University of London Boat Club
University of London Boat Club (ULBC or UL) is the rowing club for the University of London with membership open to students of all of its constituent colleges. ULBC is one of British Rowing’s most senior and successful clubs, with a powerful alumni network. As with other collegiate universities, many of the University of London's colleges have their own boat clubs. Members of these college boat clubs who feel strong enough can trial for a place in the squad of The University Of London Boat Club to compete at an elite level. But the majority of student athletes who join the club do so with prior experience at an elite level. The club has its boat house on the River Thames in Chiswick, London, United Kingdom and is a designated High Performance Programme for GB Rowing, providing a pathway for athletes onto the U23 and Senior GB Rowing Teams
Location | Chiswick, London, UK |
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Coordinates | 51.4825°N 0.2745°W |
Home water | Tideway |
Founded | 1864 |
University | University of London |
Affiliations | British Rowing |
Website | www |
Distinctions | |
Henley Royal Regatta (Most successful university at HRR of all-time) Olympic Games (representation at every Games since 1960) Henley Women's Regatta (Most successful university at HWR of all-time) | |
Notable members | |
The University of London Boat Club (ULBC) has been represented at every Olympic Games since 1960, has more Henley Royal Regatta wins than any other British University in history and has won at least one event a year at Henley Women's Regatta for the past 20 years. ULBC has produced a huge number of international representatives, many of whom have then gone on to medal or win at Senior and U23 World Championships and Olympic Games.
History
The club was formed in the mid-1860s, and since 1950 has won 49 Henley Regatta finals, produced 129 full internationals winning 369 vests[n 1], achieving a total of 76 medals: 23 gold, 19 silver and 34 bronze. At U23 World Championships and World Student Games events the club has won 188 vests and produced 32 medal-winning crews (11 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze).[1]
ULBC has been represented at every Olympic Games since 1960:
- 1960 Rome - Coxed Pair: S.Farquharson, J.R. Reeves
- 1964 Tokyo - Coxless Pair: S.Farquharson, J.D.Lee
- 1968 Mexico - Eight: M.M.K.Cooper, B.L.A.Carter, M.Malpass, R.D.Yarrow, P.G.Knapp, P.J.Wright, A.A.Bayles, P.L.Thomas, cox, T.Kirk
- 1972 Munich - Coxless Pair: M.M.K. Cooper. Coxed Four: R.W.J. Massara
- 1976 Montreal - Coxless Four: N.A.Keron, D.G.H.Townsend
- 1980 Moscow - Coxless Four: D.G.H.Townsend, M.Cross (Bronze)
- 1984 Los Angeles - Coxless Four: R.G.McBudgett, M.Cross (Gold). Women’s Eight: N.V.Boyes, A.Callaway. Coxed Pair: A.M.Genziani
- 1988 Seoul - Eight: A.Obholzer, P.Beaumont, T.Dillon, S.Hassan, S.Jeffries. Coxed Four: M.Cross, J.M. Maxey, V. Thomas
- 1992 Barcelona - Coxless Four: S.Hassan. Eight: M.Cross, T.C.Foster, J.D.C.Walker, cox A.Ellison. Women’s Eight: A.Patterson
- 1996 Atlanta - Coxless Four: T.C. Foster, R.Obholzer (Bronze). Eight: M.H.W. Parish, G. Smith, J.D.C. Walker. Lwt Coxless Four: M.R, Rowand Republic of South Africa
- 2000 Sydney - Single Scull: M.Wells. Coxless Four: T.C.Foster (Gold). Lwt Coxless Four: M.R, Rowand for Republic of South Africa. Women’s Double: F.Houghton. Women’s Eight: A.Beever
- 2004 Athens - Double Scull: M.Wells. Quad Scull: P.Wells. Eight: C.Cormack. Women’s Quad Scull: F.Houghton (Silver)
- 2008 Beijing - Double Scull: M.Wells (Bronze). Women’s Quad Scull: F.Houghton (Silver). Women’s Eight: J.Eddie, C.Greves
- 2012 London - Quad Scull: M.Wells. Women’s Quad Scull: F.Houghton, M.Wilson. Women’s Eight: J.Eddie, C.Greves
- 2016 Rio de Janeiro - Men's Eight: P. Bennett (Gold). Women’s Eight: J.Eddie, C.Greves, F.Houghton, M.Wilson (Silver).
