It is time for the Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club to have a moment under the sun. For too long the younger sibling of the heavyweight men’s and women’s squads, the lightweight rowers in many respects embody the more human aspects of high-level rowing at Oxford.Whereas OUBC and OUWBC are mainly peopled with ex-Olympians, six-foot-six international postgrads and a smattering of iron-willed undergraduate scientists, the lightweight squads attracts the most dedicated college level rower who aspires to greater things.
The Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club (OULRC) was founded in 1975, and although it is less well known than OUBC, its annual Varsity race at Henley still attracts thousands of spectators. Arranged by a Cambridge undergraduate, the first ever Lightweight Boat Race was held in 1975 at Henley, echoing the first Heavyweight Boat Race that took place at Henley in 1829.
However, OULRC has stayed loyal to Henley, where annual Varsity races are held for both the men’s and women’s lightweights in March. Whilst the Oxford women have dominated the Boat Races over the last seven years, the men have struggled, winning only two of their last seven, with an overall score of 25 to 16 in favour of the Light Blues. Both crews lost by the narrowest of margins in the 2015 race and will be hoping to take revenge on 19th March and rediscover the outstanding form that allowed it to win seven straight from 2002 to 2008.
Like most other Oxford teams, OULRC’s primary aim is to win the Boat Race, yet in recent years the club has tried to develop away from a single-event season to competing at events such as the British University Rowing Championships and attempts to qualify for the Temple Challenge cup at Henley Royal Regatta under their racing names Nepthys and Tethys.
2015 was an exciting and dramatic year for the lightweights. It saw the completion and opening in October of the long-awaited Fishlock boathouse with capacity for six VIIIs, 10 IVs and 12 coxless pairs. Shortly afterwards there was the shock exit of Bodo Schulenburg and his replacement with Mike Hill, a former coach of Pembroke’s First VIII and the Iranian national squad.
December brought Trial VIIIs at Henley, OUL’s ‘Empire’ on the Bucks station racing ‘Rebellion’ on the Berkshire station. With the crews boasting two returners apiece ,‘Rebellion’ took an early lead at a higher rate before ‘Empire’ found their rhythm. However, ‘Rebellion’ held on to cross the line half-a-length ahead with a time of 6’16. Cambridge’s top boat put in a time of 6’08 but comparing times is hard due to changing conditions and the fact that the OUL boats started 50m further upstream than the Tabs. OUWLRC’s ‘Venus’ triumphed on the Berks station over Serena, delivering a comprehensive win in a time of 6’52”.
Over the Christmas vacation the lightweight women headed to Spain for a warm-weather training camp whilst the men spent 10 days in Soustons in the south of France. The lightweight squads are defi ned by their homegrown talent. About two-thirds of the men’s squad this year took-up rowing at their colleges but lack the brawn, size and international level technique required for OUBC and OUWBC. OULRC bridges the gap between the superhuman performances we see on the Tideway and the chaos of the Isis on a weekday morning. As the 2016 Henley Boat Races approach, the Lightweight rowers will be pushing themselves to the limit, spurred by their desire to crush the Tabs and ensure the Henley stretch runs Dark Blue.
