The Senior Cup

A timeless tribute to the legacy of Tim Senior

Last year, to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Tim Senior, who was The Boat Race Chairman from 2021 to 2023, an exquisite new trophy named the ‘Senior Cup’ was created. Designed by renowned trophy makers Ottewill Silversmiths and Jewellers, the trophy awards the winners of the Oxford and Cambridge Veterans’ Boat Race.

This year marks the twenty-ninth Men’s Veterans’ Boat Race and fourth Women’s Veterans’ Boat Race, with all crews, who need to have an average age of at least 42, set to be racing from Putney Stone to Furnivall Steps the day before The Boat Race.

Tim Senior’s tragic and sudden death in 2023 shook the rowing community. Tim was an exceptional leader, valued friend and a highly accomplished individual on and off the water. Whether it was on the Cam, Isis or on the Tideway, Tim demonstrated immense passion for rowing having first picked up the sport at Nottingham University before realising his love for it at Cambridge.

“Tim was uniquely placed as Chairman of The Boat Race, having attended both Oxford and Cambridge and rowed at both.”

Having also completed a DPhil and MBA at Oriel College, Oxford, Tim was uniquely placed as Chairman of The Boat Race, having attended both Oxford and Cambridge and rowed at both. He was exceptional at the helm of The Boat Race and helped to take it to the next level by securing sponsorship and improving its outreach through The Boat Race bursary.

The trophy being awarded to the Oxbridge veterans is a fitting tribute to Tim, whose own dedication to the sport spanned decades. Tim showed that age is no barrier in rowing when he became part of the affectionately known “Dad’s Army” crew at Henley Royal Regatta in 2021. The Upper Thames crew, who had an average age of 50, broke the record for the oldest crew to qualify and win a heat in the Thames Challenge Cup.

The stunning silver-plated Senior Cup stands 40cm tall with a black ebonized wooden plinth, complete with three interchangeable rings. One ring is enamelled in Oxford blue, one in Cambridge blue, and one has half of each colour. The idea being that the 50/50 ring is fitted before the start of each race and then swiftly swapped for the ring of the winning team’s colour before presentation.

The trophy is also engraved with the Oxford and Cambridge crests and the map of The Boat Race. Both men’s and women’s past race winners’ details are engraved on the plinth band, so ensuring the trophy’s relevance for years to come.

Sarah Senior, Tim’s wife, said: “It is amazing that this trophy was made in Tim’s honour. At the time, it really made us feel like his legacy was important. It is fitting for Tim. I remember a commentator once saying that Tim showed that you can carry on going forever in rowing. Tim loved The Boat Race, and when he became chairman in 2021, he was incredibly proud, and it gave him his mojo. The support The Boat Race and the wider rowing community have given my family is amazing”.

Tim’s legacy extends beyond this trophy. 2024 marked the first year that the British Heart Foundation became the Charity Partner of The Boat Race. This was incredibly poignant given Tim died of a cardiac arrest. Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Tragically, Tim’s story is not uncommon, around 480 people die from a heart or circulatory disease in the UK every day, robbing families of precious time with loved ones. This collaboration is a powerful reminder that when lives are lost, they are not forgotten. We hope the partnership will honour Tim’s memory by raising awareness of the risk of cardiovascular disease and create a lasting legacy by improving the chances of survival among spectators of The Boat Race and beyond. Together The Boat Race Company and the British Heart Foundation will work to save and transform the lives of many more – by training a nation of lifesavers in CPR with RevivR, and by funding the world’s brightest minds at our centres of research excellence at Oxford, Cambridge and other universities across the UK”.

Last year, Oxford’s men were engraved on the trophy alongside the Oxford and Cambridge women, thanks to an extraordinary dead heat. We wait to find out which university will have their name attached to this timeless tribute to Tim this year.