Hawke’s Bay Olympic rowing champion Tom Mackintosh admits famed UK event The Boat Race has caught him “a little off guard” by its fierce rivalry and tradition.
The Boat Race attracts over 200,000 spectators to the banks of the River Thames in
Kiwi gold medallist Tom Mackintosh preparing for The Boat Race 2025
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Tom Mackintosh (fourth from right wearing sunglasses) training with the Oxford University men's eight.
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He is eligible as he is studying a one-year Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Oxford University.
Mackintosh said being part of the event had been a new experience and was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
“The tradition and fierce rivalry caught me a little off guard,” he admitted, in preparing for the race.
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“The race means so much to each university, it’s hard to comprehend until you’re on the ground in Oxbridge.
“It’s been really enjoyable to work in the eights again and also learning from my fellow teammates.”
Mackintosh – popular in rowing circles with his relaxed and friendly demeanour – won a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with the New Zealand men’s eight, and earned bronze at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in the single sculls, and a fifth-place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the single sculls.
Mackintosh returned home for a brief visit to Hawke’s Bay after the Paris Olympics, but has otherwise been based in England studying and fulfilling his obligations as president of the Oxford club.
“The president holds a variety of roles, and it probably varies slightly year to year as each president changes,” Mackintosh said.
“You are a link between coach and crew, helping with training programmes, selection and technical changes.
“There are also media and committee obligations you need to sit on.
“You also can act as ‘coach in the boat’, giving advice when required.”
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He said having won gold in the New Zealand men’s eight had given him confidence, but every crew was different “and it’s about working together to get the most out of each member”.
Cambridge University have won five of the past six men’s races, and Mackintosh said his team’s sole focus was to win the 6.8km race.
The event has featured some eligibility controversy this year, with members of the Cambridge team (one man and two women) ruled ineligible to race by an independent panel due to their studying at diploma level instead of degree level.
Oxford had earlier challenged their eligibility, which a former rower labelled “slimy tactics”.
Another top Cambridge rower has also been excluded as he started his undergraduate course more than 12 years prior to this year’s race, which is against the rules.
When asked if eligibility controversies had impacted Oxford’s preparations, Mackintosh simply answered: “Let’s chat about that after April 13.”
Other Kiwi rowers have raced in The Boat Race over the years.
Recently, the likes of Grace Prendergast helped Cambridge win the women’s race in 2022.
Mackintosh said he jumped at the opportunity to study an MBA at the prestigious Oxford University.
Mackintosh attended Hereworth School and Lindisfarne College in Hawke’s Bay and said he was still considering his options beyond his rowing career, which may include sport consultation or a job helping New Zealand compete on the international stage.
As for the next Olympics, he said he was yet to make a decision about which rowing event he’d target.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
