Rowing

One of the premier school boat clubs in the country, the opportunities to participate in and excel at one of the most exhilarating sports are plentiful.

One of the premier school boat clubs in the country, the opportunities to participate in and excel at one of the most exhilarating sports are plentiful.

Rowing as part of a crew develops a team spirit found in few other sports. The rigours of training also teach skills such as time management, organisation and application.

Our boathouse is on campus and opens straight out onto the Thames, site of the historic Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race. The Boat Club trains and races all year round. Local races take place roughly every fortnight, offering the chance for our rowers to pit themselves against crews from other clubs and schools. Later on in the season, national regattas take place, notably the National Schools’ Regatta and, the pinnacle of any rower’s career, Henley Royal Regatta.

After an outstanding year in 2022, our rowers have continued to excel at national and international level. The 1st VIII put on a stellar performance at Henley Royal Regatta to win the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup against some seriously tough opposition, as well as being the youngest team ever to have won the event. Read the news piece here. This is the third time in recent years St Paul’s have won the prestigious PE Challenge Cup, the other victories being in 2018 and 2015. With a young, immensely talented crew coming up the ranks, the future for St Paul’s rowing is very bright indeed.

Many Pauline rowers have gone on to represent GB at junior, U23 and senior level. There really is no limit to what pupils can achieve with the club, with victories at local, national and even international events.

Every year, several members of the Boat Club trial for the Great Britain junior squads, frequently getting the opportunity to represent GB at one of the junior international regattas held in the summer. This year, several Pauline rowers were selected for GB crews competing in the Junior World Championships in Tokyo.

Regular trips for rowers include a training camp in Portugal and the J14 training camp in Peterborough. As well as the notable Henley Royal Regatta and National Schools’ Regatta, popular annual highlights for the Boat Club include the Schools’ Head races, Pudding VIIIs and the Boat Club Dinner.

Colet Boat Club

The achievements of rowers from St Paul’s School do not end when they leave the school. If pupils want to carry on rowing at university, rowing at SPSBC provides them with an excellent foundation for this. Many students have gone on to represent their universities, including Oxford and Cambridge in the Boat Race. Pauline rowers are also becoming a fixture of top US varsity crews including Harvard and Yale.

In 2019, OP Freddie Davidson (2011-16) achieved a triumphant win for Cambridge in the Boat Race, with OP Leo von Malaise stroking Isis for Oxford.

That’s not all, a select few even go on to row at senior international and Olympic level.

Gallery

Head of the Charles Regatta 2019