“I’VE GOT YOU A CHAT WITH BORIS,” the press officer whispered conspiratorially to me, covering the 2009 Boat Race for The Times, and my colleague from the Telegraph. “But just the two of you,” he added. “Don’t tell the others.” This seemed odd. Boris Rankov, that year’s race umpire, was an approachable fellow. Why the secrecy? We wondered what news Rankov was about to reveal. The discovery of an unexploded mine off Chiswick Eyot, perhaps, or a decision to throw out any rowers doing a degree in land economy?
It was a bit disappointing,
