They were ushered into an Oxford University Boat Club life members-only room for a three-course dinner of risotto, two-hour roasted fillet of short-horn beef, and chocolate cake with sorbet. The servings were, as James quips, "fortunately not those silly small restaurant portions but rower-size portions to refuel and recover". Many of their fellow diners had travelled from around the world to relive the camaraderie. Family and friends dine separately.
The significance of the O'Connors' success is not so much in their victory. Instead the pair exemplify how education and sport can still intertwine in a double helix of accomplishment at tertiary level.
As well as securing university blues from their sporting prowess, the pair will be imbued with the tools to contribute something back to society from their degrees and tap into the incredible networks an Oxbridge university experience can nurture. As John F Kennedy said in a speech shortly before his American presidential inauguration in January 1961: "Of those to whom much is given, much is required."
The O'Connors leave few doubts this will occur. Sam, 27, is studying for a masters degree in engineering science; James, 24, is doing likewise in educational research. Both completed undergraduate degrees at Boston's Harvard University, where they rowed in an eight which won the Head of the Charles.
The Christ's College old boys also rowed for New Zealand in the 2006 junior eight which won the world championships in Amsterdam. Academic life subsequently intervened. The recent schedule was a struggle to manage. There were morning and afternoon trainings from Tuesday to Friday as well as sessions on the weekend. The pair have next term and the summer holidays to return to relative normality.
"Last year, I was happy to be done [with rowing] but I was convinced to do it again," Sam says. "Having my brother come over for his course definitely helped.
"At least my course is a bit different [in time commitments]. I don't have exams or constant work due in. My study involves researching fatigue cracks. I get small pieces of metal, put them in a testing machine and load them over and over to grow the cracks. I take photos and analyse them to see how it impacts on the metal.
"It was a surprise coming here from Harvard to see how much time was taken up by the sporting commitment. Most of the time, it's your social life that gets sacrificed."
James concurs, after majoring in psychology and economics at Harvard.
"It's been a challenge balancing the academic workload. The rowing training requires a lot of long, low-intensity work so there are occasions when there's little time to get anything else done."
"I don't think I will become an academic or stick around for a doctorate," James says. "I'll probably do something in the education sector helping with policy or consulting, but I may work in the financial industry for a couple of years first to pay some loans back. These are awesome experiences but they don't come cheap."
When he's not testing fatigue cracks, Sam moonlights as a tour guide for friends through his Christ Church college. The formal dining room doubled as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. He's also good at punting on the river in summer.
"I'm open to what I go into. I've done four internships and am currently doing some work experience with an asset management firm in London to explore my options."
While uncertainty surrounds their future careers, two things seem firm bets. It won't be the last time they celebrate post-race with a winning Oxford crew and they should have plenty to contribute back to New Zealand beyond an aptitude with oars.
