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| Established | ||||||||||||
| Head of the River – Men | 1914, 1990, 1991 | |||||||||||
| Location | University College Boathouse, River Thames (known in Oxford as the Isis) | |||||||||||
| President | Oliver Watts | |||||||||||
| Men's Captain | Jack Wharton | |||||||||||
| Women's Captain | Alice Baggaley & Elizabeth Creek | |||||||||||
| Captain of Coxes | James Lawler | |||||||||||
| www.ucbc.org.uk | ||||||||||||
University College Boat Club (commonly abbreviated to UCBC) is the rowing club for all members of University College, Oxford ("Univ"). UCBC has had a recent run of successes, notably in the Women's divisions with the Women's 1st VIII winning Blades in Torpids 2008 and the 2nd VIII winning Blades in both Torpids and Summer Eights 2008. Torpids 2009 also proved successful with the men's 1st VIII winning blades.[1]
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The idea of inter collegiate racing was pioneered by Brasenose College Boat Club and Jesus College Boat Club in 1815. In 1827, it was decided to form a University College eight. The origins of UCBC can be attributed to one student, William Roper, who supervised the raising of £100 to build a boat and select a crew. Whilst the crew did not compete in 1829 or 1832-8 it has done so almost continuously until the present day, first going Head of the River in 1841. By the mid 1850s the Boat Club was enjoying a centrality to college life that it has not lost. The mid nineteenth century was a period of great success for UCBC being Head of the River in 1869–71, 1874–5 and 1877–8.[2] One undergraduate Charles Cree recorded the celebrations in 1871:
"Univ. Head in the Eights. Univ, though Balliol came near them were never in danger…The Eight supped with Snell and the rest of us joined them after supper, and had a glorious evening. Singing and shouting as well as our voices would let us — Everything went off well no one being drunk."[2]
Univ won the headship in 1914, the college now being in possession of an original commemorative blade from that time. Sadly, many of that crew did not live to see the end of the Great War.
Univ was most recently Head of the River in 1990/1991.
UCBC's boathouse has become an iconic and instantly recognisable architectural statement in and around Oxford. The original 19th century boathouse, designed by John Oldrid Scott, succumbed to arson in 1999. After eight years, a new boathouse was finished, designed by Belsize Architects. The Boathouse has been awarded a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) prize.[3] The £2.7million structure has enjoyed a very favourable reception in the architectural world. Yuli Toh's article describes the structure as not just a boathouse, but "a grandstand of the first order" arguing that it represents a new age in rowing.[4]
Saturday of Eights’ Week 2007 saw the opening of the new boathouse by Colin Moynihan (1974) who coxed the College and the University, won a silver medal at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, gained a boxing Blue, later became Minister of Sport, and is now Chairman of the British Olympic Association. The ceremony also marked the dedication of the Coleman Viewing Terrace by Jimmy Coleman (1963) and Jamie Coleman (1994); it is named for their generous gift.
UCBC benefits from having one of the most modern fleets on the Isis.
The men's side of the boat club uses the following shells:
| Class | Make | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8+ | Empacher (2006) | Lord and Lady Butler | Named after then Master of the College, and his wife. |
| 8+ | Empacher (2008) | Norman Dix | Named after former Boatman. Name had previously been used for a wooden boat. |
| 8+ | Janousek (2000) | Michael Collins | Named after UCBC Senior Member & Mathematics Fellow. |
| 8+ | Janousek (2000) | Phoenix | ...from the flames (purchased after boathouse fire). |
| 4+ | Janousek (2002) | George Cawkwell II | Named after Emeritus Fellow. |
| 2-/2x (85 kg) | Janousek (2002) | The Two Bills | Named after then Head Porter and Chaplain. |
| 1x (85 kg) | Janousek (2002) | Bob | |
| 1x (65 kg) | Janousek (2002) | David | Named after David Sherriff, benefactor and supporter of UCBC. |
| 1x (70 kg) | Radley | Norman | |
| 1x (80 kg) | Radley | Edward |
The women's side of the Boat Club uses the following shells:
| Class | Make | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8+ | Empacher (2008) | Minnie Coleman | Named after wife of Old Member and benefactor, Jimmy Coleman. |
| 8+ | Janousek (2007) | Margaret Chamberlain | |
| 8+ | Janousek | Marion Screaton II | |
| 8+ | Janousek | Claire Sherriff II | Named after Claire Sherriff, benefactor and supporter of UCBC. |
| 4+ | Janousek (2002) | Marjorie Collins | Named after wife of UCBC Senior Member & Mathematics Fellow. |
The Erg Room is equipped with 8 Model D Concept2 Ergs and stretching/exercise mats, along with changing rooms for crews.
