The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative center of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia, on the River Cam, about 50 miles (80 km) north of London. Its population is around 130 000 (including 22,153 students).

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, England. It is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and the second-oldest surviving university in the world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, the oldest activities date back around 1096. The University grew rapidly from 1167 when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris

“Oxbridge” is a contraction of the name of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and the term is used to refer to their competition. “Oxbridge” can be used as a noun referring to both universities or as an adjective describing them or their students.

Although both universities were founded more than eight centuries ago, the term Oxbridge is quite recent. They are the two oldest universities in continuous operation in England. Both were founded more than eighty years ago and continued as England's only universities until the 19th century. Between them they have educated a large number of Britain's most important scientists, writers and politicians etc.

Since almost 200 years ago Cambridge and Oxford are in constant confrontation. All began 183 years ago, on June 10th the first edition of the Boat Race. The Boat Race is an annual rowing race between the Oxford and the Cambridge Universities Boats Clubs, which hold on the Thames River, London, England. On 1829 on June 10th a Cambridge student suggested to an Oxford friend to confront them in a rowing challenge. Since this day, the event which is a very popular appointment has been held annually since 1856, except during World War I and World War II. It usually takes place on the last Saturday of March or the first Saturday of April. The Cambridge University Boat Club’s color is the light blue against the Oxford University Boat Club whose color is the dark blue. Up to now Cambridge has 81 victories against 76 for Oxford. In 2006, the race has seen for the first time, Bastien Ripoll in the Oxford’s team, a French rower.

There is no time for 2012 race because a rower stopped the race.