Spurned cox hopes for revenge

Peter Hackworth has a score to settle. As the cox for the Oxford rowing team he has an extra reason to want to spur his men to victory in Saturday's Boat Race: unrequited love.

Five years ago, while attending St Paul's School in London, he gathered his nerve to ask his friend Eleanor Griggs on a date. She said no. And now she is the cox for the Cambridge rowing team.

The pair insist they are still close friends. But spurned Peter, now 19, appears unable to let the matter lie.

"I've been keen on her since we were both 14-year-olds," he said.

"I was romantically interested from an early age. Unfortunately our relationship has not developed down those lines."

The modern languages undergraduate added: "She's a fantastic girl. Very funny, lively, good company and obviously very pretty."

Eleanor, 20, who met Peter through rowing when she was at St Paul's girls' school - and has since gone on to date one of his best friends - appeared unfazed by the revelations.

Speaking after training at Putney Embankment, she said: "It's true that he asked me out but I was 15 at the time. It's vaguely amusing that it's got out but, seeing as nothing happened, I'm not embarrassed about it." Asked why she spurned his advances, she said it was a case of the age-old adage: "I just wanted to stay friends."

Both now insist that any thoughts of friendship will be pushed aside come Saturday. "It's kind of irrelevant that we are friends when it comes to the race," said Eleanor. "The competition takes over."

Peter agreed. "Unfortunately, sport determines there has to be a winner and a loser. On this occasion Eleanor will be the loser," he said. "Our friendship will be put to one side while we're on the river."

Eleanor, from South Kensington, said: "My sister was on the rowing team and they needed coxes.

"I was small, so she persuaded me to get involved and I was picked for the team."

For the past six months Eleanor, who is studying Land Economy, has been training six hours a day for six days a week.

"I'm used to it now," she said. "You have to be pretty organised to fit everything in. Maybe a bit less work or a bit less socialising gets done, but it's worth it. The guys are good fun."