University College Boat Club (commonly abbreviated to UCBC) is the rowing club for all members of University College, Oxford ("Univ"). UCBC is based out of the college's own boathouse on the towpath side of the Isis.[2]
Univ is one of the more successful college clubs in Oxford, having won multiple headships for both their Men's and Women's crews at the annual intercollegiate bumps races: Torpids and Summer Eights.[3]
History
The idea of inter collegiate racing was pioneered by Brasenose College Boat Club and Jesus College Boat Club in 1815. In 1827, it was decided to form a University College eight. The origins of UCBC can be attributed to one student, William Roper, who supervised the raising of £100 to build a boat and select a crew.[4] Whilst the crew did not compete in 1829 or 1832-8 it has done so almost continuously until the present day, first going Head of the River in 1841. At first, the only such races took place in Eights Week, but in the 1830s, a second series of races, known as “Torpids” came into being. Originally, Torpids appears to have been held for crews inferior to those who rowed in Eights Week, and were held around the same time, but they were moved to their current time of Hilary Term in 1852. UCBC first entered a boat for Torpids in 1841.[5][6]
By the mid-1850s the Boat Club was enjoying a centrality to college life that it has not lost. The mid nineteenth century was a period of great success for UCBC being Head of the River in 1869–71, 1874–5 and 1877–8.[7][8] One undergraduate Charles Cree recorded the celebrations in 1871:
"Univ. Head in the Eights. Univ, though Balliol came near them were never in danger...The Eight supped with Snell and the rest of us joined them after supper, and had a glorious evening. Singing and shouting as well as our voices would let us — Everything went off well no one being drunk."[7]
UCBC First Eight 1914
Univ won the headship in 1914, the college now being in possession of an original commemorative blade from that time. Sadly, many of that crew did not live to see the end of the Great War. Two members of that First VIII were killed in action, as was the cox of the Second VIII.[9] Back in Oxford, no rowing competitions took place between 1915 and 1918, since the university was almost completely depopulated. When competitions restarted in 1919, it was still on a limited basis (Univ had to combine with Exeter for Torpids 1919), and it was not until 1920 that the Eights Week and Torpids were back to normal again.[10] Unfortunately, the Univ. First VIII then plummeted from Head to 7th. During the 1920s and 1930s rowing continued to play a major part in College life, and the First VIII had some exciting years. Univ went Head in Torpids in 1926, and were runners up in Eights Week in 1930 and 1931.[11][12]
Univ's First Torpid 1952
During the Second World War, undergraduates were allowed to remain at Oxford, albeit on specially shortened courses, and so Eights Week and Torpids were able to continue on a reduced basis. It was not always possible, thought, for Colleges to field teams on their own. In 1940 and 1941, therefore, Univ combined with Merton (several of whose students had been evacuated here during the war) to compete in a joint eight.[13]
Torpids and Eights Week resumed properly in 1946, and crews were arranged that year in their 1939 positions (the war races were not reckoned to count). During this time, UCBC had a supporter in high places: Clement Attlee, Prime Minister from 1945–51, had been at Univ in Edwardian times, and, although he never rowed himself, he was always proud of Univ’s great sporting reputation from that period, and he remained a devoted Old Member of the College. The club’s archives therefore include a letter from the Prime Minister’s Office, thanking the Secretary of the Boat Club for sending Attlee a copy of the Eights’ Week Programme for 1949.[14]
Stephen Hawking coxing the 1963 First Eight
Stephen Hawking was a member of the club in the 1960s, coxing the Men's Second VIII. The club features on the front cover of his autobiography, My Brief History. Although a succession of Univ rowers have won their Blues, and they did enjoy some successful times in the postwar years, most notably in the 1970s, when they were in the top five crews on several occasions, undoubtedly a highlight of UCBC history was when they went Head of the River, for the first time in 76 years, in 1990 and 1991.[15][16] For the 1990 celebrations, an old boat was brought into the Main Quad to be burnt after the Bump Supper. Unfortunately, during dinner, the story goes that some jealous Oriel rowers crept into College and stole the boat. The alarm was raised; a crowd of Univ rowers in evening dress set off in hot pursuit, and the boat was recovered and brought back safely.[17]
Another major event in the rowing life of the College took place in 1979, when Univ went mixed. In that very first year, the first women’s eight was formed, and managed to compete in Eights Week 1980. The women have since fought their way up the tables, and by Eights Week 2001 their first eight was in division I. Rowing has continued to be a popular sport within College, and several of Univ's great Old Members have been UCBC members.[18]
UCBC has enjoyed great success in recent years. In 2023, their Women's First Torpid went Head of the River, a position that they retain heading into 2025.[19] The Women's First Eight won the Headship in 2022 and, as of 2024, remain third on the river.[20]
The Men's First Eight last went Head of the River in 1990 and 1991. In recent years, the First Eight last achieved blades in 2006 and, in 2024, went +3 to finish at sixth on the river.[21] The Men's First Torpid also achieved blades in 2023 to finish at fifth on the river.[22]
Lower-down the divisions, the club qualified more boats for Eights 2012 and 2014 than any other college, and with 8 'Eights' competing in 2022.[23] The women's and men's second boats have long been in "fixed divisions" in both Torpids and Summer Eights, and, as such, are guaranteed a place in racing each year.[24] The Men's Second Torpid recently achieved blades in 2022 and 2023, in addition to the Second Eight achieving blades in 2013. Similarly, the Women's Second Torpid achieved blades in 2011, 2012, 2019, and 2021, alongside the Second Eight's blades in 2011, 2014, and 2018.[25]
UCBC also usually fields third (and sometimes fourth or fifth) boats for bumps events, with many of them achieving blades in the last decade.[26] The club's lowest boat on each side is usually considered it's 'Beer Boat' and is a crew that have never trained together, frequently includes alumni from the Martlet Club, and just shows up on the day to see what they can achieve.
