It’s that time of year again, the UCAS deadline for applications is looming, and many junior rowers will be weighing up the pros and cons of universities across the country. In this article, I will do my best to give advice and insight into which institutions you should consider for various circumstances. To clarify, for this debate, I am assuming you are not considering travelling overseas (for example, to the US) for University High-performance rowing as a priority – if you fall into this latter category, Laura has some handy advice.
High-Performance Rowing as a Priority
If sweep rowing is your sole focus, it is clear where you should go: Oxford Brookes University. While Brookes may not boast the highest academic reputation, the programme’s dominance in recent years has been impressive. Three out of the last four Temple Challenge Cup titles have been won by Brookes as well as the previous two Aspirational Academic Eights at Henley Women’s Regatta. Their coaching staff, headed up by Richard Spratley (Director of Rowing), Henry Bailhache-Webb (Head Coach) and Richard Chambers (Women’s Coach) is a tried and tested team, and I for one can’t see how this programme will be fall from the top spot any time soon. If you have your eyes on Henley medals, U23 vests or even the Olympics, the Brookes programme is the current gold standard. One thing to watch out for, however, is that the coaches probably won’t look at you on an individual level until you show your potential. Even Brookes are limited in their resources, and with a large squad, it’s easy to get lost. Many thrive in this environment, but it is not for everyone. If you are worried about this, it might be worth looking at one of the other highly successful but smaller university clubs in the country.
I am always surprised at why this University is not a High-Performance Programme, given its immensely successful sculling programme. At BUCS Head 2020 this club won medals in every sculling event, from Championship to Beginner, and in 2018 qualified four crews for the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup. Of course, this is Reading University. A programme built by Director of Rowing Will Rand and added to by Charlotte Taylor and Chris Bartley, both Team GB Olympians. While it isn’t as prominent as some others, the coaching staff invest in every athlete, whether you are in the top quad or the third quad. If you’re a junior athlete and your priority is to advance your sculling, go to Reading.
World-Class Degrees and World-Class Rowing
In this country, we are spoilt for choice regarding universities with great rowing clubs and academics alike. In this case, the options are not so clear cut and will come down to personal preference when looking at the location itself, the club culture, and the courses available to you at each University. Many British High-Performance Programmes fall into this category: Newcastle, UL, Imperial, Edinburgh, and Durham.
Newcastle won the Victor Ludorum at BUCS Regatta 2019 and topped the BUCS points table for rowing for the albeit short 2019/20 season. Famous for their tough training programme set by Head Coach Angelo Savarino, Newcastle University Boat Club caters for all rowing levels from novice to elite, provided you can keep your head above water! Allowing athletes to switch between sweeping and sculling depending on preference and upcoming races means that you can reach your goals at NUBC whatever they are. Since Angelo joined Newcastle in 2005, he has built a unique culture, with a strong identity that carries on past University, as confirmed by the Blue Star Club being a prominent and active base for NUBC alumni.
Northern rivals Durham have recently seen the departure of their Head Coach, Wade Hall-Craggs. It is yet to be seen how this will affect the programme, but if history is anything to go by, Durham will continue its position firmly within the top UK clubs’ ranks. Having had a period of dominance in the early 2010s, Durham has recently been overshadowed by its competitors’ growth; however, this isn’t to say it hasn’t been successful. Making the Prince Albert Challenge Cup final in 2019 combined with strong results at BUCS and three athletes winning gold at the World Rowing U23 Championships in 2019 are all testament to this.
North of the border, Edinburgh University burst through to the top of the UK university rankings only a couple of years after the appointment of new coaches Colin Williamson and John Higson. With a standout performance in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 2016 (the first win at HRR from a Scottish crew), EUBC has gone from strength to strength. The University is investing enormous amounts of money in rowing at the moment, including on a multimillion-pound boathouse at Strathclyde Park, currently under construction. Combine this with one of the country’s most beautiful cities and most diverse universities. Edinburgh is an excellent choice if you want to row at a high level and have an outstanding university experience.
