Eton College Boat Club

Eton College Boat Club is a rowing club based on the River Thames, at Eton College, Windsor and at the Eton Rowing Centre on Dorney Lake.^[1]

The Club belongs to Eton College^[2] and was founded in 1840 although there are earlier references to rowing at the college (as early as 1791). In 1818, Eton challenged Westminster to a race and in 1829, a race actually took place. This race was known as 'The Challenge'. This race was reinitiated in 2019.^[3] The college has a significant record of producing a number of junior national champions and regatta champions and has won the Schools' Head of the River Race a record 14 times, the Queen Mother Challenge Cup at the National Schools' Regatta a record 20 times and the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta a record 15 times.^[3] Eton has also won the Ladies' Challenge Plate 24 times and the Visitors' Challenge Cup once.

Former pupils known as Old Etonians have their own rowing club called the Eton Vikings Club and include Matthew Pinsent, Constantine Louloudis and Ed Coode.^[4][5]

Pupil-coaches were a fundamental part of the rowing structure at Eton College Boat Club in the 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period, the coaching of lower boats was predominantly handled by senior students, specifically members of the "Monarch" (the top ten-oared crew) and other senior oarsmen who were often under the general supervision of a master (such as the famous oarsman and Headmaster Dr Warre) or visiting Old Etonians. In 2024, the coaching team, which includes both teaching staff and dedicated, specialized coaches, receives mentorship and training to align with the club's high-performance philosophy. Junior coaches are guided by a Head of Rowing and experienced coaches (such as previous Henley-winning coaches) to ensure high-quality technical instruction in both rowing and sculling.^[6][7]

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