SCBC

Rowing at Cambridge has a very strong tradition and is the most popular extra-curricular activity with almost half of undergraduates having rowed sometime during their degree. Most students take up rowing at Cambridge, having never rowed previously. Through the college system they are provided with an excellent opportunity to try the sport and take it as far as they wish. Over the years many rowers who have learnt to row at Cambridge have progressed to row in the prestigious Boat Race against Oxford alongside international standard athletes who now partake in this event.

Selwyn College Boat Club has been exceptionally successful over the last few years, despite Selwyn being one of the smaller colleges. Both the men's and women's VIIIs have places in the first divisions of the Bumps races, in both the Lent and May races. In the 2003 Mays the first men moved up 3 places over the four days of racing, and the second men were awarded their blades after moving up 5 places (this was achieved by overbumping on one of the days, where a boat moves up 3 places). The first women's boat performed extremely well in the Head of the River Race in Lent term, starting 258th out of 262 boats, and finishing 140th. 2005 saw the first men's boat reach their highest placing in the Lent Bumps for 14 years, whilst the second men's boat ascended three places in both terms, on both occasions narrowly missing out on blades.

In the last few years members of the boat club have had great success at both Varsity and international level. In 1999, Jenny Baker was selected to row in the women's reserve crew against Oxford in the Women's Boat Race and Mark Snowball coxed the men's reserve crew in the famous Men's Boat Race in 2000. Mark was later selected to cox the Great Britain Under 23 IV at the Nations' Cup in Copenhagen and won the gold medal in his event. Graham Brook rowed in 2002 lightweight reserve boat, and Easter 2003 saw Emily Beach in the women's reserve crew racing Oxford. In 2005, Dyfan Howells coxed the lightweight men's boat, and Lisa Taylor rowed for the women's reserve crew. Even after leaving college our rowers achieve great things: both Naomi Siddall and Charlotte Dalton have trialled for Great Britain and Charlotte now strokes the Thames Rowing Club first VIII. All these athletes learned to row at Selwyn, reflecting the strength of the Club's techniques.

SCBC's future is extremely bright, with the 2004-05 season being one of the most successful for the club in recent years. We hope to see this increase in the strength and size of the club continue, and we are looking forward to continuing our rise in the Bumps rankings and to being amongst the most successful crews on the river.