Editing Eights Week (section)

==History ==

Although regular races between professional watermen had been known since 1715 when [[Doggett's Coat and Badge]] was instituted, amateur racing was unknown before 1808.<ref>''Norfolk Chronicle'', 16 July 1808.</ref> Meanwhile, recreational rowing had begun in Oxford very much earlier, with students rowing in single [[Wherry|wherries]] at least as early as 1769.<ref>''Jackson's Oxford Journal'', 25 March 1769.</ref>

The first amateur races between organised clubs which prepared and trained for the event began in Oxford in 1815. In this year, crews from [[Brasenose College, Oxford|Brasenose College]] and [[Jesus College, Oxford|Jesus College]] raced for the Head of the River, from Iffley Lock to Mr King's Barge, which was moored near the current Head of the River hotel. The event is also notable for the fact that both crews rowed in eight oared boats, specially built for the purpose. Such recreational as occurred at this time was usually conducted in pairs, or four or six oared cutters. The fact the racing was conducted in eight oared boats gave rise to the event being known as Eights.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bncbc.co.uk/history-1/brasenose-and-the-origins-of-oxford-rowing/ | title=Brasenose College and the Origins of Oxford rowing | access-date=6 February 2015 | author=O'Chee, W.G. | date=4 February 2015 | archive-date=6 February 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206010303/http://www.bncbc.co.uk/history-1/brasenose-and-the-origins-of-oxford-rowing/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Brasenose College and Jesus College recontested the event in 1816, with Brasenose again triumphing. [[Christ Church, Oxford|Christ Church]] joined in the event from 1817, when they went Head, a position they retained until 1819.<ref name=Woodgate>{{cite book |last=Woodgate |first=W.B. |title=Boating |publisher=Longmans, Green, and Co |date=1888 |access-date=1 April 2021 |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37462/37462-h/37462-h.htm}}</ref>{{rp|289}} Christ Church did not row in 1820. The next recorded races, between Brasenose and Jesus, were in 1821 and 1822. A dispute about professional watermen being allowed in college crews precluded racing in 1823. Until this time, Jesus and Brasenose had each used paid coaches who rowed in the stroke seats of the crews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oxford Bumps Charts |url=https://eodg.atm.ox.ac.uk/user/dudhia/rowing/bumps/ |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=eodg.atm.ox.ac.uk}}</ref>

From 1824, Christ Church and [[Exeter College, Oxford|Exeter College]] began racing, with Exeter going Head in that year. A rule banning the use of "out college men" (i.e. men from other colleges) rowing in college crews saw the entry of [[Worcester College, Oxford|Worcester College]] in 1825, [[University College, Oxford|University]] and [[Balliol College, Oxford|Balliol College]]s in 1827, and [[Oriel College, Oxford|Oriel]] and [[Trinity College, Oxford|Trinity College]]s in 1828.<ref name=Woodgate />{{rp|317}}

During the [[Covid-19]] pandemic in 2020, Summer Eights were cancelled for the first time since the [[Second World War]]. In the year after, Summer Eights were replaced by ''Summer Torpids'', which was held instead because the 2021 [[Torpids]] races were also cancelled due to the pandemic response. Both Summer Eights and Torpids resumed as regular in 2022, using the college rankings from the end of 2019. In 2023, the Brasenose-Peter's composite crew became the first composite crew to qualify in the history of Summer Eights as well as the first to ever get a bump.