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 Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Ber ...

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 ...

and adjoins

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckin ...

. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior to Leander:

Brasenose College Boat Club Brasenose College Boat Club (BNCBC) is the rowing club of Brasenose College, Oxford, in Oxford, England. It is one of the oldest boat clubs in the world, having beaten Jesus College Boat Club in the first modern rowing race, held at Oxford in ...

and Jesus College Boat Club (the two competing in a Head race in 1815) and Westminster School Boat Club, founded in 1813.

History

Leander was founded on the

Tideway The Tideway is a part of the River Thames in England which is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock. The Tideway comprises the upper Thames Estuary including the Pool of London. Tidal activity Depending on ...

in 1818 or 1819 by members of the old "Star" and "Arrow" Clubs and membership was at first limited to sixteen.''Sport, ancient and modern: Pastimes'', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 2: General pp. 283–292. Date accessed: 8 October 2008
/ref> "The Star" and "the Arrow" clubs died out sometime in the 1820s and Leander itself was in full swing by 1825. By 1830 it was looked upon as a well-known and long-established boat club. In its early days, Leander was as much a social association as a competitive club and it was steered by a waterman. It was the first club to support young watermen and instituted a coat and badge for scullers. In 1831, Leander defeated

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in a race rowed from

Hambleden Lock Hambleden Lock is a lock with a long weir situated on the River Thames in England, about 2 miles downstream of Henley Bridge. The lock is on the Berkshire bank between Aston and Remenham. Built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1773, th ...

Henley Bridge Henley Bridge is a road bridge built in 1786 at Henley-on-Thames over the River Thames, between Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The bridge has five elliptical stone arches, and links Hart Street in Henley with White Hill (designated the A4130) l ...

, but when it lost the match with Cambridge six years later, Lord Esher noted at a dinner that Leander was: However, Lord Esher also noted that they were "verging on being middle-aged men." Until 1856, the number of members was limited to twenty-five men. After this date membership was increased to thirty-five and the limit finally abolished in 1862. In 1858 Leander began to recruit members from both

and

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. Its first home is assumed to have been Searle's yard, Stangate – on the south bank of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

(on land currently occupied by St Thomas's Hospital). In 1860 the membership moved the club to Putney where a small piece of land was rented on which a tent was erected for housing boats. This land was bought by London Rowing Club in 1864 and is the site of LRC's current clubhouse. Leander was able to lease a piece of land adjoining and in 1866 started to construct a boathouse. Thirty years later, in 1897, the club purchased land in

and built its current clubhouse. The club's centre of gravity moved rapidly to Henley, although the Putney boathouse was retained until 1961. Leander entered a crew at

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...

for the first time in 1840, the year following the regatta's foundation. Their crew which won the

Grand Challenge Cup The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and best-known event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowin ...

included Thomas Lowther Jenkins in the 5 seat. Jenkins' winner's medal was discovered in a Belfast junk shop more than 130 years later by a member who donated it to the club, where it sits in one of the trophy cabinets. For the first 179 years of its existence, Leander was a male-only club but has accepted women members since 1998. On 1 January 2013

Debbie Flood Deborah Kirsty Bruwer (née Flood; born 27 February 1980) is an English rower, noteworthy for winning silver medals in the quadruple sculls at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Biography Flood was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and was a Grea ...

was elected as the club's first female captain, and was re-elected the following year. Leander was one of five clubs which retained the right until 2012 to appoint representatives to the Council of

British Rowing British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA), is the national governing body for the sport of rowing (both indoor and on-water rowing). It is responsible for the training and selection of individual rowers and crews representi ...

. The others were London Rowing Club,

Thames Rowing Club The Thames Rowing Club (TRC) is a rowing club based on the tidal Thames as it flows through the western suburbs of London. The TRC clubhouse stands on Putney Embankment. The club was founded in 1860. As at July 2022, Thames had won events at ...

