Do I need to be a successful athlete to begin trialling?

There is a common misconception that all University Rowers are international athletes who are at Cambridge to row and row alone. CUWBC is interested in potential, and the trialling process is geared to allow students to redefine what they are capable of. A surprising number of our athletes noviced at Cambridge with their college, and start trialling only a year after they began rowing. The quality of our coaching and support is what allows them to compete on a national stage in such a short time. Typical initial 2k scores for are often between 7:15 and 8:00, with all triallists showing rapid improvement once they start training with us. Many of our rowers are 5’4″ to 5’11″, though we do have the occasional person gifted with greater height then the rest.

I don’t know anyone at CUWBC, would I enjoy it?

CUWBC is striving to change its image from a far away entity difficult to access to an organisation that works within the Cambridge rowing community to improve standards and provide support for colleges and their athletes.
For most people, aside from winning their Boat Race when all goes to plan, their best memories are of the incredibly deep friendships forged through such strong teams. Year after year squads stick together long after trialling has finished simply because they shared something that none will forget.

My subject takes up most of my time, sure I can’t fit training in?

Surprisingly, many of our triallists are from the ‘busier’ subjects, though we have students from every category…from ASNAC to PhD Microbiology. We row early mornings in time to get back for 9am lectures, and evening training is flexible so no-one has to miss important work. As with most high intensity sports in the University, the structure of each day allows you to manage your time very effectively, allowing our athletes to regularly achieve 1sts – including several Presidents doing their Finals.

Why should I trial? I really enjoy college rowing.

While it is true that trialling prevents you from rowing for college in Michaelmas and Lent, the opportunity to improve and compete in many different events is unmissable. Moreover, it is a matter of pride that the vast majority of triallists return to their colleges in Easter Term to compete in the May Bumps. CUWBC aims to raise the standard of women’s rowing on the Cam, with the most important method being the return of triallists each year, both directly and as a way to drum up enthusiasm for high quality rowing in every club. It should also be noted that trialling doesn’t prevent participation in comittee roles within college boat clubs, which are in fact encouraged by CUWBC. It has even been known for some brave individuals to merge trialling with captaining their college clubs.

Will my college mind if I trial? Will my boat club be supportive?

All colleges will be keen to see that you balance your sport with your studies. Similarly CUWBC believes our reputation would be tarnished if our athletes didn’t perform equally well academically. Many colleges even go so far as to provide bursaries to triallists to subsidise things such as kit and train travel. College boat clubs, while perhaps initially sad to lose some of their squad, will reap the benefit in May Term in the form of fitness, race experience and technical skill. At CUWBC you can be sure that everyone around you is equally motivated, especially during Michaelmas when college rowing is not quite as intense.

Who has CUWBC helped on the pathway to success?

Many of our alumnae have gone on to represent Great Britain at all levels, helped by their experience at CUWBC and our connections to GB’s U23 and and World Class Start programs. Notable names include Annie Vernon, Cath Bishop, Sarah Winckless. Furthermore, the careers of our rowers and coxes span the usual range of City jobs in finance and consultancy through to diverse roles such as the Armed Forces, Foreign Office and science research. The time management skill and determination required to trial speaks volumes to employers who recognise the character of athletes participating in the Henley Boat Races.