Located in the middle of the River Tyne, flowing all the way from Alston to South Shields, Hexham Rowing Club has at its disposal one of the best stretches of water in the North, and they certainly make use of it! Hexham boasts one of the most diverse squads I have seen, ranging from the age of 12 up to 90 and it is not just age where Hexham boasts a large breadth in their squad, but also ability. In a pre-pandemic world, Hexham RC ran a learn to row course that was open for all ages and very popular, with about 60 new rowers inaugurated per course. The club also boasts some pedigree experience as well, ranging all the way from the juniors to the seniors, including national representation at the British Masters Rowing Championship.
Hexham Rowing Club, founded in 1878, was exclusively a sculling club, until the induction of sweeping in 1960, with some notable alumni from the early 20th century, for example Jack Dodd, who won the world-renowned Tyne Christmas Handicap in 1906. Joseph Robinson, who won the Hexham Christmas Handicap in 1912 and Jack Hopper, who competed throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s as a professional, won most of the major events throughout the north and further afield.
Hexham is a particularly important club on the Northern circuit due to the fact that it is the host of the prestigious Hexham regatta. This is a historical event which was a staple of the 20th century rowing circuit, so much so that when in the 1980’s the club was unable to provide volunteers for the event, Tyne Green water-sports Association was created partly to keep the regatta alive because of its importance to the North East rowing scene. Fortunately, a revival in the club’s fortunes mean that Hexham RC can easily organise its own event, which expands year on year.
Last year alone over 30 clubs competed, there were a staggering 300 races of over 400+ crews and 1000 competitors over the side by side 700m course. The official regatta sponsors are EGGER and Jackie Watson, head of marketing communications at EGGER said: “We are delighted to support this highly popular local rowing regatta and wish all the competitors the very best of luck in their races.”. The other sponsors are Red Hot Property and NFU Materials.
Shifting to a more athletic focus, the large junior squad at Hexham is both active and broad, boasting varying ability with several talented members. They race anything from singles up to octos but can mostly be seen in the double scull and quads. The junior squad has had some successes, notably in the 2018 season when the club racked up 6 gold medals at the Durham Regatta.
Shifting to a senior focus, Hexham has made a name for itself on the UK circuit with a substantial senior squad. In 2016 the squad competed in the British Masters Rowing Championships, and came back with a lot of metal, boasting 6 gold medals and 2 silvers in the smaller boat classes, ranging from singles and pairs to fours and quads. The seniors also racked up the wins at Durham Regatta, winning the MasAC, MacBC, MasCD and MasFG in doubles and singles.
In conclusion, Hexham Rowing Club is a broad club, one where there is something for everyone, but that does not mean that they are not successful. They have shown their ability to clean up at regattas. During COVID, the club has kept community feeling going with cross country runs, Christmas walks and general merriment, but with an emphasis on keeping fit!
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