__NOTOC__ Grosvenor Rowing Club is based on the Groves in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

. It rows on the River Dee and has around 30 km of rowable river, much of which straight and broad. The club colours are dark blue and orange.

History

Grosvenor or is named in honour of the Grosvenor family who own the land on which the club is built. The club names its eights (8+s) after members of the family. The club was formed in 1869 to enable the less fortunate people of Chester to take up the sport of rowing. The club's crest states "

Virtus non stemma ''Virtus non stemma'' is Latin for "Valor, not garland". This is the Duke of Westminster's motto at his stately home in Eaton. The motto means, less literally: Courage, not pomp. The Duke also has many stately homes with the same motto. It is the ...

" which translates to "Valor, not garland" or "Virtue, not pedigree" derived from the motto of the

Duke of Westminster Duke of Westminster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. It is the most recent dukedom conferred on someone not related to the ...

's Eaton Hall home (hist. Earl Grosvenor) which is their surname, which is further up the Dee. The motto also sums up the open membership of the club since its inauguration; originally contrasting to the closed membership of

Royal Chester Rowing Club Royal Chester Rowing Club is a rowing club based on the Groves in Chester. It rows on the River Dee with both men's and women's squads and members ranging from juniors of 14 upwards to Veteran oarsmen and women. History Founded in 1838, the c ...

which was traditionally home to the alumni of the "public" independent

King's School, Chester The King's School, Chester, is a British co-educational independent day school for children aged 4 to 18. It is one of the seven 'King's Schools' established (or re-endowed and renamed) by King Henry VIII in 1541 after the Dissolution of t ...

. Today the rivalry is sporting rather than based on social class as both clubs have completely open membership policies. In 2019 the club celebrated its 150th anniversary and were honoured to be granted a row-past by Sir Steve Redgrave on the Saturday lunchtime of

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...

Recent results

In 2019 (the club's 150 year) Lucy Iball, in the Aspirational Single Sculls (A1x), won the Bernard Churcher Trophy at

Henley Women's Regatta Henley Women's Regatta, often abbreviated to "HWR" or "Women's Henley", is a rowing regatta held at Henley-on-Thames, England. Chris Aistrop and Rosemary Mayglothling were jointly responsible for setting up the Regatta in June 1988 and Aistrop ...

. She also became the club's first-ever women's sculler to qualify for

in the

Princess Royal Challenge Cup The Princess Royal Challenge Cup is a rowing event for women's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land b ...

2014 saw the Grosvenor senior women's intermediate club fours win The Lester Trophy at

."Rowing - Grosvenor RC Celebrating"
''The Chester Chronicle'', June 2014 Grosvenor's men's 1st VIII/8+ finished 14th at the 2008

Head of the River Race The Head of the River Race (HORR) is an against-the-clock ('processional') sport rowing, rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England between eights, other such races being the Schools' Head of the River Race, Women's Head of ...

after starting 153rd, beaten narrowly to the Jackson Trophy (One of three regional cups, namely for British non-tideway, non-Thames basin clubs) by 5 seconds by

Agecroft Rowing Club Agecroft Rowing Club is a rowing club based at Salford Quays, Greater Manchester, England. It was formerly based close to the Agecroft Hall in Pendleton north. Its current location is its third within today's City of Salford on a site close to ...

, Manchester who finished 11th. The latter boat was seeded in 37th place which can provide flatter water. In 2008 the men's 1st 8+ reached the quarter finals of the

Thames Challenge Cup The Thames Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's eights at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from a single rowing club A rowing club is a club for people interest ...

emulating the club's successes at the 2007 regatta. In 2007 Grosvenor's Coxless Four (4-) which reached the semi-finals at

in the

Wyfold Challenge Cup The Wyfold Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from a single rowing club. Boat clubs from any university, college ...

. They beat

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

'D',

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

and

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

before knocked out by eventual winners 1829 Boat Club which is the name used for composites of

CUBC The Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England. The club was founded in 1828 and has been located at the Goldie Boathouse on the River Cam, Cambridge since 1882. Nowadays, training primarily ...

and

OUBC Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the rowing club for male, heavyweight oarsman of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century. The Boat Race The club races agai ...

alumni clubs/divisions Crabtree BC and Bosporos RC.

Honours

British champions

References

External links