Trans women will no longer be able to race in the Women’s Division of college-level rowing, after captains narrowly voted to approve a regulation change in the face of potential legal challenges.

A vote of college boat club captains on Saturday (25/10), organised by the Cambridge University Combined Boat Club (CUCBC), chose to align with British Rowing (BR) guidelines on gender division of competitive rowing.

Going forward, college-level racing will now be categorised into a Women’s Division and a new “Open” Division, with only individuals defined as female at birth being able to compete in the Women’s Division. Before the change, college-level racing was organised into Men’s and Women’s Divisions, according to the self-identified gender of students.

The change directly follows BR guideline policy on ‘Trans and Non-Binary Competition Eligibility’ released in August 2023.

27 captains voted to align with BR guidelines, 23 voted against, and 2 abstained. The voted change to the ‘Regulations for Racing’ of CUCBC has now come into effect, with the first race under the new rules, the University IVs, beginning on Monday (28/10).

Following the changes, trans women are now barred from competing in the Women’s Division and forced into the newly-established "Open" Division, racing alongside those defined as male at birth.

The Men’s Captain of Darwin College Boat Club (DCBC), Nicholas Budenberg, who voted against aligning with BR guidelines, called the new regulations “morally unacceptable” in an official statement.

The vote was held as part of an emergency meeting called by CUCBC, the governing body that organises all college-level rowing, including organising races and setting guidelines.

In Saturday’s emergency meeting, college captains were informed that, if the vote fell against adopting British Rowing regulations, CUCBC would likely cease all college races until further notice to avoid potential legal action taken against the club.

CUCBC were advised by the University Sports Service that they would be at risk of credible legal challenge if they did not comply with the rules of their sport’s national governing body (British Rowing).

In the case of such legal action being taken against the Combined Boat Club, CUCBC Executive and Senior Committees were informed the University legal service would not support them financially in mounting a response.

At the emergency meeting, the Committees informed captains that CUCBC could not afford to defend itself in the case of legal action.

Additionally, according to the University of Cambridge Sport guidelines released in September 2025 on ‘Student Eligibility Criteria’, University sports clubs not abiding by applicable law may be at risk of “legal action against the Club and/or to deregistration as a Recognised University Sports Club.”

CUCBC told Varsity, “We are committed to continue to monitor this developing matter and to work with University Sport, the Colleges, and Boat Clubs to make rowing at Cambridge as welcoming and inclusive as possible for everybody within our legal obligations.”

Upon anonymously surveying members of DCBC, and consulting multiple legal opinions, Budenberg issued a statement to CUCBC outlining the legal arguments for his vote against, aside from the discrimination and anxiety he noted it would force upon transgender rowers.

His statement asserted that current BR guidelines are under review and not finalised, and that the motion would go against multiple articles of the CUCBC Constitution on equality and discrimination.

The current British Rowing policy reads: “Trans, Non-Binary and all other individuals will be eligible to compete in the Open category.”

All college boat clubs, as well as boat clubs affiliated with the University, are members of CUCBC. It is a separate organisation from the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) which organises the teams competing on behalf of the University in the annual Varsity boat races.

British Rowing claim their policy “recognises the right of an individual who has transitioned to participate in sport in their affirmed Gender whilst ensuring that such participation does not unfairly affect competition and does not affect the safety of fellow competitors.”

In CUCBC’s organisation, each club is accorded 2 votes, typically for captains of the women’s and men’s divisions, or in the case of women’s-only college boat clubs 2 votes for the club captains.

The British Rowing policy outlines that for “non-competing” “Recreational Activity” trans and non-binary individuals may compete in their self-identified gender.

One anonymous rower told Varsity: “Inclusion is the most important part of college-level rowing – the very nature of college-level rowing is to foster an inclusive space”.

This follows a similar recent development in the college-level football league, wherein the University advised college teams to follow Football Association (FA) guidance which advised that trans women could not play in women’s leagues.

Multiple captains condemned the decision, with one stating they were “disgusted” and another noting the league is “defined by its inclusion”.

Tuesday’s racing was interrupted by a local protest group, Trans Liberation Cambridge (TLC), alongside other activist groups. Individuals holding transgender and pride flags took to the centre of the river on a small dinghy, blocking multiple of the races from occurring.

A spokesperson for TLC told Varsity:

“We, Trans Liberation Cambridge (TLC), have disrupted the University IVs Regatta race today, the first to take place under the CUCBC’s new trans-exclusionary rules, to protest discrimination against trans students, and draw attention to yet another step in the broad campaign of exclusion and marginalisation that is taking place in this city, as it is in the rest of the UK.

“The University of Cambridge, rather than resisting this campaign in commitment to its professed principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion, has chosen to advance it. The administration’s shameful intimidation of undergraduate student committees to exclude their trans peers from sports and social life comes at a time when the dubious legal ramifications of the 16 April Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers are far from settled.”

A spokesperson for Cambridge University Combined Boat Club told Varsity:

“CUCBC is responsible for organising collegiate rowing races between college crews. Following guidance and recommendations from the University Sports Committee, CUCBC voted to align its eligibility regulations with those of British Rowing, the national governing body for the sport.

“Whilst the interpretation of law and guidance in this area continues to evolve, aligning with British Rowing brings CUCBC in line with the approach taken by other UK universities and ensures compliance with national regulations and our legal obligations in competitive sport. In a meeting with the University Sports Service, guidance was provided that, as an independent club, CUCBC could be more open to legal challenge if its competition rules did not align with those of the national governing body. It was also outlined that committee members could carry personal legal responsibility. This guidance was shared with college boat club captains ahead of their vote.

“CUCBC recognises this is a sensitive issue for some members of the rowing community. The Club has been in regular contact with colleges to support members of their individual clubs who may be affected. We are committed to continue to monitor this developing matter and to work with University Sport, the Colleges, and Boat Clubs to make rowing at Cambridge as welcoming and inclusive as possible for everybody within our legal obligations.”