Northwich Rowing Club women celebrate 50 years on and off the water

They have been celebrating 150 years since they were founded.

It is also 50 years since women began rowing at the club, albeit in secret on Sunday afternoons.

Northwich Rowing Club's first women's crew(Image: Contributed)

Now they can reflect upon the fact that 58 per cent of the club’s international vests have been achieved by women, and while they are yet to produce an Olympian this is an aspiration for the future.

The club recently held a day to celebrate women’s rowing at the club, recognising the impact they have had both on and off the water.

Celebrations began with a reunion row, with female members past and present joining together to enjoy the sporting and personal connection that comes from the sport.

Back on the water, celebrating 50 years of women's rowing in Northwich(Image: Contributed)

(Image: Contributed)

While some people hadn’t been in a boat for almost four decades, they put on a good show in spite of the inclement weather.

The afternoon celebrations saw newly appointed club life member, and British Rowing Lifetime Achievement award winner Jo Raffety, sharing her experiences on the formative years of women’s rowing at the club and some of the challenges that had to be overcome to be properly recognised despite their success on the water.

Jaws dropped as snippets from committee meeting minutes were read out, including the painfully slow construction of proper changing facilities, and ensuring the annual club dinner remained an all-male preserve.

Thanks to the ongoing persistence of the early women’s squad and their male allies, women’s rowing is now in a very different place - from somewhere women were not allowed to take on any formal role, to a club which has been led by a woman captain for the last 17 years for all but two seasons.

The celebrations were organised by former club captain Rachel Hooper who said: "It was a really special day to connect with old friends, remember just how much work has gone into working towards equity in the sport, and reflecting on some incredible milestones for women in both sport and wider society in the last five decades.”

The first female club captain Clare Briegal, who currently holds the position of vice-chair of the governing body British Rowing, gave a vote of thanks to those who have paved the way to see so much success from the women at the club both on and off the water.

She also recognised the impact every woman who had taken to the water has had on progress for the next generation of Northwich Rowing Club women.