Boat Race 2015: Oxford vs. Cambridge Result and Reaction

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Oxford battled against the tide to emerge victorious in the 2015 Boat Race on Saturday, beating Cambridge to win their third title in succession.

The university's official Twitter account confirmed their men's team's triumph, pulling Oxford to within two races of their close rivals in the race's all-time standings (Cambridge 81, Oxford 79):

There was twice the reason for the Dark Blues to celebrate, too, after the women's team led Saturday's parade with a victory over their Cambridge counterparts earlier in the schedule.

Oxford's female representatives were understandably elated in the wake of their win, also claiming a third back-to-back triumph and another year of bragging rights:

It was clear from the beginning that Oxford were the in-form outfit, enjoying a more positive start to the race and taking off toward Craven Cottage with a lead already in the bag.

Winding their way down the Thames the Dark Blues continued to edge their way further ahead of Cambridge before coming upon Hammersmith Bridge, where Cambridge would look to take advantage of their inside track at the bend.

It would prove to be fruitless, however, as a combination of choppy conditions and the Oxford team matching them every stroke of the way saw the eventual winners come out with a length's lead.

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Although the spirit of competition called for a tighter contest, Oxford looked the likely victors before even reaching halfway, with The Independent taking note of their clear cushion:

And full credit must got to Louloudis and Co. for their work in battling against the strong winds and bends, which should rightfully have seen them concede territory, instead emerging with an even greater lead.

Even Match of the Day's Gary Lineker tuned in to the annual event, although some may well question the football pundit's input:

With such a distance between the two foes, Oxford may have eased up on their Cambridge opponents, but their efforts were merciless until the end, winning by an incredible six lengths.

Per The Telegraph's Alan Tyers, Oxford captain Stan Louloudis confirmed it was far from a perfect build-up to the race, but the Great Britain Olympian was ultimately full of praise for his crew:

"I felt a lot more pressure this time. Partly because I was leading the guys and partly because we had some dark moments in the build-up. But we went out and executed a really good race."

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With the margin reduced to just two in the overall scores, Oxford will sense the coming years as their opportunity to wrestle bragging honours back from their university foes.

The last time Oxford clinched three Boat Race triumphs in a row came in their six-year streak between 1987 and 1992, but they'll seek to ensure this can be the continuation of a similar spree.