Wadham College Boat Club
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Location | Boathouse Island, Christ Church Meadow, Oxford, UK | ||||||||||||||
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Affiliations | British Rowing (boat code WAD) Christ's College BC (Sister college) | ||||||||||||||
Website | www | ||||||||||||||
Acronym | WCBC |
Wadham College Boat Club (WCBC) is the rowing club of Wadham College, Oxford, in Oxford, United Kingdom. The club's members are students and staff from Wadham College and Harris Manchester College. Founded circa. 1837, Wadham has had success both within Oxford and externally in regattas such as Henley Royal Regatta.
The boat club is based in its boathouse on the Isis, which is shared with St Anne's College Boat Club and St Hugh's College Boat Club, as well as in Godstow.
History
The first official record of the boat club’s existence appeared in 1837 when the club was officially constituted. The Wadham 1st Eight competed in the first ever race of the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 1839, and narrowly lost to Trinity College, Cambridge. This defeat would be avenged in the next decade when, in 1849, Wadham raced Trinity, Cambridge and Oriel College in the Ladies' Challenge Plate and the Grand Challenge Cup on successive days. Wadham won both races with Trinity as the runner-up and Oriel in a distant third.[1] It is from this defeat of Trinity that Wadham claimed its traditional right to wear Cambridge Blue as its boating colours, and to this day the 1st Eight Blazers and Ties continue this tradition.[2]
By 1897 Wadham College had emulated the example of the rest of the colleges and invested in a permanent Wadham Barge to serve as a rowing base on the Isis.[3] A new boathouse was built in 1989 and is now shared with St. Anne's and St. Hugh's colleges.
The year 1974 saw the first admission of women to the College, and in 1975 a women’s team was officially created. The first year of the women’s club was extraordinarily successful, and the women dominated the university by winning the Christ Church Regatta and the Lady Margaret Hall Regatta. In 1976 a women’s division was added to the Summer Eights schedule, and following a random draw which placed the Wadham women at 3rd on the river they immediately bumped up to second and first on successive days, and then rowed over on the Friday and Saturday to claim the first Women’s Head of the River.[4]
Recent form
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Wadham_Women_Training_at_Godstow.jpg/220px-Wadham_Women_Training_at_Godstow.jpg)
In recent years, Wadham College Boat Club has achieved great successes in and out of Oxford rowing.
The Women's Side last gained Torpids headship in 2019 with their first boat and had their most recent blades win in 2022, again with the first boat. The Eights headship was won in 2017 by W1 for the fourth year in a row. External successes include a 4+ composed of W1 members racing at Women's Henley in 2022.
Currently, W1 sits 8th on the river for Torpids and 2nd on the river for Eights, both in Division 1. W2 is in Division 4 for both.
The Open Side of the club (formerly the Men's side) has also seen success with their most recent blades win being in Torpids 2023 with the second eight crew, also gaining 2nd VIII headship.
O1 sits 11th on the river for Torpids and Eights, in Division 1. O2 is in Division 3 for Torpids and Division 4 for Eights.
Membership
Membership in the boat club is open to all students and staff of Wadham College and Harris Manchester College.
Additionally, the Wadham College Boat Club Society (WCBCS) is made up of Wadham College Boat Club current members and alumni. The society plays an active role in the running of the club, including fundraising and donations for equipment. The highlight of the year is the annual Society boat race, with mixed crews racing against each other in 4+'s, and then a formal dinner in Hall. Society members also receive the "Wadham College Boat Club Society" newsletter, published yearly.
