Wadham College Boat Club (WCBC) is the rowing club of Wadham College, Oxford, in Oxford, United Kingdom. The club's members are students and staff from Wadham College and Harris Manchester College. Founded circa. 1837, Wadham has had success both within Oxford and externally in regattas such as Henley Royal Regatta.
The boat club is based in its boathouse on the Isis, which is shared with St Anne's College Boat Club and St Hugh's College Boat Club, as well as in Godstow.
The first official record of the boat club’s existence appeared in 1837 when the club was officially constituted. The Wadham 1st Eight competed in the first ever race of the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 1839, and narrowly lost to Trinity College, Cambridge. This defeat would be avenged in the next decade when, in 1849, Wadham raced Trinity, Cambridge and Oriel College in the Ladies' Challenge Plate and the Grand Challenge Cup on successive days. Wadham won both races with Trinity as the runner-up and Oriel in a distant third.[1] It is from this defeat of Trinity that Wadham claimed its traditional right to wear Cambridge Blue as its boating colours, and to this day the 1st Eight Blazers and Ties continue this tradition.[2]
By 1897 Wadham College had emulated the example of the rest of the colleges and invested in a permanent Wadham Barge to serve as a rowing base on the Isis.[3] A new boathouse was built in 1989 and is now shared with St. Anne's and St. Hugh's colleges.
The year 1974 saw the first admission of women to the College, and in 1975 a women’s team was officially created. The first year of the women’s club was extraordinarily successful, and the women dominated the university by winning the Christ Church Regatta and the Lady Margaret Hall Regatta. In 1976 a women’s division was added to the Summer Eights schedule, and following a random draw which placed the Wadham women at 3rd on the river they immediately bumped up to second and first on successive days, and then rowed over on the Friday and Saturday to claim the first Women’s Head of the River.[4]
In recent years, Wadham College Boat Club has achieved great successes in and out of Oxford rowing.
The Women's Side last gained Torpids headship in 2019 with their first boat and had their most recent blades win in 2022, again with the first boat. The Eights headship was won in 2017 by W1 for the fourth year in a row. External successes include a 4+ composed of W1 members racing at Women's Henley in 2022.
Currently, W1 sits 8th on the river for Torpids and 5th on the river for Eights, both in Division 1. W2 is in Division 4 for both and W3 is in Division 7.
The Open Side of the club (formerly the Men's sSde) has also seen success with their most recent blades win being in Torpids 2023 with the second eight crew, also gaining 2nd VIII headship.
O1 sits 11th on the river for Torpids and 10th on the river for Eights, both in Division 1. O2 is in Division 3 for Torpids and Division 4 for Eights.
Membership in the boat club is open to all students and staff of Wadham College and Harris Manchester College.
Additionally, the Wadham College Boat Club Society (WCBCS) is made up of Wadham College Boat Club current members and alumni. The society plays an active role in the running of the club. The highlight of the year is the annual Society boat race, with mixed crews racing against each other in 4+'s, and then a formal dinner in Hall. Society members also receive the "Wadham College Boat Club Society" newsletter, published yearly.
Open boats
Women's boats
Small boats
The boat club has a dedicated ergometer room in Wadham College with 8 dynamic concept2 ergometers and 8 static ergometers in Wadham College Boathouse.
The bulk of novice and lower boat water training occurs on the Isis out of Wadham's boathouse. The Senior squads typically train with their top two boats on the Godstow stretch of the Thames near the Trout Inn.
Wadham rowers enjoy a varied and exciting social life within the club with Torpids and Eights dinners, Society dinner as well as 'Captains' Cocktails', 'Presidents' Prosecco', crewdates and much more.