Oxford University Boat Club Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the rowing club for male, heavyweight oarsman of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century. The Boat Race The club races ...

and

Cambridge University Boat Club The Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England. The club was founded in 1828 and has been located at the Goldie Boathouse on the River Cam, Cambridge since 1882. Nowadays, training primari ...

. Leander members contributed 23 of the 45 British rowers selected for the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

Notable members

Notable members include: * Jack Beaumont *

Karen Bennett Karen Bennett (born 5 February 1989) is a British rower who competed both the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Olympics. Rowing career Bennett's hometown is Edinburgh in Scotland. and she rows for the Leander Club. She was a member of the ...

Robin Bourne-Taylor Robin Edwin Geoffrey Bourne-Taylor, CGC (born 22 July 1981) is a former British officer and sportsman. He is a three times Boat Race winner, and for his service in Afghanistan he was awarded the second-highest British gallantry medal. He is ma ...

Chloe Brew Chloe P. W. Brew (born 14 September 1995) is a British rower. Rowing career She has been selected for the British team to compete in the rowing events, in the eight for the 2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as ...

Sholto Carnegie Sholto Carnegie (born 28 February 1995) is a British representative rower. He is an Olympian and a two-time world champion in the Great Britain men's eight. University and club rowing Raised in Oxford and educated at Cherwell School, Carnegie t ...

* John Collins * Ed Coode * James Cracknell * Jacob Dawson * Katherine Douglas * Rebecca Edwards *

Charles Elwes Charles Richard Jeremy Elwes (born 15 July 1997) is a British national representative rower. He is an Olympic medallist and two-time world champion. School, varsity & club rowing Elwes was educated at Radley College where he took up rowing. He t ...

Henry Fieldman Henry Fieldman (born 25 November 1988) is a British rowing coxswain. He has been twice a world champion. Rowing career Fieldman competed at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Bosbaan, Amsterdam, where he won a silver medal steering the co ...

Emily Ford Emily Susan Ford (1850–1930) was an English artist and campaigner for women's rights. She was born into a Quaker family in Leeds, and trained as an artist at the Slade School of Art and exhibited at the Royal Academy. Life Emily Ford was bo ...

* Thomas Ford * Tim Foster * Fiona Gammond * Thomas George *

Harcourt Gilbey Gold Sir Harcourt Gilbey Gold (3 May 1876 – 27 July 1952) was a successful British rower, the first to be knighted for services to the sport. He was born at Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, the ninth and youngest child of Henry Gold of Hedsor, Bu ...

* Jürgen Gröbler *

Angus Groom Angus Groom (born 16 June 1992) is a British rower. He is a silver medallist at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He has also won two World Cup gold medals, two World Cup silver medals, a World Cup bronze and European championship bronze. Career Groom ...

* Mark Hunter * Frederick Septimus Kelly *

Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...

Ran Laurie William George Ranald Mundell Laurie (4 May 1915 – 19 September 1998) was an English physician, Olympic rowing champion and gold medallist. He was the father of actor Hugh Laurie. Early life, education and rowing career Laurie was born in ...

Harry Leask Harry Leask (born 16 October 1995) is a British rower. Rowing career In 2021, he won a European bronze medal in the double sculls in Glasgow. He has been selected for the British team to compete in the rowing events, in the quadruple sculls f ...

Alexander McCulloch Alexander McCulloch (25 October 1887 – 5 September 1951) was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. Biography McCulloch was born at Melbourne, Australia, the son of George McCulloch. His father, who was born in Scotland ...

Rowan McKellar Rowan McKellar (born 24 May 1994) is a British rower. Career She won a silver medal in the eight at the 2019 European Rowing Championships. In 2021, she won a European bronze medal in the coxless four in Varese, Italy. McKellar competed in the ...

* Gully Nickalls *

Guy Nickalls Guy Nickalls (13 November 1866 – 8 July 1935) was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British eight that won gold, won 22 events at Henley Royal Regatta and won the Wingfield Sculls three times. Early ...