UCBC has a strong novice program, with large numbers of boats entered every year for Nepthys Regatta and Tamesis Regatta.[23] The former being won in 2012 and 2021 by the Men's Novice A crew.
UCBC's boathouse is shared with the boat clubs of Somerville College, St Peter's College and Wolfson College. The original 19th century boathouse, designed by John Oldrid Scott, succumbed to arson in 1999. After eight years, a new boathouse was finished, designed by Belsize Architects. The Boathouse has been awarded a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) prize.[27] The £2.7million structure has enjoyed a favourable reception in the architectural world. Yuli Toh's article describes the structure as not just a boathouse, but "a grandstand of the first order" arguing that it represents a new age in rowing.[28] The Boathouse was also subject of a recent article in the Row360 rowing magazine.[29]
Saturday of Eights’ Week 2007 saw the opening of the new boathouse by Colin Moynihan (1974) who coxed the college and the university, won a silver medal at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, gained a boxing Blue, later became Minister of Sport, and is now Chairman of the British Olympic Association. The ceremony also marked the dedication of the Coleman Viewing Terrace by financial donors Jimmy Coleman (1963) and Jamie Coleman (1994).
Other facilities
The boathouse gym is equipped with 8 Model D Concept2 indoor rowers, stretching/exercise mats and balls, along with changing rooms for crews. Additionally UCBC has a weights gym in the college itself, which is full of free standing wights. Their members also have unlimited free access to all the training facilities of the University Sports Complex on Iffley Road, including the 8 seat rowing tank.
UCBC also enjoys exclusive access to the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake in Caversham, being the only college in Oxford or Cambridge granted access. Caversham's first-class lake and facilities are used only by the GB squad, the University Blues squad and UCBC.[30] The club also train regularly at Eton Dorney, Abingdon, Swindon, and Radley to escape the congestion of the Isis in Oxford.
Equipment
The men's side of the boat club uses the following shells:
Founded in 2022, the Martlet Club is a British Rowing affiliated boat club that gives Univ alumni the opportunity to race together alongside financially supporting UCBC.[31]
The active Martlet Club is currently a small group of recent graduates, still primarily based in Oxford. While the club continues to grow, it is placing particular focus on entering alumni crews to notable regattas such as Women's Eights Head of the River Race and to the Fairbairn Cup, winning the latter's invitational category in 2023.[32][33]
Martlet Regatta
Every year on the Sunday after Summer Eights, the Martlet Club hosts Martlet Regatta. This is an opportunity for scratch alumni crews who have never rowed together to race against current students, or to casually paddle with old team mates.[34]
Dinosaurs and Cassandrians
Univ members who have rowed or coxed all days of Summer Eights as part of the Men's 1st VIII are entitled to become a member of the Dinosaurs society. Similarly, members who have rowed or coxed all days of Summer Eights as part of the Women's 1st VIII are entitled to become a member of the Cassandrians society. An annual Dinosaurs and Cassandrians dinner is held (usually in January) where many Old Members return to the college to celebrate Univ rowing alongside other Dinos and Cassies who are still current Univ members. The dinner is organised by the Dinos and Cassies Presidents who also help to organise the induction of new members to the society.[35]
A related club is the Univ Dinosaurs and Cassandrians Ironman Triathlon Club (UDCITC).[36]
Summer Eights, also known as Eights Week, is a four-day regatta of bumps races which constitutes the University of Oxford's main intercollegiate rowing event of the year. The regatta takes place in May of each year, from the Wednesday to the Saturday of the fifth week of Trinity Term. Men's and women's eights compete in separate divisions for their colleges.
