A former St Albans High School for Girls pupil suffered heartbreak as Oxford lost to Cambridge in the 2023 Women's Boat Race

Alison Carrington was in the number five seat for the dark blues but they were powerless to prevent odds-on favourites Cambridge claiming a sixth successive victory.

She hadn't rowed before heading to the university to study medicine at Hertford College but after trying it for her college, she was soon bitten by the bug.

Herts Advertiser: Cambridge (left) edge ahead of Oxford. Picture: JOE GIDDENS/PACambridge (left) edge ahead of Oxford. Picture: JOE GIDDENS/PA (Image: Joe Giddens/PA)

Oxford did start well but with Cambridge on the Surrey bend they crept in front.

And after an official warning for moving off their line, they were able to stretch the gap to at Hammersmith Bridge, pushing it out to 16 seconds by the time they passed under the central span of Barnes Bridge.

Cambridge took the victory in 20 minutes 30 seconds, four and a quarter lengths clear, before adding the double with a victory by just over a length in the men's event.