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Founding Days

The very begining...

 

 

Christchurch Rowing Club was established in 1948, originally occupying

premises further up River Stour from its current location. The present Club

house was built in the mid-1960s with a new extension completed in 2008.

CRC has a long history of competitive rowing and was a power house

throughout the 1970s and 80s. During this period the club won numerous

prestigious honours. A number of rowers from that era have returned as

coaches and are now driving the club forward, helping make it what it is

today. Christchurch Rowing Club was formed during a meeting one night in

February 1948 at the Kings Arm Hotel. At the inauguration of the club

Mr. Mead who presided, was quoted by the Bournemouth Echo to have said “If we are going to have a rowing club it must not only have a good reputation in Christchurch, but also all over England.” So the club began with 100 founding members each pledging £10 and an open competition to design the clubs emblem.

The Mayoress of Christchurch, Mrs. E. J. Slinn, christening the new coastal four.  July 1949

There has been a surprising level of interest and support right from the beginning from the local community wanting to get involved as well as from Bournemouth’s Westover Rowing Club who arranged to lend Christchurch boats for training in whilst they raised the funds to purchase their own. Poole also offered to provide boats for Christchurch to use at their regattas. The Club's first boat purchased was a single scull for £45. It was launched by the Mayor on Whit Monday and named the Twynham. By June of that year the club had managed to purchase another single, a pair and two practice fours and were beginning to think about hosting their own very first regatta.

This was the headline of the Bournemouth Echo’s 18 June 1948 edition.

 

“The new club, whose crew were formed less than a week before the races, were splendid.

 

Five towns were represented at the regatta which was the first held since the war.

 

They’d never heard of Christchurch Rowing club…but the name is famous now”

So Christchurch Rowing Club was off to a flying start...

It wasn't long before women were getting involved in the sport and their crews helped continue the success the club was having at regattas across the south coast, winning the 'Young Cup' during their first year of competitive rowing. The tag line associated with this photo when published in the Daily Echo in 1949 was that the "Oarswomen of Christchurch Rowing Club added glamour to the regatta". 

 

Annual Jumble Sale Collection

The Club's memberships and reputation continued to grow and with funds raised from numerous events held over the years (and a little help from a grant) the Club was finally able to build a permanent boathouse further downstream.

Winter Land Training - CRCFootball Team

CRC Regatta 2013

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