Fitz has a well established history of success on the Cam from both the women and the men’s crews. It is a friendly and socially active boat club which encourages people of all abilities and fitness to take part. The first step towards rowing for the college is learning to row in Michealmas Term (‘Novice Term’ to boaties!).
This is an exciting term for new and older members of the boat club. Novice rowers learn a completely new skill for free while senior rowers have an opportunity to coach and engage at all levels of the club. There will be 2 or 3 men and women’s novice boats which are set at the beginning of term, so plenty of opportunity to get on board with the training. Boats then train various amounts, depending on the boat, but most will have two or three water sessions and one land session each week.
By the end of Novice Term you will have…
- Learnt to row for free under the supervision of the seniors
- Get to know freshers, 2nd and 3rd years as well as post-grad students
- Competed in Queen’s Ergs (indoor rowing race)
- Competed in Clare novices (500m sprint race on the cam)
- Competed in Fairbairns (2.7km race)
- Attended Boat Club Dinner at the end of term
Download the 2023/24 FCBC Novice Leaflet : Why Rowing
Typical Novice Questions and Answers
Q: Do I need to have rowed before?
A: No! Most people in the boatclub have never rowed before coming to Cambridge. We will train you up from scratch.
Q: How much time will it take up?
A: Each session is between 1-2 hours, normally in the mornings before lectures or on the weekends. You can choose to row in a more casual crew, or if you want to train and compete more seriously in races.
Q: What’s the earliest I’ll need to get up?!
A: The earliest sessions begin at 7am at the boathouse, but it’s worth it to see the sunrise from the river!
Q: Do I have to be tall and sporty?
A: Not at all! College rowing is for EVERYONE, regardless of height or fitness level.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: £20 a term – this covers all coaching and access to the boathouse and equipment.
Q: Are there social events outside of training?
A: Absolutely! We organise lots of events each term for both novices and senior rowers, and finish off the term with a formal dinner for the whole club.
Rowing is a great way of getting to know people at Fitz and we are looking forward to welcoming you as a new crew member! You can contact us to join or write to us with any questions you might have via the form below. If you’re reading this before October though, we’ll be at the Freshers’ Fair so you can sign up with us then!
Fitzwilliam College Boat Club 