Rowing at University

Rowing is unlike traditional sports, many sports require either endurance or speed, rhythm or strength, technique or sheer strength. Rowing requires all of these as well as one of the most important...Mental Toughness. Balancing all of these attributes rarely comes naturally; rowing therefore, requires commitment and dedication. University rowing is the most exciting and adrenaline fuelled sport, allowing rowers to compete against universities with the exact same level of experience. Not many sports at university present this scenario.

Very few people will have been able to take part in rowing at school or college, rowing has been linked with universities for literally hundreds of years in the form of The Boat Race (between Oxford and Cambridge). So why not give it a go while it's affordable (students get it cheaper than graduates!) and is easy to take part.

Training for Rowing

Early October of each year sees the recruitment of the fresher rowers. This is a guaranteed way to make friends when starting out university, particularly ones with similar interests. We teach you basics of how to train for rowing during the first few weeks, so make sure you stick around until at least 5 weeks in.

During winter, training composes of weights, body-weight circuits and both aerobic land and water training. This involves long periods of low intensity training sessions, conditioning your body for the long distance races which occur throughout the Head Season. Early April sees the onset of the Regatta Season when races are held over a distance of 2000m. Training is altered here to introduce short high intensity sessions to get your body prepared for the awesome feat of a 2km race.

The Thrill of Racing...

'ATTENTION! GO!!' The flag drops, your shoulders strain. Your legs push like pistons. The seven other rowers in the boat push with you. Eight human pistons moving in unison, breathing as one, all part of a huge bionic machine intent on only one thing... Victory!

Your heart pounds, your lungs burn and your legs ache but you are relaxed! Why? This is what the boat club has trained you for; utmost relaxation in times of extreme pressure. You soon learn that this ethos stretches into every aspect of your life, work, study, and exams. The boat club teaches you how to handle it all.

Few things compare with being part of a winning crew, of driving your oar through the water with all the power you can muster up and seeing your opposition fade behind you. Beaten.