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Taking place on Saturday 15 March, the Aberdeen Boat Race will see the top crews from both Robert Gordon University (亚博体育官网) and University of Aberdeen face off to claim city bragging rights.

The nation鈥檚 answer to the famous Oxford-Cambridge rivalry takes in 3.5km of the River Dee, beginning by the Bridge of Dee before crossing the finishing line at Aberdeen Boat Club and the respective university boathouses.

Setting this year鈥檚 race day apart from any other, there will also be a special 500m double skull contest that will see 亚博体育官网鈥檚 Principal and Vice Chancellor Steve Olivier join forces with Sports President Abhishek Kumar as they take on Aberdeen University鈥檚 Tonis Tilk, Vice President for Activities, and Dr Heather May Morgan, Dean for Enterprise and Innovation.

Professor Steve Olivier said: 鈥淭he 30th Aberdeen Boat Race provides a great opportunity to not only support the sporting prowess of our students but also celebrate the city and make the most of what鈥檚 on offer in Aberdeen.

鈥淚 look forward to the event and wish good fortune to all of those involved. If you can make it, it would be great to see a strong crowd lining the banks and bridges to encourage each crew over the finish line.鈥�

Leaders of each crew are looking forward to the challenge that awaits them. For 亚博体育官网, Laura Stewart is President of the University鈥檚 Boat Club as well as a fourth year Business with Marketing student. She said: 鈥淭he build up to race day is on and I鈥檓 excited to see how the crews match up against each other. With a few different races throughout the day, it should shape up to be an entertaining event for all to come and watch.

鈥淲e鈥檙e currently training hard to try and win back the title. Aberdeen University鈥檚 had a few years in a row so winning on the 30th occasion would be something special. I鈥檓 excited to see everyone down at the river cheering on the crews.鈥�

Her counterpart is Katharina Kusserow, President of the Aberdeen University Boat Club and third year PhD researcher in Medical Sciences. She added: 鈥淚 am excited for the crews to race and celebrate the 30th Aberdeen Boat Race. We have trained hard in the run up to the day and will do our best to defend the title. We鈥檙e really grateful for all our supporters and can鈥檛 wait to feel that encouragement on the day.鈥�

Professor George Boyne, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, said: 鈥淭his year marks a significant milestone as the Aberdeen Boat Race has now been a major highlight in the city鈥檚 sporting calendar for 30 years.

鈥淓very year students from the two universities give it their all and their sporting excellence is evident on the water. The day promises to bring together the communities of both universities with the north-east鈥檚 public and I encourage everyone to come along and show their support for this very special event.鈥�

The event at Aberdeen Boat Club will include both a second crew race and an alumni boat race. The head-to-head standing for the main race makes for pleasant reading for University of Aberdeen who take a 21-8 lead into the 30th contest.

The showpiece race will also bring the curtain down on the final event of this year鈥檚 Granite City Challenge, where sports clubs from both city universities compete against each other in 40+ contests.

This year鈥檚 race has gained sponsorship from neospace, a flexible workspace and wellness facility on Riverside Drive adjacent to the River Dee and the route that the crews will take.

Scott Paton, Managing Director, said: "neospace is proud to sponsor the Aberdeen Boat Race, a fantastic local event just steps from our door. With wellness at the heart of our ethos, we鈥檙e excited to support competitors with NeoGym鈥檚 state-of-the-art training facilities."

Both universities are partners alongside Scottish Rowing to comprise University Rowing Aberdeen, a rowing programme established in 2012 that presents Aberdeen-based students the opportunity to learn to row, train, compete and fulfil their ambitions within the sport.

The Aberdeen Boat Race, which first began in 1996, regularly attracts crowds to the River Dee. Hot refreshments will be available within the Aberdeen Boat Club boathouse.

If you鈥檙e interested in getting further involved through the likes of sponsorship, please email Head of Sport at Robert Gordon University, Ian Lowe.