Winning the traditional rivalry regatta known as "The Challenge", the University of Toronto Varsity Blues rowing team retained the Terry & Aileen Stevens Cup after posting a lower cumulative time across four races versus McGill University on Saturday, May 2.

Taking place across a 2,000 metre course at the Argonaut Rowing Club on the Lakeshore Channel, the two Old Four rivals competed in four races: men's eight, women's eight, men's reserve eight, women's reserve eight. Beginning at 8 a.m. under sunny conditions, McGill were able to claim the first two victories. The McGill men's eight won The Barber Pole for a third straight year with a time of 6:38.1 to U of T's 6:46.3, while the McGill women's eight won The Varsity Cup for the first time since the return of the rivalry regatta in 2023 posting a time of 7:35.7 to Toronto's 7:43.4. However, as boats transitioned to the reserve crews so too did the weather conditions with clouds and chill bringing light flurries and light rain. The shift appeared to favour the home-side as the Varsity Blues men's reserve eights won the Chancellor Edward Beatty Cup crossing the finish in a time of 7:19.4 followed by McGill at 7:32.6. The U of T women's reserve eights also battled through the changing weather to claim the Spirit of 1980 Trophy finishing the course in 7:56.9 to McGill's 8:15.2. With the four races combined, Toronto would hold a 15-second advantage to secure the overall win for "The Challenge" keeping the Terry & Aileen Stevens Cup at Argonaut Rowing Club for another year.

This meeting between U of T and McGill marked 100 years from the very first edition of "The Challenge" which saw the two rowing programs compete on Oct. 16, 1926. 
 
Shifting cities each year since the reintroduction of the regatta in 2023, "The Challenge" will next return to Montreal for 2027. For more details and history about the event, visit "The Challenge" 2026 Feature Page.

Men's Eights - The Barber Pole
McGill (C: Zoe Halstead, Ayoub Sabri, Patrice Légaré, Jacob Lofaro, Edison Luke, Taivan Everett, Oliver Snoxell, Rand Ripple, Samuel Strong) - 6:38.1
Toronto (C: Peter Hansen, Richard Magony, Liam McFarland, Daniel Pinto, Kalan Couch, Aref Alkouatli, Sebastien Psarianos, Jack Bon, Lysander Weekes) - 6:46.3
 
Women's Eights - The Varsity Cup
McGill (C: Varya Kataria, Maria Fletcher, Lily Dinwoodie, Emma Nevala, Kaelin Vasseur, Lindsay Scott, Eloise Doesserich, Naomi Fandrich, Kaitlin Puddy) - 7:35.7
Toronto (C: Elizabeth Yeoh, Sophie Corradini, Mia Penney, Caitlin Terry, Hanna Kaustinen, Charlotte Stein, Roxy Nazar, Katarina Sinilaite, Jane Paterson) - 7:43.4
 
Men's Reserve Eights - Chancellor Edward Beatty Cup
Toronto (C: Jack Edwards, Sami Ahmed, Daniel Cheng, Youssef El Mays, Cole Hilmer, Daniel Pinto, Kalan Couch, Aref Alkouatli, Liam McFarland) - 7:19.4
McGill (C: Naia Kolodziej, Cole Allen, William Hansen-Baird, Mahmoud Zeineldin, Jonathan Cucci, Quentin Thieren, Ryan Kara, Kyler Bellamy, Clement Le Sellier de Chezelles) - 7:32.6
 
Women's Reserve Eights - Spirit of 1980 Trophy
Toronto (C: Emily Boeva, Marina Sobotka, Anna Laidley, Dory Mahani, Mia Penney, Augusta Monte, Hannah Ghassabeh, Emily Thompson, Dayun Kong)  - 7:56.9
McGill (C: Ella Wilson, Emilie Reid, Marwa Benchabane, Isabel Burns, Nora Cunningham, Molly Curd, Juno Cox, Mireille Mandel, Sarah Felton) - 8:15.2
 
Overall Cumulative Time - Terry & Aileen Stevens Cup
Toronto - 29:46.0
McGill - 30:01.6