Boris Rankov

Rankov umpiring the 2015 Boat Race

Nikolas Boris Rankov(born 9 August 1954) is a British professor of Roman history atRoyal Holloway,University of London.He is a former rower and current umpire.

Early life, education and family

Rankov was born inBradford,West Yorkshire,the only son of Radoslav and Helga Rankov. He was educated atBradford Grammar School(1963–1973), then subsequentlyCorpus Christi College,Oxford(MA 1980, DPhil 1987).

He married Kati Granger in 1981. He has two daughters.

Academic career

Rankov's research interests include Roman history, especially Roman Britain, the Roman army, epigraphy and archaeology of the Roman empire, and ancient shipping.

Rankov was a Junior Research Fellow atSt Hugh's College, Oxfordfrom 1980 to 1983.Rankov has taught at the Classics and Ancient History Department of The University of Western Australia from 1986 to 1989, at the Classics Department at Royal Holloway University of London since 1990, and was Head of department from 1999 to 2002.

Rowing

He is best known for his participation in the Oxford–CambridgeBoat Race,which Oxford won six times between1978and1983,three times with Rankov in the 4 seat and three times in the 5 seat. This led to establishment of the so-called "Rankov Rule", which states that oarsmen will compete in the race no more than four times as an undergraduate and no more than four times as a graduate.Rankov was the Race umpire in 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2015.

Rankov was rowing master for the Trireme Trust's reconstructedtriremeOlympias.As of 2004, Rankov was chairman of the Trust.

External links

• Boris Rankov,official homepage with bibliography