A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and 'bump' the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind.
Torpids is one of two series of bumping races, a type of rowing race, held yearly at Oxford University; the other is Eights Week. Over 130 men's and women's crews race for their colleges in twelve divisions: six each of men's and women's; almost 1,200 participants in total. The racing takes place on the Isis, usually in the 7th week of Hilary Term on four successive days from Wednesday to Saturday.
Jesus College Boat Club is a rowing club for members of Jesus College, Oxford, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. The club was formed in 1835, but rowing at the college predates the club's foundation: a boat from the college was involved in the earliest recorded races between college crews at Oxford in 1815, when it competed against Brasenose College. In the early years of rowing at Oxford, Jesus was one of the few colleges that participated in races. Neither the men's nor the women's 1st VIIIs have earned the title of "Head of the River", which is gained by winning Eights Week—the main inter-college rowing competition at Oxford.
Hertford College Boat Club (HCBC) is a rowing club for members of Hertford College, Oxford. It is based in the Longbridges boathouse on the Isis, which is owned by the college and shared with St Hilda's, St Catz, Green Templeton, and Mansfield.
Brasenose College Boat Club (BNCBC) is the rowing club of Brasenose College, Oxford, in Oxford, England. It is one of the oldest boat clubs in the world, having beaten Jesus College Boat Club in the first modern rowing race, held at Oxford in 1815. Although rowing at schools such as Eton College and Westminster School predates this, the 1815 contest is the first recorded race between rowing clubs anywhere in the world.
Mansfield College Boat Club (MCBC) is a rowing club for members of Mansfield College, Oxford. It was founded in 1965 by a group of students led by Michael Mahony. It is run by the Boat Club committee. It is affiliated to Oxford University Rowing Clubs (OURCs).
Balliol College Boat Club (BCBC) is the rowing club for members of Balliol College, Oxford, England. It is one of the college boat clubs at the University of Oxford.
The Queen's College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of The Queen's College, Oxford. It is one of the oldest boat clubs in the world, having been founded in 1827.
New College Boat Club (NCBC) is the rowing club for members of New College, Oxford. The club's existence can be dated to 1840 when it first raced on The Isis in Oxford.
St Edmund Hall Boat Club is a rowing club for members of St Edmund Hall, Oxford. It is based in its own boathouse on the Isis.
Wadham College Boat Club (WCBC) is the rowing club of Wadham College, Oxford, in Oxford, United Kingdom. The club's members are students and staff from Wadham College and Harris Manchester College. Founded circa. 1837, Wadham has had success both within Oxford and externally in regattas such as Henley Royal Regatta.
Keble College Boat Club (KCBC) is the rowing club of Keble College, in Oxford, United Kingdom. The boat club is based in its boathouse on the Isis, which is shared with Jesus College. Most of the year is spent training at the boat club's second facility at the Godstow stretch to the North.
Regent's Park College Boat Club is the boat club of Regent's Park College, Oxford, a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford. It is based in New College Boat House which it shares with New College Boat Club.
St Peter's College Boat Club (SPCBC) is the rowing club for members of St Peter's College, Oxford. Founded in 1929, it is now based in the University College Boathouse on the southern bank of The Isis. The Boat Club competes in Torpids and Summer Eights bumps races in Oxford. Notable former St Peter's oarsmen include Mark Stanhope, Bishop of Oxford John Pritchard, World Champion Mike Blomquist and Karl Hudspith and Roman Röösli.
Merton College Boat Club (MCBC) is a rowing club for members of Merton College, Oxford. It was established in 1838 and competes every year in Torpids and Summer Eights, the intercollegiate bumps races at the University of Oxford, as well as external regattas.
Wolfson College Boat Club is rowing club for the members of both Wolfson College, Oxford and St Cross College, Oxford. The club has competed since 1969 and takes part in the collegiate competitions Torpids and Summer Eights. Due to the membership being drawn from graduate colleges, the club races actively during the vacation periods at external races. Both squads also participate in the annual head races in London on the tideway.
Somerville College Boat Club (SCBC) is the rowing club of Somerville College, Oxford. The club was formed in 1921 as one of the first women's clubs on the Isis, however was unable to compete in bumps until 1969. The women's team has won the title Head of the River eight times in Summer Eights and five times in Torpids, more than any other women's rowing team from the University of Oxford.
Oriel College Boat Club (OCBC) is the rowing club of Oriel College, Oxford. Rowing at Oriel is carried out from the college's own boathouse across Christ Church Meadow, on Boat House Island.
St Benet's Hall Boat Club is a rowing club in Oxford. It used to be the boat club of now defunct St Benet's Hall, Oxford. It is based on the Isis at Boathouse Island, Christ Church Meadow, Oxford.
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