Coxing

A very important seat within all Oxford college racing crews, though often overlooked, is the coxwain. The role of a cox often varies as the cox themselves progresses. Most importantly, the cox is in charge of the safety of the crew and the boat; they are the only one within the boat able to see the stretch of river ahead and the only person with access to the steering. Steering can also affect the speed of the boat, and therefore the best coxes for races are those that have developed an understanding of the course, of the stream and understand the need to compensate for wind speeds and direction etc. Coxes will also pass on points directly from the coach of the crew, as well as offering any insights from their perspective as they become more experienced, becoming a "coach" in their own right. As coxes develop their skills, their university coxing status is changed to reflect this, upgrading from novice (N) to experienced (X) to senior (S).

St Hugh's has a very high intake of rowers, particularly in Michaelmas Term, and therefore coxes are often in high demand. Coxing offers an alternative means to be a part of the boat club, other than becoming a rower. It is a myth that the best coxes are often the smallest members of the crew - the cox of the M2 crew of Summer VIII's 2012 was approximately 90kg in weight! Additionally, it is often believed that experience is required, this is however not true: both a university run event occurs which introduces the key concepts of coxing, as well as most coaches offering a great deal of support to new coxes.

If you want to get involved in coxing then contact Hannah, our captain of Coxwains, at hannah.velez@st-hughs.ox.ac.uk.