Rowers are the muscle of the boat. In sweep rowing (the majority of college rowing) each athlete holds one blade (oar) which they use to power the forwards movement of the shell in synchrony with the rowers in front of them. Strength and fitness are incredibly important attributes for a successful rower, but the most successful boats are those with unified crews.

Coxes are the brains of the boat. They are responsible for advising the crew on pacing, technique and coordination throughout sessions/races. Despite not rowing, coxes are invaluable members of a training and racing crews, and often make up the difference between a win or a loss when two crews are otherwise evenly matched.

Sweep rowing is a form of rowing in which each rower holds one long blade that extends either to the left, or right of the boat. This contrasts with sculling, in which each rower uses two shorter oars that extend either side of the boat.

OURCs (Oxford University Rowing Clubs) is the administrative body responsible for organising inter-collegiate competitions such as Torpids and Summer Eights, as well as swim tests and capsize drills throughout the year. OURCs also oversees conduct, enforces regulations, and handles any fines or disputes associated with racing. Essentially any large administrative processes related to college rowing go via OURCs!

Absolutely! Most of our athletes join us with no experience whatsoever. We provide coached water and erg sessions for our beginner and novice crews throughout Michaelmas term to get you ready for race seasons later in the year!

Novice rowers pay £30 a term, senior rowers and athletes in our first boats pay £40 a term, and coxes pay £20 a term. Fees are charges to your LMH battles account termly.

Yes, swim tests are required by OURCS to row/cox and are non-negotiable. You are allowed up to 5 water sessions before you need to do a swim test but you must still confirm to us that you are a confident swimmer. If you are a weak swimmer or are worried you won't pass the swim test, speak to one of our captains, who will advise you on how to approach the test.

Yes, but is likely that we are already beginning training for Torpids/Eights so water sessions may be more focussed on preparing to race rather than teaching the absolute basics. We are always looking for people to join our lower boats however, so please talk to a captain if you are interested in getting into rowing!

Early morning outings are very important to our training schedule as they allow us to train outside of academic contact hours. Unfortunately, they are a part of the sport, and are non negotiable for first boats so we suggest you embrace the early start to the day (it's not that bad once you are awake!), and schedule some time in the day to nap and recover.

That being said, we are always mindful of academic commitments, and are aware that you may have to prioritise them over rowing sometimes. We aim to strike a good balance between studying and training, and many of our members use outings as a great way to destress during term time and in the lead up to exam season!

If you are particularly worried about committing to training please message one of our captains who will be more than happy to provide you with more information.

Both Torpids and Summer VIIIs are rowing events unique to Oxford. Unlike regattas, in which racing occurs side by side, Torpids/Summer VIIIs are both 'bumps' races, which involve boats lining up one behind the other trying to 'bump' the boat in front of them without being bumped by the boat behind.

The ultimate goal of these races is to obtain 'blades', a title of success given to any crew that bumps at least one boat every day of the event without being bumped themselves. These crews have their names engraved on a blade and displayed in their college or boathouse as a token of honour.

Torpids runs in 5th week of Hilary term, while Summer VIIIs runs in the 5th week of Trinity term. They are the highlight of many rower's racing calendars, attracting thousands of spectators each year.

Everyone who trains with us will get the opportunity to trial for a racing boat.

Novice rowers typically do land training twice a week and water training twice/three times a week but this is subject to weather conditions and personal commitment levels.

If you are keen on racing with us we encourage you to attend as many training sessions as you can, but if you are just looking for a low-commitment, fun way to get some exercise or learn a new sport we are equally as happy for you to do less!

Drinking and attending socials is entirely your choice. Some of our rowers are avid social attendees, others prefer to get an early night before a morning outing, whichever style suits you is perfectly okay!

We are always excited to train up new rowers whether they are just starting out as a fresher, or have been at LMH for many years. In fact, many of our members only joined LMHBC in their final years of study and have continued rowing with us into their postgraduate degrees!