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Oxford University Women's Boat Club

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Oxford University Women's Boat Club
LocationWallingford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Home waterRiver Thames
Founded1927 (1927)
Key people
Andy Nelder (Chief Coach)
UniversityUniversity of Oxford
Websitewww.ouwbc.org
OUWBC Crest

Oxford University Women's Boat Club (OUWBC) was the rowing club for female rowers (and coxes of either sex) who were students at the University of Oxford.[1] The club was founded in 1926 and was based in Wallingford at the Fleming Boat House, along with OUBC, OUWLRC and OULRC.[2]

In 2023, OUWBC merged with OUBC, OUWLRC and OULRC to form one Oxford University Boat Club.[3]

The training season ran from September through to July, with the major event, the Women's Boat Race against Cambridge University Women's Boat Club (CUWBC), happening in March or April.[4] Up until 2015 the Women's Boat Race had taken place over 2000m as part of the Henley Boat Races on the Henley Reach.

In 2015, for the first time, the Women's Boat Race took place on the 6.8 km Championship Course on the Tideway, and was televised on the BBC alongside the Men's Boat Race.

In 2023, OUWBC was dissolved as a part of a merger between the various rowing clubs that represent Oxford at a University Level into one Oxford University Boat Club.[5]

History

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See also: The Women's Boat Race

The original challenge between the Oxford and Cambridge University boat clubs was issued in 1829. As a result, two men's eights raced on the river at Henley-on-Thames. In 1836 the race was moved to the Tideway in London, and it has remained there ever since. At this time rowing was not seen as an appropriate sport for a lady. However, towards the end of the century attitudes began to change.

The two universities caught onto the trend a few decades later and OUWBC was formed in May 1926.[6] Following on from this the 'Ladies' Boat Race' was founded in 1927. The first races took place on The Isis in Oxford and took the form of a time and style contest, since the Principals of the women's colleges disapproved of racing.[6] The OUWBC was disbanded for financial reasons in 1953 but re-formed in 1964. The races were held alternately on The Isis and The Cam and in 1975 a 2nd VIII race was added.[7] In 1977 the 'Women's Boat Race' was invited to join the men's lightweights at Henley and so the 'Henley Boat Races' were established. At this time, the women's reserve race crews were named 'Osiris' (Oxford) and 'Blondie' (Cambridge) to parallel the men's reserves 'Isis' and 'Goldie'. From 1977 to 2014 the Women's Boat Race continued to be held at Henley over 2000m (excluding 2013 where the race was moved to Dorney Lake due to flooding).

Sponsorship and the move to the Tideway

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OUWBC in training at training camp, January 2012

Following a sponsorship deal with Newton Investment Management, established shortly before the Women's Boat Race 2011, parent company BNY Mellon announced in February that they would be sponsoring both the men's and women's boat races from the 2013 race. This sponsorship was key in enabling the Women's Boat Race to move to the Tideway in 2015.[8]

Since the 2012 race, Newton Investment Management has provided equal funding to OUWBC and CUWBC to enable the clubs to employ full time professional coaches and a support team to transition ‘from a student-run club to a pre-elite team’[9] on their road to the Tideway.[10]

2015 Newton Women's Boat Race

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Further information: The Boat Races 2015

In 2015, the Women's Boat Race took place on the Championship Course between the University stones at Putney and Mortlake on 11 April.[11] The Reserve boat, Osiris, raced the Cambridge reserve boat, Blondie, on 10 April over the same course.[12]

OUWBC competing at Women's Eights Head of the River on the Tideway, March 2012

Osiris Honours

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British champions

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Year Winning crew/s
1986 Women 4x[13]
2007 Women 8+[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ltd., Riskpoint. "OUWBC - About". ouwbc.org. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  2. ^ "OXFORD UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BOAT CLUB". The Boat Race Company Limited. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  3. ^ "The Oxford Union". Hear The Boat Sing. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  4. ^ "The BNY Mellon Boat Races - About the Race". theboatraces.org. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1988). The Encyclopædia of Oxford. London: Macmillan. p. 311. ISBN 0-333-39917-X.
  7. ^ Monica Fisher 1975,76 + 77 Blue
  8. ^ "The fight for Boat Race equality". BBC. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  9. ^ Ltd., Riskpoint. "OUWBC - Coaching Team". ouwbc.org. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  10. ^ "Boat Race tide changes as women's race set to be given equal billing with men". The Telegraph. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  11. ^ "The BNY Mellon Boat Races - The Newton Women's Boat Race – Race Report". theboatraces.org. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  12. ^ "The BNY Mellon Boat Races - 2016 BNY Mellon Boat Races Timings". theboatraces.org. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Railton, Jim. "Leander take Kingston with a late charge." Times, 21 July 1986, p. 28". Times Digital Archives.
  14. ^ "Full archive of results". Web Archive. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
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