Cambridge University Women's Boat Club (CUWBC) was 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 a ...

club for women at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. CUWBC fielded both a lightweight eight that races against Oxford at the Henley Boat Races, and two openweight eights that race at the Women's Boat Race. In April 2020 it was agreed that the club would be combined with the men's club CUBC and the lightweight men's club CULRC.

History

Early days of the club

Women began rowing on the

River Cam The River Cam () is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England. After leaving Cambridge, it flows north and east before joining the River Great Ouse to the south of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Ely, at Pope's Corner. The total distanc ...

in the 19th century, mainly from Newnham College Boat Club, but only on a recreational level. Newnham competed against the Oxford University Women's Boat Club (OUWBC) from 1927 until 1939. For the first few "races", the two crews were not permitted to be on the river at the same time, and the winner was largely determined on style merit marks, rather than boat speed. The first side-by-side racing started in 1936. The first ''blues'' were awarded in 1941, when CUWBC raced against OUWBC. All of the rowers in 1941 were members of Newnham. The following year, the first Girton rower competed. In 1962, the CUWBC rowed in the men's

bumps race A bumps race is a form of rowing (sport), rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and 'bump' the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind. The form is mainly used in C ...

s, in the 8th division. CUWBC succeeded in bumping a men's crew only 7 times (in both the

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

and May Bumps) in the 12 years that they competed, often being bumped very quickly, and on one occasion getting ''triple-overbumped''. CUWBC last competed in the bumps in 1973 – the following year, the first dedicated women's bumping races began.

Women's rowing

Until the foundation of the Cambridge University Combined Boat Club (CUCBC) in the mid-1990s, the CUWBC controlled the rules and races for all women's rowing. The CUWBC rules often differed from the rules for the men, which were governed by the Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC). Eventually, as the number of women rowing increased to rival that of the men, the CUCBC was founded to bring all college rowing under the control of a single entity, leaving the CUWBC to concentrate on the Henley Boat Races.

Women's Boat Race on the Tideway

Through sponsorship from Newton Investment Management, the CUWBC Blue Boat race took place on the Tideway on the same day as the men's Boat Race for the first time in 2015.

Honours

Henley Royal Regatta

British champions

References

External links

Cambridge University Women’s Blue BoatCrew lists from 1941 to the presentCambridge University Combined Boat ClubsHenley Boat Races
{{United Kingdom rowing clubs Sports clubs and teams established in 1940 1940 establishments in England University and college rowing clubs in the United Kingdom Women's Boat Race Rowing clubs of the River Cam Rowing clubs of the River Great Ouse