Fly on the wall wrote:

Fisty wrote:

Team Keane all Oxford students
Elizabethan all Princeton/Harvard students (besides the one that was expelled 👀)
Taurus rumoured to have two athletes not allowed
London 4+ Princeton students

Shady characters. If you race for the uni in the year, don't do the club events.

Just my opinion. Shady shady ringers. Boooo

A group of friends, wanting to race, and compete in the only event of their level for which they are constitutionally eligible, whilst representing an up and coming club that does great work, don't sound like shady characters.

On the contrary they sound like people that encapsulate the essence of sport: competition, camaraderie and using what talents you have to support the next generation by providing exposure to an institution that works a lot with introducing the sport to the young. 

Only event they were eligible for? How about the Plate? Or the Visitors? Or the PA? Rounding a bunch of students up and cramming them into a "Club" 8 doesn't pass the smell test.

Team Keane (awful name for a rowing club) are very new on the scene, have been keen (sorry) to present themselves as being different from other clubs, developing their own talent, engaging with the community etc., so it's a pity they have shot themselves in the foot so quickly by delving straight into the murky side of things. Don't know whether this is naïve on their part or whether that was the plan all along and they now think they are being exceptionally clever.

Clubman wrote:

FSSR wrote:

Clubman wrote:

^^This

Totally ignores what club rowing is all about. Volunteer committee members running community clubs while also generally working full time jobs, and training to compete in club events.

Even basic things lien equipment. My club have to scrimp and save and get all of our club members to fundraiser to buy second hand equipment, while they turn up in a brand new pacher with no responsibilities.

It's about building a sustainable club scene in the uk and allowing genuine club rowers to compete on a level playing field at the most prestigious event of the year. Club like Nottingham, city of oxford, agecroft, Worcester are all flying the flag this year and if entries like this continue we won't be seeing entries from them in 10 years time.

You mean the same level playing field where Leander ships in juniors straight from school and trains them up all year, where london clubs have 10x the resources of provincial clubs? People will always compete at Henley and the stewards should look to put on the highest standard racing they can. If you work a 9-5 you can still get 2 sessions in a day if you tried but most don't want to. 

Its embarrassing for club rowing training year round if they can get beaten by a bunch of college choppers who do 3 sets of eight weeks trying to crash into each other.

A) I agree with our star & arrow shouldn't be in the Thames.

B) I have done the 2 sessions a day with a job. It isn't fun and to be honest doesn't feel like what we should be aiming to do in the sport. It isn't sustainable and is a reason many new club members do a couple of seasons and then burn out.

C) I don't agree it is embarrassing. The Keane boat had guys who raced in the Isis crew and ex un23 internationals. Hardly a crew of choppers.
 

What about James Fox in the Star and Arrow Thames Cup Eight? Is it really okay to have a Paralympic gold medallist (full time athlete) in a club level event?

The stewards need a clearer set of rules: either the club events are aimed at Club level athletes who are long term members of said club and train around a 9-5 or its a free for all and we can all call in US College athletes as ringers as long as the membership forms are backdated long enough. 

If it turns out to be the latter then club rowing in the UK is going to fizzle out. 

 

A club crew should be a product of the club it represents. It should I some meaningful way reflect the clubs coaching, it's training programme, equipment and river. So just ask yourself those questions of, say, Team Keane, and the answers speak for themselves.

A simple rule change shifting club membership back by one month, so to three months prior to close of entries, coupled with a tightening of that rule stating that, during that three month period no competitor may have competed for any club other than the one they are representing at Henley, would stop this charade. Everyone knows who the messers are, let's not put up with them any longer.

Wyfold Winner KC wrote:

👀

You have a lot to answer for!..
 

 For alumni clubs as well would be nice to see them do part of the season. So maybe a rule that they are eligible to race if they have entered a couple of head races, or the early season regattas as part of the alumni club. That way shows they are training as part of their club. So for Elizabethan if there are 8 London based Westminster old boys they get a chance to row at HRR. Would stop the charade of crews forming at the last minute from all over.