Alex Partridge Alexander Matthew Partridge (born 25 January 1981 in San Francisco) is a British rower, and an Olympic silver and bronze medallist. Education Partridge started rowing at Monkton Combe School, Bath, and attended Oxford Brookes University to ...

* Matthew Pinsent *

Steve Redgrave Sir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave (born 23 March 1962) is a British retired rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold ...

* Pete Reed *

Rebecca Romero Rebecca Jayne Romero, MBE (born 24 January 1980) is an English sportswoman, a former World Champion and Olympic Games silver medallist at rowing, and a former World champion and an Olympic champion track cyclist. Early life and education Romero ...

Matthew Rossiter Matthew Rossiter (born 25 September 1989) is a British international rower. He is an Olympian and has won medals at World Rowing Championships. Profile Rossiter was educated at Abingdon School and gained colours for the Abingdon School Boat Clu ...

Will Satch William Spencer Satch (born 9 June 1989) is a British rower and Olympic gold medallist. Rowing career Satch was educated at Shiplake College near Henley-on-Thames in southeast Oxfordshire. His rowing coach was New Zealand gold medallist S ...

* Hannah Scott * Colin Smith *

Tom Stallard Thomas Alexander Stallard (born 11 September 1978 in Westminster, London) is a British motorsport engineer and former rower. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics for Great Britain in the men's eight. He rowed in the Cambridge B ...

Polly Swann Polly Swann (born 5 June 1988) is a British rower and a member of the Great Britain Rowing Team. She is a former World and European champion in the women's coxless pairs, having won the 2013 World Rowing Championships at Chungju in Korea, and ...

Victoria Thornley Victoria Thornley (born 30 November 1987) is a Welsh rower. She won a silver medal for Great Britain with Katherine Grainger in the women's double sculls at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She was also a member of the Great Britain team that finished ...

Anna Watkins Anna Rose Watkins MBE PhD ( Bebington, born 13 February 1983) is a British rower. A double Olympian, Watkins won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, both in the double sculls. She has also ...

Josh West A. Joshua West (born 25 March 1977) is a dual citizen British-American Olympic rower and Earth Sciences professor. He is a two-time World Championship silver medalist, a World Championship bronze medalist, and a four-time Cambridge Blue, and r ...

* Steve Williams *

Oliver Wynne-Griffith Oliver Henry Wynne-Griffith (born 29 May 1994) is a British rower. Rowing career Wynne-Griffith won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, as part of the eight with James Rudkin, Alan Sinclair, Tom Ransley, ...

In fiction

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...

's novel '' Brideshead Revisited'', the character Cousin Jasper (who "had come within appreciable distance of getting his rowing

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...

") wears a Leander Club tie when he first calls upon the protagonist Charles Ryder to offer advice on being a student at Oxford.^:24,25 In the 1981 television adaptation, Cousin Jasper (played by Stephen Moore) is depicted wearing the Leander's "city" tie (dark blue with small pink hippopotamus motifs). In the novel ''Growing Up'' by Angela Thirkell, the Rev. Tommy Needham "thought how well his college and Leander oars, never to be used again, would look upon the wall...."Thirkell, "Growing Up," at p. 253 (Chapter 11) (Wakefield, RI: Moyer Bell, 1996). The Leander Club figures heavily in Deborah Crombie's detective novel, ''No Mark Upon Her''.

Honours

Recent British champions

Key * J (junior), 2, 4, 8 (crew size), 18, 16, 15, 14 (age group), x (sculls), - (coxless), + (coxed)

Henley Royal Regatta

+ composite

References

External links

Leander Club official website
{{United Kingdom rowing clubs 1818 establishments in England Sports clubs established in the 1810s Rowing clubs of the River Thames Henley-on-Thames Boathouses in the United Kingdom Henley Royal Regatta Sports clubs in Berkshire Rowing in Berkshire History of rowing Remenham