Robinson College Boat Club is the

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 ...

club for members of

Robinson College, Cambridge Robinson College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1977, it is one of the newest Oxbridge colleges and is unique in having been intended, from its inception, for both ...

. Robinson is one of the newest colleges of

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and its men's and women's crews both appeared in 1981 for the first time. The men's 1st VIII rose steadily in the

Lent Bumps The Lent Bumps (also Lent Races, Lents) are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, which are bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had be ...

, competing continuously in the 1st division from 1998 to 2008 and rising as high as 9th in 2001. After briefly dropping into the 2nd division in 2008, recent years have seen a resurgence, with blades in

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and

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moving Robinson up to 10th on the river in Lents. In the

May Bumps The May Bumps (also May Races, Mays) are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge, England. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of M ...

, the men's 1st VIII was in the 1st division continuously from 1995 to 2008, finishing 4th on the river in 2003. Recent Mays results have been mixed, with a brief foray back into the 1st division in

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before an unlucky year in

dropping the crew back into the 2nd division. The women's 1st VIII have had a continuous existence in the Lents 2nd division since 1982, apart from a brief visit to the 1st division in 1992. In the May Bumps, the 1st women's IV dropped into the 3rd division by 1987 after being ''double-overbumped'' (dropping five places in a single day) on three occasions since 1982. Robinson's 1st women's VIII were positioned at the bottom of the 1st division following the reorganisation of the start order in 1990 when the May Bumps changed to eight-oared boats, and have spent most of the time since then in the top half of the 2nd division or the bottom few crews of the 1st, rising as high as 13th in

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. Recent years have seen mixed results, with the crew currently 15th in the 2nd division in Lents, and 13th in the 2nd in Mays. The Robinson lower boats have had varying degrees of success over the years - recent highlights include the 2nd Women's VIII earning blades in Mays 2010, and the 2nd Men's VIII repeating the feat in both

and

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Notable alumni

John Pritchard, represented

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

in the boat race and won silver in the Men's VIII at the 1980 Olympics

External links

Robinson College Boat Club website
{{United Kingdom rowing clubs Rowing clubs of the University of Cambridge

Boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

Sports clubs and teams established in 1981 1981 establishments in England Rowing clubs in Cambridgeshire Rowing clubs in England Rowing clubs of the River Cam