Oxford University Women’s Boat Club have appointed a new coach in the build-up to 2015, when the women’s Boat Race will move from Henley to the Tideway course used by the men.

Christine Wilson, a Canadian by origin, has an extensive international coaching career spanning Olympic, university and school rowing. She was formerly assistant coach to the US women’s Olympic team, head coach of women’s programmes at Yale and Cornell and was the first woman to coach men at a major American university.

As well as this coaching experience, she recently worked as a technical adviser and market strategist for Concept2.

She said: “I am grateful to the OUWBC for this unique coaching opportunity and for trusting me to lead the athletes through these exciting transitional years. “The decision to create parity for the men and women who row for Oxford affords us the chance to build a modern racing tradition for ambitious university women. “My appointment comes in the wake of exceptional performances by British women’s crews at the London Olympics where the quality of competition reached new levels in all boat classes – role models abound for our squad.”

Cambridge WBC have also appointed a new chief coach, Rob Baker, who has spent the last four years at Rowing Ireland.

The decision to move the women’s race to London comes after the joint initiative between Newton and BNY Mellon, the women’s and men’s Boat Race sponsors.