Equipment
Fleet[5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/M1_Summer_8s_2022.jpg/220px-M1_Summer_8s_2022.jpg)
Open boats
- 2022 Filippi 8+ "Spirit of Niccolo"[6]
- 2018 Salani 8+ "Sir Ralph Waller"
- 2016 Filippi 4+ "Paul Bowen"
- 2014 Filippi 8+ "Kristanne Claire"
- 1996 Janousek 8+ "Spirit of Nelson"
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Wadham_W1%2C_Summer_Eights_2023.jpg/220px-Wadham_W1%2C_Summer_Eights_2023.jpg)
Women's boats
- 2022 Filippi 8+ “Dorothy Wadham”
- 2018 Salani 8+ "Spirit of 76"
- 2016 Filippi 4+ "Alpha"
- 2014 Filippi 8+ "Rod Andrews"
- 1997 Janousek 8+ "Mary Margherita"
Small boats
- 2017 Falcon 1x "Vere Ducker"
- 2016 Falcon 1x "Dorothy"
- Pre 1994 Aylings 2x/2- "John Fleming"
- Pre 1994 Janousek 1x "Harry Fawcett"
- Pre 1994 Janousek 1x "Ben Arber"
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Ergs_in_the_College_Gym.jpg/220px-Ergs_in_the_College_Gym.jpg)
Ergometers
The boat club has eight dynamic concept2 ergometers in the Wadham College gym, and eight static concept2 ergs in its boathouse.
Training locations
The bulk of novice and lower boat water training occurs on the Isis out of Wadham's boathouse. The senior squads typically train on the Godstow stretch of the Thames near the Trout Inn.
Social life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Wadham_College_Boat_Club_at_Eights_Dinner_2023.jpg/220px-Wadham_College_Boat_Club_at_Eights_Dinner_2023.jpg)
Wadham rowers enjoy a varied social life within the club with Torpids and Eights dinners, Society dinner, 'Captains' Cocktails', 'Presidents' Prosecco' and crewdates.
Honours
Henley Royal Regatta
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Wadham_Women_at_Henley_Women%27s_Regatta_2022.jpg/220px-Wadham_Women_at_Henley_Women%27s_Regatta_2022.jpg)
Year | Races won |
---|---|
1849 | Grand Challenge Cup, Ladies' Challenge Plate |
1908 | Thames Challenge Cup |
1909 | Thames Challenge Cup |
Torpids
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Torpids_Celebration.jpg/220px-Torpids_Celebration.jpg)
Year | Results |
---|---|
2012 | M2 Blades |
2013 | W2 2nd VIII Headship |
2014 | M2 Blades |
2015 | W1 Headship, M3 Blades (3rd VIII Headship), W2 Blades (2nd VIII Headship) |
2018 | M3 Blades |
2019 | W1 Headship |
2022 | W1 Blades |
2023 | M2 Blades (2nd VIII Headship) |
Summer Eights
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/M2_Summer_Eights.jpg/220px-M2_Summer_Eights.jpg)
Year | Results |
---|---|
2013 | W2 Blades (2nd VIII Headship) |
2014 | W1 Headship, W2 2nd VIII Headship |
2015 | W1 Headship, W2 2nd VIII Headship |
2016 | W1 Headship, W3 Blades |
2017 | W1 Headship |
Tamesis Regatta (Formerly Christchurch Regatta or Michaelmas Novice Regatta)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Novice_Men_A.jpg/220px-Novice_Men_A.jpg)
Year | Results |
---|---|
2016 | NM1 Winners |
2017 | NW1 Winners |
2018 | NW1 Winners |
Oriel Regatta
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Oriel_Regatta.jpg/220px-Oriel_Regatta.jpg)
Year | Results |
---|---|
2013 | W1 W 8+ Winners |
References
- ^ Wells, J (1898). Wadham College: College History, (London).
- ^ "Wadham At Henley". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
- ^ Sherriff, C. (2003). The Oxford College Barges, (London).
- ^ "The History of Wadham College Boat Club". Archived from the original on 25 July 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
- ^ Andrews, Rod; Legge, Isabelle (24 September 2023). "Fleet on Fleek". Wadham College Boat Club Society News (50).
- ^ Owens, John (24 September 2022). "Niccolò Boat Naming" (PDF). Wadham College Boat Club Society News (49).
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Wadham College Boat Club
- Oxford University Rowing Clubs
- A General History of Oxford College Rowing
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- Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC)
- Oxford University Rowing Clubs (OURCs)
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