University of London Boat Club

History

The University of London Boat Club was formed in 1921.

Olympians & Paralympians

ULBC has been represented at every Olympic Games since 1960:

• 1960 Rome – Coxed Pair: S.Farquharson, J.R. Reeves
• 1964 Tokyo – Coxless Pair: S.Farquharson, J.D.Lee
• 1968 Mexico – Eight: M.M.K.Cooper, B.L.A.Carter, M.Malpass, R.D.Yarrow, P.G.Knapp, P.J.Wright, A.A.Bayles, P.L.Thomas, cox, T.Kirk
• 1972 Munich – Coxless Pair: M.M.K. Cooper. Coxed Four: R.W.J. Massara
• 1976 Montreal – Coxless Four: N.A.Keron, D.G.H.Townsend
• 1980 Moscow – Coxless Four: D.G.H.Townsend, M.Cross (Bronze)
• 1984 Los Angeles – Coxless Four: R.G.McBudgett, M.Cross (Gold). Women's Eight: N.V.Boyes, A.Callaway. Coxed Pair: A.M.Genziani
• 1988 Seoul – Eight: A.Obholzer, P.Beaumont, T.Dillon, S.Hassan, S.Jeffries. Coxed Four: M.Cross, J.M. Maxey, V. Thomas
• 1992 Barcelona – Coxless Four: S.Hassan. Eight: M.Cross, T.C.Foster, J.D.C.Walker, cox A.Ellison. Women's Eight: A.Patterson
• 1996 Atlanta – Coxless Four: T.C. Foster, R.Obholzer (Bronze). Eight: M.H.W. Parish, G. Smith, J.D.C. Walker. Lwt Coxless Four: M.R, Rowand Republic of South Africa
• 2000 Sydney – Single Scull: M.Wells. Coxless Four: T.C.Foster (Gold). Lwt Coxless Four: M.R, Rowand for Rep. South Africa. Women's Double: F.Houghton. Women's Eight: A.Beever
• 2004 Athens – Double Scull: M.Wells. Quad Scull: P.Wells. Eight: C.Cormack. Women's Quad Scull: F.Houghton (Silver)
• 2008 Beijing – Double Scull: M.Wells (Bronze). Women's Quad Scull: F.Houghton (Silver). Women's Eight: J.Eddie, C.Greves
• 2012 London – Quad Scull: M.Wells. Women's Quad Scull: F.Houghton, M.Wilson. Women's Eight: J.Eddie, C.Greves
• 2016 Rio de Janeiro – Men's Eight: P. Bennett (Gold). Women's Eight: J.Eddie, C.Greves, F.Houghton, M.Wilson (Silver).
• 2016 Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro – LTA Mixed 4+: J. Fox (Gold).
• 2021 Tokyo - Women's Quad Scull: C. Hodgkins-Byrne. Women's Eight: M. Horn, S. Parfett. Women's Lightweight Double Scull: E. Craig. Men's Coxless Four: O. Cook. Men's Eight: H. Fieldman.
• 2021 Paralympic Games- LTA Mixed 4+: J. Fox (Gold)
• 2024 Paris - Women's lightweight Double Scull: E.Craig (Gold), Women's Eight: H. Fieldman (Bronze), Women's Four: N. Long (IRL)

Coaching team

• Chief coach: Antony Smith
• Senior coach: Tom Gale

Notable members and alumni

• Katie Greves – World Rowing Championship 2007 & 2011 Bronze, Olympic 2008 & 2012 finalist W8+, Olympic 2016 Silver
• Frances Houghton – Four times World Champion and double Olympic silver medallist, 2004–2010 – women's quadruple scull
• Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell – World Champion 2015 in Men's Coxed Pair, World Champion 2014 in Men's Eight, Silver in 2011. World U23 Championships 2010 Silver M4-, World U23 Championships 2009 Bronze M8+, World Junior Championships 2006 Gold M4-
• Tim Foster – Olympic Gold Medalist in 2000
• Cameron Nichol – World Rowing Championship 2010 & 2011 Silver. (Learnt to row at University of London).
• Richard Budgett – Olympic Gold Medalist in 1984.
• Matt Wells – Olympic Bronze Medalist in 2008
• Paul Bennett – Olympic Gold Medalist in 2016, World Champion 2014 & 2015 in the Men's Eight. (Learnt to row at University of London).
• Jessica Eddie – World Rowing Championship 2007 & 2011 Bronze, Olympic 2008 & 2012 finalist W8+
• Ann Redgrave – Olympic rower and Chief Medical Officer to GB Rowing

