London Rowing Club (LRC, or colloquially, 'London') is the second-oldest of the non-academic active

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

clubs on the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

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 ...

, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1856 by members of the long-disbanded Argonauts Club wishing to compete at

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 ...

. It is regarded as one of the most successful rowing clubs in Britain and its patron was

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...

History

The club was founded in 1856 at the instigation of

Herbert Playford Herbert Harlee Playford (1831 – 1 January 1883) was a British rower who won the Wingfield Sculls and the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta. He was instrumental in founding London Rowing Club and the Metropolitan Regatta. Playfor ...

, A. A. Casamajor and

Josias Nottidge Josias Nottidge (1828–1873) was an English rower who twice won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta. Nottidge rowed initially for Wandle Club . He took part in the Wingfield Sculls in 1853 when it was won by James Paine. In the heat, there ...

for the purpose of promoting rowing on the river Thames and winning medals at

. These three formed part of the crew that won the

Grand Challenge Cup The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and best-known event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing cl ...

at Henley in 1857. LRC is the second oldest of the non-academic type in London; the oldest is

Poplar Blackwall and District Rowing Club Poplar Blackwall and District Rowing Club is a rowing club in Millwall, on the River Thames in England, on the northern bank of the Thames opposite Greenwich on the Isle of Dogs, London. Club history Poplar Blackwall and District Rowing Club was ...

having taken that status from

Leander Club Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior to ...

which gradually migrated from 1897 to 1961 to

Henley on Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Bucking ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

. The club and its members were fundamental in the setting up and evolution of the

Metropolitan Regatta The Metropolitan Regatta is an international rowing regatta. It takes place on Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire near Eton next to the River Thames in southern England. It attracts crews from schools, clubs, and universities from around the United K ...

It is one of the seven founding clubs of the

Remenham Club The Remenham Club is a private members club near the village of Remenham on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames near Henley-on-Thames, on the reach of the river that plays host to the annual Henley Royal Regatta. It was formed in 1909 by ...

at Henley and was one of five clubs which retained the right to appoint representatives directly to the Council of

British Rowing British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA), is the national governing body for the sport of rowing (both indoor and on-water rowing). It is responsible for the training and selection of individual rowers and crews representin ...

. This right was removed from those five clubs in September 2012.

Modern day

Phelan Hill Phelan Hill (born 21 July 1979) is a British rowing coxswain. He is a three-time world champion and an Olympic gold medallist. He competed in the Men's eight event at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal. In 2016, he competed in t ...

was the cox of the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 Gold Medal Open eight.

Jess Eddie Jessica Jane Eddie (born 7 October 1984 in Durham) is a British rower. She won a silver medal in the women's eight at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Rowing 2011 She was part of the British squad that topped the medal table at the 20 ...

was in the Women's eight that won the Silver Medal at Rio Olympic Games in 2016

Sophie Hosking Sophie Hannah Marguerite Hosking MBE (born 25 January 1986) is a retired British rower. Personal life Hosking was born in 1986. The lightweight rower David Hosking is her father. She attended Kingston Grammar School in London, before completi ...

the Gold Medal winner and Rob Williams competed for Great Britain at the London Olympic Games in 2012 in the women's lightweight double sculls and men's lightweight coxless four. Most recently the club won the Wyfolds in 2011 and also provided half of the oarsmen in the composite international lightweight crews that won the Club Quads in 2007. Two of its members,

James Lindsay-Fynn James Lindsay-Fynn (born 29 September 1975 in Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mo ...

and James Clarke, competed in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 as part of the Lightweight Men's Coxless Fours. Nick Strange and Ben Helm competed in the Lightweight double sculls and Lightweight four at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. The London lightweight four of 1994; Butt, Watson, Strange and Helm set a Worlds best time for Open and Lightweight fours of 05:48:86 (Paris, May '94)

Facilities

London Rowing Club began in rented rooms at Star & Garter Pub in Putney. Today, the club has a substantial boathouse (altered and extended in 1974, 2008 and 2018/19) by

Putney Bridge Putney Bridge is a Grade II listed bridge over the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. The bridge has medieval parish churches beside its abutments: St Mary's Church, Putney is built on the so ...

. The new Peter Coni Gym was opened in 2019 by present and past club Presidents Mike Baldwin and Mike Williams. It occupies the space over the rowing tank that dated back to the 1920s, the old men's changing room and the old gym. The design specification required a low

carbon footprint A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...

resulting in a modern passive ventilation system among other items. At the opening some of the membership commented that "at least one can now close the holes in the walls".

Members

Former members of the club include the British racing driver

Graham Hill Norman Graham Hill (15 February 1929 – 29 November 1975) was a British racing driver and team owner, who was the Formula One World Champion twice, winning in and as well as being runner up on three occasions (1963, 1964 and 1965). Despite ...

, the

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

World Champion in 1962 and 1968 and only driver to win the

Triple Crown of Motorsport The Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement, often regarded as winning three of the most prestigious motor races in the world in one's career: * the Indianapolis 500 (first held in 1911 Indianapolis 500, 1911) * the 24 H ...

. From 1952 to 1954, Hill rowed in twenty finals with London, usually as stroke of the crew, eight of which resulted in wins. He also stroked the London eight for the highly ranked clubs/composites cup at Henley Royal Regatta. He used the colours of the club as his motor racing helmet design, as have his descendants, Formula One World Champion racing driver son, Damon, and Formula Renault driver

Josh Josh is a masculine given name, frequently a diminutive (hypocorism) of the given names Joshua or Joseph, though since the 1970s, it has increasingly become a full name on its own. It may refer to: People A–J * "Josh", an early pseudonym of S ...

. Current club members include international rowers for Great Britain, Ireland and Germany, and include: * James Clarke *Jess Eddie *Danny Harte *Phelan Hill *Stephen Feeney *Sophie Hosking *James Lindsay-Fynn *

Mathilde Pauls Mathilde Pauls (born 26 September 1983 in Berlin, Germany) is a German and British rower. She won the lightweight women's double at 2005 Amsterdam U23 World Championships together with Maxi Grützmacher. The same year she had also finished 3rd a ...

*Rob Williams The former chief

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

was Australian silver medallist

Paul Reedy Paul Reedy (born 21 January 1961 in Robinvale, Victoria) is an Australian former rower. He is a dual Olympian, an Olympic and Commonwealth Games silver medalist who competed over a seventeen-year period at the elite level. He was a fourteen-time ...

Honours

Recent British champions

Henley Royal Regatta

References

* Water Boiling Aft: London Rowing Club, the First 150 Years 1856-2006 Author Christopher Dodd

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Sports clubs established in 1856 Remenham Club Founding Clubs Tideway Rowing clubs Sport in the London Borough of Wandsworth 1856 establishments in England Rowing clubs of the River Thames