The term ‘Boat Club’, when used in conversation, often evokes connotations of Oxford and Cambridge and their annual ‘Great Boat race’. What some people are not aware of however, is that here at Lancaster we have our very own boat club, affectionately referred to as LUBC, which prides itself upon its claim of being the University’s oldest competing society.
Newcomers to the University often find themselves intrigued by the possibility of joining the Boat Club, a curiousness perhaps heightened by the exclusivity of the sport itself and the limited areas nationwide that have the necessary physical conditions to host a rowing club. Lancaster itself has an almost perfect setup. With the LUBC boathouse located just a short journey outside of town by the banks of the river Lune, the University is able to capitalise upon a picturesque and adequately sized waterway of which the Boat Club consistently use upon a weekly basis.
As with many other sporting societies, this time of year sees an intense period of planning and preparation for the upcoming regatta season, ensuring both new-coming novices are fully trained and returning seniors are in peak physical condition. The beauty of the sport itself however is that very few people who join LUBC within their opening term at Lancaster have actually experienced rowing before. This results in the Boat Club being a very relaxed society to become a part of and instantly creates a sense of unity between groups of people who are collectively learning a new sport together.
Many changes have occurred within the boat club since the end of the last academic year regarding crew captains and personnel. Former novice captain Alex King has now stepped up to the role of club captain whilst former men’s senior rower Tim Mitchell has now become the LUBC head coach. Both these changes have provided a steadfast way of ensuring the clubs ethos and tradition stays within the heart of the boathouse, with familiar faces at the helm.
With the upcoming race season just around the corner, the LUBC crews will be hoping to be in pristine physical condition in order to hit the ground running. Monday mornings will see a challenging yet rewarding start to the week with early fitness circuits and interval training. Alongside this, weekly outings upon the Lune will take place each weekend, enabling returning seniors to shake off the summer’s rust and for LUBC newcomers to begin to hone the techniques of a new sport.
As the regatta season begins to unfold, LUBC will see itself competing in various locations across northern England. Major events include Head of River Race (HoRR) and its female counterpart – Women’s Head of River Race (WeHoRR) along with a trip up to Durham for their prestigious and highly competitive regatta; each of these respective events sees athletes compete in boat crews of 8, 4 and occasionally 2. In addition to this, LUBC also take part in the annual Chester indoor BUCS championships, whereby rowers display their solo capabilities against competitors from other Universities across the country on the rowing machines, colloquially known as ergs.
With an action packed calendar ahead, there is no better time to get involved with one of the Universities oldest sporting societies. With weekly outdoor events and frequent training sessions, LUBC provides a vast array of opportunities to completely take up a new dimension of sport. For further enquiries see the official Facebook page ‘Lancaster University Boat Club – LUBC Rowing’ or visit the official club website at http://boatclub.lusu.co.uk/.
