Rowing has existed ever since humans first started using boats as a means of transporting themselves and their goods. The sport that we recognise and refer to as rowing today, however, can be traced to the 17th century, when watermen working on the Thames would race one another. The history of junior rowing is somewhat more obscure.
With boat clubs attached to various public schools, including Eton and Westminster opening at the end of the 18th century, junior rowing has its roots firmly planted in the British public school system. Indeed, Westminster’s boat club is one of the oldest in the world – with mention of it dating back to the Water Ledger of 1813. For Eton, another stalwart of public school rowing, the race between themselves Westminster in 1829 was one of the prominent factors leading to the recognition of rowing as an official sport by the school’s authorities in 1840.
Henley Royal Regatta first took place in 1839. Still, it took until the 20th century for two junior events to be added for male rowers – namely the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for school 1st VIIIs in 1946 and the Fawley Challenge Cup for junior boys’ quadruple sculls in 1992. It wasn’t until 2012 that the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup for junior girls’ quadruple sculls was introduced, and – provided that the regatta goes ahead – a category for junior women’s VIIIs is set to be introduced this year. Henley Women’s Regatta currently has a broader range of events for junior competitors, with five categories within the junior J18 bracket and a further two events for J16 athletes.
National Schools’ Regatta was first held in 1947, after Desmond Hill, master of rowing at St Edward’s School in Oxford, invited crews from Shrewsbury, Bedford School, and Radley to race crews. In 1979, NSR introduced the first event for girls: the girls’ coxed fours. From 1985 more events were opened to girls, beginning with the girls’ championship singles event, creating a more even field for athletes of both genders.
1967 was a popular year for junior events, with the first World and European Junior Championships taking place in Ratzeburg and the inaugural FISA Youth Regatta, which was renamed the FISA Junior Championships in 1970, before becoming the World Rowing Junior Championships in 1985. The same year, the Coupe de la Jeunesse was founded, open to rowers aged 18 or under.
With an extensive range of junior events held nationally and further afield, as well as schemes such as GB Start paving the way for higher-profile junior athletes, junior events have become a cornerstone of the British rowing circuit. Ranging from the Ball Cup, whose emphasis is on smaller clubs and newer competitors, to National Schools’ Regatta, which typically caters for more established programmes, there truly is something for everyone.
Junior rowing is on an exciting trajectory, and we can’t wait to see how it develops.
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