Men's 1st VIII: started 10th in Div 2, 22nd on the river
Wednesday: Bumped Wolfson 1st VIII and Lincoln 1st VII*
Thursday: Bumped Jesus 1st VIII
Friday: Bumped Brasenose 1st VIII
Saturday: Bumped Queen's 1st VIII, and so were awarded blades
Finished 5th in Div 2, 17th on the river
Men's 2nd VIII: started 3rd in Div 4, 39th on the river
Wednesday: Rowed Over
Thursday: Rowed Over
Friday: Bumped by Trinity 2nd VIII
Saturday: Bumped by Hertford 2nd VIII
Finished 5th in Div 4, 41st on the river
Men's 3rd VIII: failed to qualify for Div 6
Women's 1st VIII: started 4th in Div 2, 16th on the river
Wednesday: Bumped by Worcester 1st VIII
Thursday: Bumped by Keble 1st VIII and St. Johns 1st VIII
Friday: Bumped by Wolfson 1st VIII
Saturday: Rowed Over
Finished 8th in Div 2, 20th on the river
Women's 2nd VIII: started 6th in Div 4, 42nd on the river
Wednesday: Bumped by Balliol 3rd VIII and Exeter 2nd VIII
Thursday: Rowed Over
Friday: Bumped by Trinity 2nd VIII
Saturday: Bumped St. Anne's 2nd VIII
Finished 8th in Div 4, 44th on the river
Men's 1st VIII: started 2nd in Div 2, 14th on the river
Wednesday: Bumped by Balliol 1st VIII, Brasenose 1st VIII, Jesus 1st VIII, Lincoln 1st VIII, Hertford 1st VIII, Keble 1st VIII, St Anne's 1st VIII, Magdalen 2nd VIII, S,E.H. 1st VIII, Merton 1st VIII and Wolfson 1st VIII.*
Thursday: Bumped Magdalen 2nd VIII
Friday: Bumped Keble 1st VIII
Saturday: Bumped Merton 1st VIII
Finished 10th in Div 2, 22nd on the river
Men's 2nd VIII: started 11th in Div 3, 35th on the river
Wednesday: Rowed Over
Thursday: Bumped by Mansfield 1st VIII and New College 2nd VIII
Friday: Bumped by Somerville 1st VIII
Saturday: Bumped by Jesus 2nd VIII
Finished 3rd in Div 4, 39th on the river
Women's 1st VIII: started 9th in Div 2, 21st on the river
Wednesday: Bumped Keble 1st VIII
Thursday: Bumped Wolfson 1st VIII
Friday: Bumped St Hugh's 1st VIII
Saturday: Bumped Worcester 1st VIII, and so were awarded blades
Finished 5th in Div 2, 17th on the river
Women's 2nd VIII: started 12th in Div 4, 48th on the river
Wednesday: Bumped Linacre 2nd VIII
Thursday: Bumped St Peter's 1st VIII
Friday: Bumped St Catherines's 2nd VIII
Saturday: Bumped Exeter 2nd VIII, and so were awarded blades
Finished 6th in Div 4, 42nd on the river
Men's 1st VIII: started 5th in Div 1, 5th on the river
Wednesday: Bumped by Christ Church 1st VIII
Thursday: Rowed Over
Friday: Rowed Over
Saturday: Rowed Over
Finished 6th in Div 1, 6th on the river
Men's 2nd VIII: started 10th in Div 3, 34th on the river
Wednesday: Bumped by Somerville 1st VIII
Thursday: Rowed Over
Friday: Bumped by Oriel 2nd VIII
Saturday: Bumped St Hugh's 1st VIII
Finished 11th in Div 3, 35th on the river
Men's 3rd VIII: started 5th in Div 5, 65th on the river
Wednesday: Bumped Wadham 3rd VIII
Thursday: Rowed Over
Friday: Bumped by Wadham 3rd VIII
Saturday: Bumped Wadham 3rd VIII
Finished 4th in Div 3, 64th on the river
Women's 1st VIII: started 6th in Div 2, 18th on the river
Wednesday: Rowed Over
Thursday: Bumped Keble 1st VIII
Friday: Bumped Keble 1st VIII
Saturday: Rowed Over
Finished 4th in Div 2, 16th on the river
Women's 2nd VIII: started 7th in Div 5, 55th on the river
Wednesday: Bumped St John's 3rd VIII
Thursday: Bumped Osler-Green 2nd VIII
Friday: Bumped Queen's 2nd VIII
Saturday: Bumped New 2nd VIII, and so were awarded blades
Finished 3rd in Div 5, 51st on the river
UCBC organises several social events per term, ranging from crew dates through to formal dinners held to celebrate both Torpids and Eights.
Univ members who have rowed or coxed all four days of Summer Eights as part of the Men's 1st VIII are entitled to become a member of the Dinosaurs society. Members who have rowed or coxed all four days of Summer Eights as part of the Women's 1st VIII are entitled to become a member of the Cassandrians society. An annual Dinosars and Cassandrians dinner is held (usually in January) where many Old Members return to the college to celebrate Univ rowing with current members.
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