Nereus Rowing Club
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The Amsterdam Student Rowing club (ASR) Nereus, (Dutch De Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereniging (ASR) Nereus) was founded in 1885 by Mr. J. Schölvinck as a subsidiary organization of The Corps, an Amsterdam student fraternity. Within a short period of time, Nereus started proving itself by achieving big successes and winning its first event in 1888 followed by a winning streak of four Varsity victories 1891–1894. After obtaining national recognition, Nereus finally made its mark on the international rowing scene by winning at Hamburg in 1891 and by winning the Thames Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 1895. In 2004, the Temple Challenge Cup and Grand Challenge Cup were won as well.
Nereus has provided rowers for the Netherlands' national Olympic crews, of which the golden men's eight in Atlanta (1996), the silver double four in Sydney (2000) and the silver men's eight in Athens (2004) are recent examples.
Nereus has won the most prestigious and oldest student rowing event of The Netherlands, The Varsity, which was modelled after the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, a total of 36 times.
The club's first boathouse was built in 1886 along the river Amstel. It was situated closer to the centre of Amsterdam than the present one. The old boathouse was demolished during the start of the Second World War. The current boathouse was opened in 1953. A miniature version of the Nereus boathouse can be found at Madurodam.
Membership of Nereus was originally confined to male members of the A.S.C. The Amsterdam Student Corps, also ‘The Corps’. Changes in Dutch society in the 1970s and decreasing membership levels caused Nereus to welcome non-Corps members as well as merging with its female counterpart Thetis.
Nereus has celebrated its 24th lustrum on its 120th Dies Natalis on December 11, 2005.
