance emanating from Aberdeen University, Steve and Abhishek are all in for RGU.
Steve says he’s partly doing it to show his students that rowing can be accessible to anyone, challenging its elitist image.
“It’s also a chance to meet more students,” he adds. The boat race will be the final event of this year’s Granite City Challenge, where sports clubs from both universities compete in more than 40 sporting match-ups.
Abhishek’s commitment is even more remarkable, considering his complete lack of experience in a boat and inability to swim — though he has recently started lessons in a local pool.
Not that he is fazed by this. The 27-year-old is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to competition.
From Delhi in India, Abhishek came to RGU in 2023 to study a masters in business innovation and entrepreneurship and was already a keen cricket and volleyball player. Since then, he’s added rugby and boxing to his sporting CV.
Why not rowing, too?
“It’s something new,” he says. “I’ve never experienced rowing, so as the sports president, it’s a great chance to engage with different clubs.”
There’s also the allure of the river. Abhishek had seen people rowing on it many times and still can’t quite believe he’s now among them.
“There are so many things that have happened that I couldn’t have imagined,” he says.
Who will win the faculty grudge match?
In rowing parlance, their race is called a double scull, meaning they are in a two-person boat. It is also just 500 metres — much shorter than the 3.5 kilometres that the experienced varsity crews will race.
The challenge, however, will be keeping the boat on course in the unpredictable waters of the Dee.
Neither wants to end up in the drink, though both will be wearing life jackets. And, as Steve points out, he recently qualified as the oldest surf lifesaver in Scotland, so Abhishek is in safe hands — even without the swimming lessons.
And will they win?
“I don’t intend to lose,” says Steve, diplomatically.
With that, Ed takes over, and Aberdeen’s newest rowers push off from the riverbank, water lapping against the boat’s side.
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