If you crave the hustle and bustle of the country’s capital, you have a few choices. University of London Boat Club comprises the top athletes from each of UL colleges, including UCL, King’s, and Royal Holloway. UL and other clubs’ main difference is that it is run entirely independently from the University, instead being overseen by alumni trustees. It also caters solely for high-level sweep rowing (with only a few exceptions), with no novice squad. UL currently stands as the most successful University at Henley Royal Regatta ever, with a history unmatched by any other save Oxbridge.
Fellow Londoners, Imperial College, would argue that they are the top dogs on the Tideway. Running a broad programme from novice to elite, the Putney based club is our last High-Performance Programme. Some recent successes include winning the Prince Albert Challenge Cup in 2018 and medals across Beginner to Championship at BUCS Regatta 2019. Combine this with studying at one of the world’s most high achieving universities, and Imperial is a great choice if you are looking to row at a high level but prioritise your studies.
Oxbridge
Warranting a category of their own, Oxford and Cambridge are unique in running their rowing programmes. With their sole focus on the Boat Races, there is much less focus on BUCS events and the Henley regattas. This isn’t to say that you will not be able to attend these events at all. However, the chances are that at this time will be mainly spent catching up on university work after the Boat Races’ excitement. Rowing and studying at Oxbridge is challenging to say the least, with midday training throughout the year athletes are forced to stay in labs or the library in the evening when most students are finishing off their days.
The opportunity to take part in arguably rowing’s most prestigious and famous race in the world should not be devalued here, though. The history surrounding the Boat Race is incredible, and hard to grasp I think when one is so used to thinking about other events such as Henley and the Olympics until you speak to a non-rower, who still watches the Boat Race…
If you have got what it takes, you could come out the other end with a degree from one of the world’s top five universities, having competed in (and hopefully won) the world’s most famous university sports event.
Non-rowing focus
Many of us (myself included) fall into this category when choosing a university. We want to be able to row at a decent level sure, but if anything don’t want to be swallowed up in a massive programme and choose somewhere based on other factors besides rowing. Many of the UK’s ‘mid-tier’ universities are a good choice in this situation, alongside some of those already mentioned.
Starting in the South-West, several universities ought to be considered.
Exeter is one of the country’s top sporting universities, and has recently built a new boathouse and appointed a new Head Coach. Exeter always has the potential to win medals in their favoured events and is still well represented at the Henley regattas. We can expect Exeter to continue to grow in the future thanks to increasing support levels through facilities and coaching from the University. With a wide range of courses available Exeter is a suitable choice for any school level rower looking to develop their abilities alongside study.
The Bath-Saltford stretch of the River Avon is home to the rivals Bath and Bristol. Bath benefits from being a British Rowing World Class Start centre, where talented athletes are developed by coach Dan Harris and represent Bath University when racing. Combined with on-campus facilities offered by one of the country’s best sporting universities, this has produced some strong results nationally and internationally. Bath is a relatively young university, set on the hill above the Roman city which made it famous. Bath is probably the highest performing university rowing club without a Head Coach, a testament to its club culture and student leaders.
On the other hand, Bristol has been building for several years now, thanks to a Head Coach’s appointment, followed by an Assistant Coach, and a highly proactive alumni community who has supported the club in recent years. Bristol is a global top 100 and a Russell Group university, set in a vibrant city with an exciting variety of courses and cultures. Currently seeking High-Performance status, consider Bristol if you want to be part of an up and coming club.
Progressing northwards, we arrive at Nottingham, who last year won the overall BUCS points competition. As with many others in this section, they always have a strong showing at the Henley regattas and are amongst the medals in their favoured BUCS events. As a university, Nottingham is one of the largest in the UK, with its campus can be found in the middle of the city.
In Scotland, Glasgow offers a strong rowing club with great academic opportunities. A bit further away and perhaps not as obvious an option than others in this article, we would be remiss if we neglected to consider it. GUBC is a reasonably small club but has a strong culture proven by improving BUCS results in recent years. If you want a university experience that will be different from most of your colleagues in the south (or even in Edinburgh) take a look at Glasgow.
That’s it for now, although I could ramble on forever on this topic, this article is already rather long! If you are from a university club and have read this, consider getting in touch about an entry to our Club Aggregate to publicise your club further.
That’s all for now. If you’re hungry for more, check out any of our other pieces from The Catch, listen to the latest podcast episode, or flick through our race previews.
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