The Grand Challenge Cup is a

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 ...

competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and best-known event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

at Henley-on-Thames in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is open to male crews from all eligible

rowing club A rowing club is a club for people interested in the sport of Rowing. Rowing clubs are usually near a body of water, whether natural or artificial, that is large enough for manoeuvering the shells (rowing boats). Clubs usually have a boat house wi ...

s. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry. The event dates from 1839 and was originally called the "Henley Grand Challenge Cup". The Stewards resolved that a silver cup, for which they incurred 100 guineas, was to be competed for annually by amateur crews in eight-oared boats. One of the prize medals awarded at the first race was donated to the regatta in 1969 and is on display in the Prize Tent. The cup has since been competed for annually save for the years affected by the two

World Wars A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

and the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. The eligibility rules have varied over the years, but the premise that the cup has always been open to all established crews has remained at its core. Subject to rowing together long enough, F.I.S.A. national crew members may enter for this event. In its history the Cup has been won by foreign crews 47 times – 14 times by crews from Germany, 11 from the US, 9 from the former USSR, 4 times each by crews from Australia and Canada, 3 times by Belgian crews, twice by a Dutch crew and once each by crews from Bulgaria, Croatia, France and Switzerland. The

Leander Club Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior t ...

hold the record of 36 wins. The cup itself records the names of all winning crews since 1839. The base was added in 1896 and extended in 1954 and again in 1986. The Book of Honour was added as an integral part of the trophy in 1954. In 1964, the winning Harvard crew of 1914 presented the regatta with a new cup, identical to the original of 1839, which is now very fragile. This new cup continues to be used as the trophy presented to the winning crew for lifting and photographs on finals day, with medals as in all other events being awarded permanently to winners. The current Henley course record is set by the winning 2018 entry.

Winners

1839–1849

1850–1899

1900–1949

1950–1999

2000 onwards

Notes and references

;Notes ;References

Sources

Henley Royal Regatta

Recent Results

{{HRRevents 1839 establishments in England Events at Henley Royal Regatta Rowing trophies and awards Recurring events established in 1839