Rowing was started at Marlborough by Mr Barclay in 1998 following the founding of the Swindon Rowing Club (SRC) under whose name we row.
Initially, the option was for Upper School girls only. More recently the option has expanded to include all year groups and aims to cater for those not involved in the main team sports.
Facilities Matches, Competition and Events
The boats and kit are shared with SRC or have been donated or loaned privately. College pupils have access to one coxed four, two coxless twos and five sculls. We have the sole use of an 850 metre, 3 lane course on Coate Water, a country park and Site of Special Scientific Interest near Junction 15 of the M4. On-land ‘ERGO’ sessions take place in the College when weather (wind especially) forces us off the water.
Coate Water regatta in May is the home event with three-lane stake-boat racing. Around 400 crews attend from all over the West of England. We occasionally take crews to the Avon County and Bristol City Head races and the Evesham regatta. In November, a team always enters the British Indoor Rowing Championships (BIRC) in Birmingham Indoor Arena. A College ERGO competition is also run each May. Each year the senior squad attends the Stewards' enclosure at Henley to watch the racing at International level.
Many pupils go on to row at university and several have gone on to captain rowing for their colleges or universities. Olivia Cook became the first Marlburian rowing alumna to gain a Blue when she coxed the Oxford Womens’ blue boat to victory in 2002. Several pupils have come in the top twenty at their age group nationally in the BIRC competition over the last few years.