ROBIN WILLIAMS, the Cambridge University chief coach, is set to take up a role with the Great Britain squad after the 2005 Boat Race. Williams, 45, has been in charge of the Light Blues for ten Boat Races and has won seven of them.

His eleventh Boat Race will be his last before he becomes high-performance coach for the Britain women and lightweights.

Williams himself had an impressive career as a lightweight at London RC, winning a gold medal at under-23 level and a silver and a bronze at world senior level in six appearances, the last in 1990. Turning to coaching, he was the London coach until he went to Cambridge in 1994. During his time at Cambridge, he has been involved in international coaching with the Britain Under-23 team and was coach of the men’s lightweight Olympic four in 1996.

“I have had ten very happy and fulfilling years at Cambridge but look foward to joining the Amateur Rowing Association when the international programmes are performing so well,” Williams said. The lightweights, lacking in success recently, could welcome his experience and expertise.

Joining the ARA in April, Williams will be in place for the World Cup, which will be staged at Eton in May, leading through to the World Championships in Japan in August. Donald Legget, a perennial Cambridge reserve-crew coach with Williams, said yesterday: “It’s a positive step for him. Fortunately he will stay until after the next Boat Race. He is very organised and methodical.”

Steve Royle, the Oxford rowing director, spoke for the opposition. “He is a good coach and has always had international interests,” he said, adding with a smile: “We will be glad to see the back of him.”