History of Rowing Timeline

(c. 3000 BCE–Present)

The history of rowing traces the development of human-powered boats from ancient transportation and warfare to an organized international sport. It includes the evolution of boat design, rowing techniques, clubs, competitions, and Olympic racing. More Less

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Early history and professional racing

Venetian regatas begin including boat races

1200 - 1299

During the 13th century, Venetian festivals called regata included boat races among other festivities, providing an early organized setting for competitive rowing.

British rowing

Women compete in early modern rowing

1400 - 1499

Women have competed in rowing events as far back as the fifteenth century, long before women were admitted to the modern Olympic rowing program.

Swedish Roddarmadam dominate ferry rowing

1400 - 1899

Professional women rowers known as Roddarmadam managed and dominated the water-ferry trade in the archipelago of Stockholm from the 15th century until the late 19th century.

Women compete in a Venetian regatta

1493

When Beatrice d'Este visited Venice in 1493, a regatta was held in which fifty peasant women competed, providing an early record of women participating in rowing events.

Amateur competition begins in England

1700 - 1799

Amateur rowing competition began in England toward the end of the 18th century, establishing a separate tradition from professional prize rowing.

Image source: British Rowing

Doggett's Coat and Badge is first contested

1715

Doggett's Coat and Badge was first contested in 1715. The race, held from London Bridge to Chelsea, is the oldest surviving rowing race of its kind and continues to be held annually.

Professional river racing expands across Britain

1800 - 1899

During the 19th century, professional rowing races became numerous and popular, attracting large crowds. Prize matches also spread to other rivers throughout Great Britain, notably drawing vast audiences on the Tyne.

Oxford organizes its first bumping races

1815

Bumping races were first organized at the University of Oxford in 1815, creating a distinctive format in which crews compete to overtake one another.

Cambridge records its first races

1827

The first recorded rowing races at the University of Cambridge took place in 1827.

First Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race

1829

The Boat Race between Oxford University and Cambridge University was first held in 1829. It became the second intercollegiate sporting event, following the first Varsity Cricket Match by two years.

Image source: The Boat Race

Thousands of British professional matches recorded

1835 - 1851

A contemporary sporting book listed 5,000 professional rowing matches held between 1835 and 1851, illustrating the scale of the sport's popularity.

Henley begins its annual regatta

1839

Interest in the first Boat Race and its successors led the town of Henley to begin hosting an annual regatta in 1839.

Women's double scull appears in Harper's Weekly

1870

An image of a women's double-scull race appeared on the cover of Harper's Weekly in 1870, reflecting the development of women's rowing in modern times.

St Hugh's College provides a women's boat

1891

St Hugh's College, Oxford, owned a boat for women students as early as 1891. It was stored on the River Cherwell, and students who could swim 50 feet were permitted to use it.

Furnivall establishes a women's rowing crew

1896

Furnivall Sculling Club is widely considered to have established the world's first female rowing team, or crew, in 1896.

First Women's Boat Race

1927

The first Women's Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities was held in 1927. For its first few years it was an exhibition before later becoming a race.

Image source: The Boat Race

First Henley Women's Regatta

1988

The first Henley Women's Regatta was held in 1988, creating a major dedicated women's rowing competition at Henley.

Leander Club admits women

Apr 27, 1997

On 27 April 1997, Leander Club voted at an Extraordinary General Meeting to admit women as members, breaching one of the last remaining barriers to membership in rowing.

Women's Boat Race moves onto the Thames

2015

In 2015, the Women's Boat Race was combined with the men's race on the River Thames in London.

American rowing

First American rowing race

1762

The first American race took place on the Schuylkill River in 1762 between six-oared barges.

Image source: Rowing

Public enthusiasm grows for American rowing

1800 - 1899

The American public flocked to rowing events, and rowing became as popular in 19th-century America as other professional sports are in the modern era.

Whitehall Landing race against HMS Hussar

1824

In 1824, ferrymen from Whitehall Landing at Manhattan's Battery raced a crew from the British frigate HMS Hussar for a prize of $1,000.

Narragansett Boat Club is founded

1838

In 1838, six men formed the Narragansett Boat Club in Providence. It is described as the oldest rowing club and the oldest athletic club in America.

First American college rowing club

1843

The first American college rowing club was formed at Yale University in 1843.

Harvard–Yale Regatta begins

1852

The Harvard–Yale Regatta has been contested every year since 1852, apart from occasional breaks caused by major wars such as the American Civil War and World War II. It is described as the oldest intercollegiate sporting event in the United States.

ZLAC Rowing Club is founded

1892

In 1892, Zulette Lamb and Lena, Agnes, and Caroline Polhamus founded ZLAC Rowing Club in San Diego, California, after borrowing a boat and beginning to row on San Diego Bay.

International and Olympic rowing

FISA is founded in Turin

Jun 25, 1892

Representatives from France, Switzerland, Belgium, Adriatica, now part of Italy, and Italy founded FISA in Turin on 25 June 1892. Its French name was Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron, with International Federation of Rowing Associations as the English equivalent.

First European Rowing Championships

1893

FISA organized the first European Rowing Championships in 1893.

Rowing enters the Olympic Games

1900

Rowing has been conducted at the Olympic Games since 1900. The rowing competition planned for the first modern Games in 1896 was canceled because of bad weather.

Women's events join the European Championships

1954

Women's events were added to the European Rowing Championships in 1954.

World Rowing Championships introduced

1962

An annual World Rowing Championships was introduced in 1962, creating a major recurring international championship for the sport.

Women enter Olympic rowing

1976

Although rowing had been part of the Olympic program since 1900, women were not allowed to participate until the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.