Rowing
Rowing has been a part of The Oratory since the 1960s but really only began to make an impact when we moved to our own boathouses in 1984. The boats are kept on the Hardwick Estate, two miles from the school. Here we have a stretch of water which must surely be one of the most beautiful in England. We row the Pangbourne - Whitchurch Toll Bridge and Maple Durham House - a piece of water made famous by the novel "Wind in the Willows".
We have never been a particularly large club but there has been a recent surge of interest and future prospects are looking good. In recent years we have won medals and pennants at a number of top class events and a healthy percentage of our boys have gone on to row for their universities and some to row internationally. We believe in running the sport as a "club" as this helps to generate a positive atmosphere. Volunteers are always better than pressed men. A rowing camp is held at the start of the academic year where boys can try out the sport and hopefully sign on for later.
The School competes successfully at all the top racing venues. There are two boathouses, one for equipment and one for coaching launches, including a club room. Water and power have recently been installed, largely thanks to a twinning arrangement with Goring Gap Boat Club, and the existing buildings have been refurbished by the school.
Over the years we have built up an excellent fleet and can offer a full range of boats, from play-boats to eights. The tow-path is not "user friendly" so coaches use either launches or catamarans. At the school there is an ergometer room and the boys make use of the weights room.
For additional information about rowing, please click here to visit The Oratory School Boat Club website.