Rowing, often referred to as crew in the United States, is a sport whose origins reach back to Ancient Egyptian times. It involves propelling a boat on water using oars. By pushing against the water with an oar, a force is generated to move the boat. The sport can be either recreational for enjoyment or fitness, or competitive, when athletes race against each other in boats. There are a number of different boat classes in which athletes compete, ranging from an individual shell to an eight-person shell with a coxswain.
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term comes from the Venetian language regata meaning "contest" and typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas. A regatta often includes social and promotional activities which surround the racing event, and except in the case of boat type championships, is usually named for the town or venue where the event takes place.
Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior to Leander: Brasenose College Boat Club and Jesus College Boat Club and Westminster School Boat Club, founded in 1813.
John Snow College is one of 16 constituent colleges of the University of Durham in England. The College takes its name from the nineteenth-century Yorkshire physician Dr John Snow.
The stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England is a well-established course for rowing races, most famously the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. It is often referred to as The Championship Course. The course is on the tidal reaches of the river often referred to as the Tideway.
University rowing in the United Kingdom began when it was introduced to Oxford in the late 18th century. The first known race at a university took place at Oxford in 1815 between Brasenose and Jesus and the first inter-university boat race, between Oxford and Cambridge, was rowed on 10 June 1829. Today, many universities have a boat club and at some collegiate universities—Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, and London—each college has its own club as well as a main university club. In contrast to the Oxford/Cambridge/Durham colleges, London colleges are members of British Universities and Colleges Sport in their own right, and thus compete in inter-university competitions. In Scotland, the rowing clubs of Glasgow University and Edinburgh University initiated an annual race in 1877, making this competition the second oldest in the United Kingdom. Competitive university rowing in Northern Ireland began in the 1930s with the formation of Queen's University Belfast Boat Club in 1931, whose first inter-varsity races were a triangular tournament against Glasgow and UCD in 1934–35 and who entered the Wylie Cup from 1937 to 1938; the Welsh Boat Race began in 2006.
Downing College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Downing College, Cambridge. Downing men have not been below the top 9 boats for over 3 decades, on occasion being the only boat club with a second boat in the first division, and regularly ahead of other college first boats.
Cambridge University Women's Boat Club (CUWBC) is the rowing club for women at the University of Cambridge. CUWBC field both a lightweight eight that races against Oxford at the Henley Boat Races, and two openweight eights that race at the Women's Boat Race.
Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century.
The Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) is one of the rowing clubs of the University of Cambridge, England. The club was founded in 1828 and has been located at the Goldie Boathouse on the River Cam, Cambridge since 1882. Nowadays, training primarily takes place on the River Great Ouse at Ely.
University College Boat Club (UCBC) is the rowing club of University College at Durham University in north-east England, with over 100 members, a large boathouse and a fleet of boats.
Oxford University Rowing Clubs (OURCs) is a federation of the Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC), the Oxford University Women's Boat Club (OUWBC), the Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club (OULRC), and the Oxford University Women's Lightweight Rowing Club (OUWLRC), as well as all college boat clubs. OURCs is a purely administrative organisation with no training or crews. It was created in 1986 in order to remove the organisational burden from the university squad and is responsible for organising inter-collegiate competitions and overseeing the conduct of college rowing. The student-led organisation of OURCs is supported by senior members of the university, the Council for Oxford University Rowing, which issues advice and deals with aspects of rowing safety.
Durham College Rowing represents all sixteen college boat clubs in Durham University, encompassing approximately half of the rowers, scullers and coxes in the region of North East England.
The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard heavyweight crews are not permitted to row in the Ladies' Plate.
The Wyfold Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from a single rowing club. Boat clubs from any university, college or secondary school are not permitted.
The Britannia Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxed fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from a single rowing club. Since 2004, Boat clubs from any university, college, or secondary school are not permitted, with a separate event for student crews.
The River Thames is one of the main rowing areas in England, with activity taking place on the Tideway and on the 45 separate lock reaches on the non-tidal section. The river hosts two major rowing events, The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta, and many other regattas and long distance events take place on the river. Dorney Lake in Buckinghamshire was opened specifically as a rowing lake besides the Thames, and has become the venue for a few events that formerly took place on the river. Other lakes adjacent to the Thames are the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake and Royal Albert Dock. Rowing, or sculling, includes skiffing, dinghy racing and cutter racing in which the boats are also propelled by blades.
Grey College Boat Club (GCBC) is the rowing club of Grey College at Durham University in northern England.
St John's College Boat Club, Oxford (SJCBC) is a rowing club part of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in 1863.
