Royal Canoe Club
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Founded in 1866, the Royal Canoe Club (RCC) is based on the River Thames in Teddington near central London. The club promotes canoeing and kayaking, focusing on flatwater, sprint and marathon disciplines; a number of club members have represented Great Britain at World Championships and the Olympic Games. The club provides support and coaching for all levels from beginner to advanced.
John MacGregor, a Scottish lawyer, popularised canoeing in the late 1800s. He went on extensive tours on the rivers and canals of Central and Northern Europe and the Mid-east in a boat he designed named the 'Rob Roy'. Through a series of books and lectures he formed a group of sportsmen who met in 1866 to form the Canoe Club. The first recorded regatta was held at on April 27, 1867. In the same year, Edward, Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII, became Commodore of the Club and in 1873 the Canoe Club became the Royal Canoe Club by command of Queen Victoria.
Club members represented Great Britain at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 when canoeing was introduced as an Olympic sport and at every Olympic Games since. In 1922, Edward, Prince of Wales (later to become the Duke of Windsor), became Commodore, a position he held until he succeeded to the throne.
