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patrick-harvey
18th November 2015

SPORTLIGHT: University of Manchester’s Rowing

SPORTLIGHT aims to give an insight into a whole range of sports teams across the University of Manchester; this week, we have rowing!
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This week, The Mancunion Sport will be turning its focus to rowing at university level!

A pre-lecture 7am meet for training at the Sale Boat Club does not feature in the timetable of most students. However, if that sounds like your type of thing, look no further than the Manchester University Boat Club (MUBC).

Second year rower Dominic Rogers describes his experiences as “long and painful, yet exponentially rewarding.” That seems a fair assessment of a lifestyle that features as many as 12 training sessions in a week. As Dom states, however, it is not all pain. There are socials most Wednesdays at the Athletics Union or Fallowfield’s 256, where the team really get to know one another, as well as being able to flaunt their six-packs over the rest of us who gave the 7am meet at Sale a miss. Becoming a member is far from a half-hearted decision, and despite the discomfort, it seems to be a decision that will revolutionise your personal health and social life.

Additionally, you certainly do not need to have come from Eton or have had any experience in a rowing boat to join. Just ask third year Jake Brown who in his first year of rowing went to GB trials. Eton graduates are of course also welcome, with four squads available. There is the Novice Men’s and Novice Women for beginners as well as the Senior Men and Senior Women. There is also the Cox’s team, for those who like the idea of shouting at their friends. The names and contact details of the captains of the squads are on the MUBC website, just message one of them if you are interested in joining.

The last year has been of mixed success for our squads, with a handful of notable performances. They successfully qualified for multiple prestigious races such as the Henley Royal Regatta, Head of the River Race in London, Marlow at Eton and BUCS Regatta. Although qualification was a success, our squads will be hoping for better performances this time around in each of the events. Although, there was one standout performance from Peter Zelinka who won the lightweight men’s single scull at BUC’s Regatta. The most noteworthy result of the year was clearly at the Varsity against Salford in April, where we demolished our local rivals in a 7-0 whitewash.

When discussing the Boat Club, it is also imperative to recognize some of the ex-members who have gone on to represent us on the international stage. Zak Lee-Green, Hugh Gallie and Graeme Thomas are all currently representing GB after proudly sporting the colours of the MUBC in the past. It’s not just ex-rowers who have impressed at a national level. Head Coach Mathew Hackett is an ex Boston Marathon winner, a highly competitive race in Lincolnshire.

Hackett and the Senior Men are currently looking to qualify for Henley, and to improve on last year’s performance. Be sure to visit their website mubc.org.uk to keep up to date with their results. We at The Mancunion certainly wish them the best of luck with all endeavours over the coming season. Also, once again, do not be afraid to message one of the captains if you want to drastically improve both your physical well-being and social life by becoming a member of the MUBC.


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