Member institution boat clubs

Some of the University of London's member institutions have their own boat clubs. Members of these clubs can try out for a place in the University of London Boat Club squad.

• King's College London Boat Club [[File:KCL Blade.png|40px]]
• London School of Economics Rowing Club [[File:LSE Rowing Club Blade.svg|40px]]
• Queen Mary, University of London Boat Club [[File:Queen Mary University of London Boat Club Rowing Blade.svg|40px]]
• Royal Free and University College Medical School Boat Club [[File:RUMS blade2.png|40px]]
• Royal Holloway University of London Boat Club [[File:Royal Holloway University of London Rowing Blade.svg|40px]]
• Royal Veterinary College Boat Club
• St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospitals' Boat Club
• St George's Hospital Boat Club [[File:St George's Hospital Boat Club Rowing Blade.svg|40px]]
• University College London Boat Club [[File:University College London Boat Club Rowing Blade.svg|40px]]

The senior crews of these institutions compete annually for the Allom Cup, while the medical schools take part in the United Hospitals bumps races. Both of these contests take place on the Tideway.

Alumni rowing

The club shares its facilities with an alumni club, UL Tyrian Club. The Tyrian Club has won multiple titles at the Henley Royal Regatta, the most recent being the Wyfold Challenge Cup in 2013.

In 2015 UL Tyrian won events at Henley Masters Regattas and at the Head Of The Charles Regatta, in the USA. In 2019 a UL Tyrian won events at Henley Town & Visitors Regatta and UL Tyrian competed at the World Costal Championships in Hong Kong. The blade colours are purple and white; kit: purple.

Honours

ULBC won the Victor Ludorum at the British Universities and Colleges Sport regatta for the first (and, only) time in 2014.

Henley Royal Regatta

British Rowing Championship

References

1. "University of London Clubs and Societies: Rowing".
2. "High Performance Programmes in Clubs". British Rowing.
3. (19 February 1921). "Guy's Hospital Gazette".
4. "Katie Greves". British Rowing.
5. "Frances Houghton". British Rowing.
6. (2008). "Briitish Rowing Almanack". [[British Rowing]].
7. "Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell". British Rowing.
8. "London School of Economics Rowing Club".
9. "Welcome to RUMSBC".
10. "Rowing". Royal Holloway University of London Students' Union.
11. "Boat Club". Royal Veterinary College Students' Union.
12. "Alumni". Barts and the London Boat Club.
13. "Boat Club". St George's Students' Union.
14. "Tyrian". ULBC.
15. [https://www.britishrowing.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Handbook-2020-v2-PJI-Page-57-Removed-compressed.pdf ''The Umpires' Handbook''] British Rowing, 2020: at p.47.
16. (6 May 2014). "Students shine at 2014 BUCS Regatta". [[British Rowing]].
17. (August 2025). "National Championships".
18. (December 2025). "Rosewell, Mike. "Oxford Brookes put finishing touches to engaging regatta." Times, 22 July 2002, p. 23".
19. (August 2025). ""The results service." Times, 22 July 2002, p. 26".
20. (August 2025). ""Today's fixtures." Times, 21 July 2003, p. 32".
21. (August 2025). ""The Results Service." Times, 19 July 2004, p. 28".
22. (December 2025). ""Nautilus cruise." Times, 18 July 2005, p. 53".
23. (August 2025). ""Rowing." Times, 17 July 2006, p. 57".