News archive 2009

King's joins boat race

01 Apr 2009, PR 67/09

Oxford and Cambridge face a challenge from King’s College London. In the light of the College’s strong showing in rowing at the Beijing Olympics, when three medals were awarded to King’s rowers, King’s has decided to take on Oxford and Cambridge in the boat race.

King’s is well-placed to challenge Oxbridge. It was the third university institution in England, after Oxford and Cambridge, to receive a royal charter to award degrees, in 1829. Its successful sporting teams usually play in mid-blue colours, complementing the dark and light blues favoured by Oxford and Cambridge, although the King’s team is now considering rowing in red to help those watching in black and white and match its College flags.

Well-known King’s sporting coach Reggie D Lyon commented: ‘It’s about time the boat race included a team from a university institution in London, and King’s is the obvious one to give Oxbridge a run for their money. King’s has four riverside campuses in the heart of London, unlike Oxford and Cambridge who have none, although they will insist on holding their race on our river.’

Notes to editors

King’s College London
King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2008) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has more than 21,000 students from nearly 140 countries, and more than 5,700 employees. King’s is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King’s Health Partners. King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world’s leading research-led universities and three of London’s most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org.



Further information
Public Relations Department pr@kcl.ac.uk

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