- 2016 Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro - LTA Mixed 4+: J. Fox (Gold).
Coaching team
The University of London Boat Club has a professional coaching team. The professional coaching team is supported by a volunteer network made up of highly successful alumni & friends of the club. Hugo Gulliver is the current Chief Coach.
Scholarships and support
The ULBC programme is heavily subsidised by the alumni to minimise the cost of rowing to the students.
Funding, financial aid & sports scholarships are available via each of the UL colleges. These vary in form from cash bursaries to support services such as physiotherapy and strength and conditioning. In addition all the colleges have a number of academic scholarships and bursaries. There is also support available from the university in the form of the Convocation Trust. This funding is available through the university to help cover the costs associated with international representation.
Alumni rowing
The club shares its facilities with an active and supportive rowing alumni club, UL Tyrian Club. In 2013 a UL Tyrian crew won the Wyfold Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. In 2015 UL Tyrian won events at Henley Masters Regattas and at the Head Of The Charles Regatta, in the USA. In 2019 a UL Tyrian won events at Henley Town & Visitors Regatta and UL Tyrian competed at the World Costal Championships in Hong Kong.
Notable members
- Katie Greves - World Rowing Championship 2007 & 2011 Bronze, Olympic 2008 & 2012 finalist W8+,[2] Olympic 2016 Silver
- Maurice Hayes - former coach and now British Rowing Resources Manager[3]
- Frances Houghton - Four times World Champion and double Olympic silver medallist, 2004-2010 – women’s quadruple scull [4]
- Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell - World Champion 2015 in Men's Coxed Pair, World Champion 2014 in Men's Eight, Silver in 2011. World U23 Championships 2010 Silver M4-, World U23 Championships 2009 Bronze M8+, World Junior Championships 2006 Gold M4- [5]
- Tim Foster - Olympic Gold Medalist in 2000
- Cameron Nichol - World Rowing Championship 2010 & 2011 Silver. (Learnt to row at University of London).
- Richard Budgett - Olympic Gold Medalist in 1984.
- Matt Wells - Olympic Bronze Medalist in 2008
- Paul Bennett - Olympic Gold Medalist in 2016, World Champion 2014 & 2015 in the Men's Eight. (Learnt to row at University of London).
- Jessica Eddie - World Rowing Championship 2007 & 2011 Bronze, Olympic 2008 & 2012 finalist W8+
- James Fox - World Champion 2015 in the LTA4+. World Champion 2014 in the LTA4+. World Champion 2013 in the LTA4+.
- Robin Williams - Olympic and World Championship winning coach
- Paul Stannard - Great Britain Rowing Team coach
- Simon Cox - Australian national rowing team coach
- Lady Ann Redgrave - Olympic rower and Chief Medical Officer to GB Rowing
College boat clubs
As with other collegiate universities, the University of London's colleges have their own boat clubs.
Members of these college boat clubs who feel strong enough can trial for a place in the squad of the University of London Boat Club.
- King's College London Boat Club[n 2]
- Royal Veterinary College Boat Club
- St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospitals' Boat Club (BLBC)[n 5]
The senior crews of these colleges compete annually for the Allom Cup. Additionally, the medical schools take part in the United Hospitals Bumps races. Both contests take place on the Tideway.
Notes and references
- Notes
- Positions in national boats
- KCLBC inc. Guys and St Thomas' Hospitals. Boat at Tideway Scullers School (a club 100m downstream of the UL boathouse)
- Based at the London Regatta Centre, London Docklands
- Land training at Egham
- Land training in September at the London Regatta Centre, Docklands
- Land training of UCLBC is at Bloomsbury campus
- References
- "Boat Club Wins prestigious cup, Alumni to compete in London 2012". ULU Student Union. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- "Katie Greves". British Rowing. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- "Maurice Hayes". British Rowing. Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- "Frances Houghton". British Rowing. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- "Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell". British Rowing. Retrieved 10 February 2013.