Forty juniors, six coaches, one waiting list we are determined to shrink. Inside the programme that feeds the Titans — and what it teaches beyond the water.
The first four sessions
Nobody is expected to know port from starboard on day one. Our learn-to-row course runs over two weekends: balance and blades on the erg, then onto the water in stable training boats with a coach launch alongside. By session four, most beginners are moving a shell together — slowly, splashily, and grinning.
All kit is provided, from buoyancy aids to waterproofs. The only requirement is the ability to swim 50 metres and a willingness to be up early on a Saturday.
“The river does not care who you are. It only rewards crews that move as one.”
From course to crew
Graduates join the development squad: three coached water sessions a week plus strength work in the boathouse gym. Progress is tracked openly — erg scores, technical benchmarks, seat-racing results — so every rower knows exactly what the next step looks like.
Each season, development athletes race at three novice regattas before selection for junior, senior or masters squads. Last year, eleven of our fourteen championship finalists came through this exact route.
More than medals
Ask any Titan what the club gave them and few start with trophies. They talk about 6am sunrises on flat water, about the crew that carried them through exams, injury and new jobs. Rowing rewards patience, honesty and showing up — habits that travel far beyond the boathouse.
The next learn-to-row course starts on the first Saturday of next month and places are capped at sixteen. If you have ever watched a crew glide past and wondered, this is your sign.
Kristin WatsonStroke, Women's Eight Next: Your journey to rowing greatness starts here for the next generation