About Boat
The University of York Boat Club (UYBC) was founded in 1963 and is the university’s oldest sports team, established a month after the founding of the University. We are a student-run sports club with a strong team of local volunteer coaches, who provide a high standard of coaching allowing our novice and senior squads to compete at the national level. As well as several water sessions a week, our coaches also spend time with rowers during land training and video analysis sessions, including on a one-to-one basis to ensure all members progress technically.
The club has senior, novice and community/recreational squads, so whatever your experience or commitment level we have a place for you. The club is also very socially active, with a Christmas and annual dinner, an alumni ball and weekly socials on the University’s sports night, as well as post-race nights out and joint socials with other clubs.
Our Boathouse is situated a 10-minute cycle from campus, with access to land training facilities (including an erg room, cardio facilities and strength & conditioning suite) in the campus sports centre. We row on an uninterrupted 34km stretch of the River Ouse that runs through the historic city centre, with a large fleet including Filippi and Empacher shells for top senior crews and a range of sculling and lightweight boats.
The club competes at national events such as BUCS Head and Regatta, Fours Head, Men’s and Women’s Eights Head, Metropolitan and Marlow Regattas, Henley Women’s and Henley Royal Regatta. The club also attends regional and local events such as South Yorkshire Head, Peterborough Regatta, York Autumn Sculls and North of England Head, as well as organising White Rose Head and White Rose Regatta every season.
In 1965, York first competed against Lancaster in the ‘Roses’ boat race. The Roses tournament has since expanded across a huge number of sports and is now the largest inter-university competition in Europe, held every year and alternating hosts between York and Lancaster.
The club is also one of nine World Class Start Centres, which give our rowers the opportunity to develop into high performance athletes and go on to represent the GB team. In collaboration with our competitive novice program, we’ve been known to produce rowers who go on to represent the country and win major national events.
Get Involved
For more information about the biggest and hardest-working club on campus, visit us at universityofyorkboatclub.com or drop us an email at [email protected]!
AU Fee Required
This club is a Gold tier sports club.
You must have already purchased at least a Gold tier membership. If you have a Black tier membership you can also join.