Summer Eights, also Summer VIIIs (or just Eights or VIIIs), is a bumps race run in Trinity (Summer) Term Wednesday–Saturday in fifth week (with rowing on the preceding Saturday). It is the culmination of the college rowing year and the most prestigious and spectated college rowing event. In fact, it gets so busy that on the Saturday of Eights that bankriders are forbidden due to danger to pedestrians on the towpath.
Differences to Torpids
Eights differs from Torpids in a few main ways:
- It has seven divisions instead of six;
- Bumped crews stop rowing;
- There are more supporters (especially on Saturday); and
- It’s warmer.
Torpids is also far likelier to be cancelled or run under a contingency.