Situated along the tranquil banks of the River Dee, the Aberdeen University and Robert Gordon’s University boathouses serve as a training facility for students from both local universities. While the Dee is tidal, with rowable water varying from 3.5 km at its fullest to just 1 km at its lowest, its stretch offers a unique environment for rowers. With four bridges spanning the course, the river creates a challenging setting, perfect for mastering the art of steering during head season. At the same time, its wide river banks often allow for side-by-side racing that helps improve URA rowers’ competitive edge required for summer events like BUCS regatta. This dynamic environment offers athletes a comprehensive training experience that blends technical skill with raw power.
Established in 2012, University Rowing Aberdeen (URA) was the product of a partnership between the University of Aberdeen Boat Club (est. 1870) and Robert Gordon University Boat Club (est. 1992) which aimed to enhance the rowing experience for all student rowers in Aberdeen by sharing equipment, coaches, and funding. Over time, this collaboration has transformed URA into a firmly entrenched programme that offers a range of squads for different abilities: Recreational, Beginner, Intermediate and Senior.
The Beginner squad offers an inclusive ‘Learn to Row’ programme that helps teach the basics of the sport and prepare novices for local competitions and has a large presence at many regattas and heads within Scotland. For the intermediate and Senior squads, their competitive aims extend further south where bus journeys of up to ten hours allow them to participate in high-level national and international competitions such as BUCS, Head of the River Race, Women’s Eights Head of the River Race, Henley Women’s Regatta, and Henley Royal Regatta. Furthermore, many URA athletes set their aims on representing Scotland or GB in the Home International Regatta and U23 British Trials. In April 2024, URA athlete Maise Aspinall placed highly in the Women’s Pair in U23 trials conveying the strength and promising growth of the club.
In 2018, URA was able to employ a full time performance coach, a position that has been held by Ed Dean since 2022, a talented mentor who has extensive prior coaching experience, at Henley Rowing Club and St Paul’s Girls’ School among others as well as being a BUCS gold medallist in his own rowing career.
In addition to the Dee and their boathouses, URA also has access to a host of different facilities on land. The Butchart Performance Ergo Room on Aberdeen University campus does what it says on the tin, providing 20 Concept-2 ergos as well as Watt Bikes for its students to sweat away the winter months. Moreover, the Aberdeen Sports Village accommodates the rowers’ strength training programme, with a well stocked performance gym and knowledgeable, professional coaches.
For most URA athletes, the highlight of the season is the annual Aberdeen Boat Race. Now in its 30th year, this notorious event divides the usually cooperative URA into its two original clubs, fostering the old rivalry between AUBC and RGUBC, and provides an opportunity for beginners, seniors and alumni to race on home water. In 2024, the title was won decisively by AUBC, who now hold 21 victories over RGUBC’s mere eight. However, while only one university can celebrate the win on the water, the notorious Boat Race Ball provides an opportunity for all the students to revel in the event and quell the rivalry for another year.
Overall, URA offers a welcoming environment for its incoming students, no matter their competitive aims or previous experience. Although small, the club fosters a great, welcoming and collaborative environment, forging friendships that are built to last, except, of course, on Boat Race day when all bets are off! It’s a place where students can bond over long bus rides, soggy wellies and cold, dark winters. For URA students, the goal isn’t always utter domination; instead, it’s about supporting each other through challenges, celebrating every small victory, and creating a close-knit community that extends well beyond graduation. When alumni return each year, it’s to reconnect, relive the thrill of sport, and place bets on whether they’ll ever see RGUBC win the Boat Race in their lifetime.
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