Brief History
Rowing is probably one of the oldest activities known to man.  For thousands of years in Egypt, Greece, Venice and London, oarsmen pulled boats through the water, not as a form of entertainment and competition but as a means of transport.  Rowing is now arguably Britain’s most successful Olympic sport.  Today's rowing boats are fast, sleek craft, designed to cut through the water with minimum effort.  High tech indoor rowing machines can now be found in most gymnasiums used by over one million people.  With people like Sir Steve Redgrave leading the way, rowing is certainly growing.

Facilities and Equipment
There are now over 700 clubs in this country based on the water beside rivers, canals, lakes and on the coast.  There are also over 30,000 rowing machines to be found in schools, homes, universities and health clubs as well.  Rowing clubs traditionally welcome new members and safely introduce them to appropriate equipment.  Rowing involves a diverse range of boats from 'single' sculls with boats catering for 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9 man teams, including the all important cox.

There are Junior, Senior and Veteran events in all classes from local town regattas to regional, national and international championships for all to enjoy and compete in.  Touring the country’s waterways and indoor rowing now also play a big part in British life

Benefits of Participating
Rowing is enjoyed by people who want to stay healthy by using most of the muscles in their body in a low impact way.  Rowing particularly benefits the legs, back, and arms.  But most importantly, rowing really develops your heart by conditioning it in a safe way.  It also gives participants the feeling of individual satisfaction that many other sports cannot.

Variations of the Sport
Throughout the country there are different forms of the sport:  River Rowers, Gig Rowers, Coastal Rowers, and many others.  Some people are 'sweepers' and row with one oar, whilst others are 'scullers' and row with two.  Some crews don’t need a cox, some crews are single sex, and many are mixed.  Some races take days, whilst others last a few minutes.  Some rowers are heavyweight and others lightweight.  Some are tall and others small.  But all rowers have one thing in common — they seem to have fun!