McGill University Rowing Club
Encyclopedia
The McGill University Rowing Club (MURC) is a rowing club that represents McGill University
in Montreal
. The club is currently a Level 2 intercollegiate program and thus receives partial funding from the university.http://www.athletics.mcgill.ca/varsity_sports_article.ch2?article_id=158 As the only Quebec university with a rowing program, the club participates in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference. It is a registered club with Rowing Canada
.
with the inception of the McGill-Toronto boat race. In the ten year existence of the annual race McGill would only win the first two meetings.http://rowing.sa.utoronto.ca/history.html By 1939 both crews would cease activities with the outbreak of World War II.
Rowing returned to McGill following the 1976 Summer Olympics
with the revived club taking advantage of the then new Olympic Basin and its facilities. Initially only men crews raced with the first women crew taking to the water four years later in 1980. The following year the first Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURC) was held at the basin with McGill acting as hosts. The national championship returned to the basin in 2004, and again in 2009. In 2004 the men's eight won a silver medal, with current national team member Derek O'Farrell as bow seat. The 2009 event saw the women's lightweight coxed four score the Martlet's first ever medal (bronze), and the Redmen's first ever gold medal in the lightweight men's double.
acts as the home waterways for the club sharing it and its facilities with the Montreal Rowing Club
(MRC). Both clubs are run independently from each other although they do routinely support one another. These facilities include:
The club also has an ergometer
room at the Currie Gym, part of McGill's athletic complex. Additionally, athletes have access to the varsity weight room as well as other services.
in the annual McGill-Queen's Challenge. Considered the Canadian equivalent of the famed Cambridge-Oxford and Harvard-Yale boat races, it takes place in late April alternating between Montreal and Kingston
. The 2006 race was hosted by McGill which chose the Lachine Canal as the venue. Reviews were so positive that there has since been talks of making it the permanent home of the race.
The men race for the Challenge Blade, a port side blade painted with Queen's colours on the inside and McGill colours on the outside. The women compete for the Challenge Trophy which is adorned with the wood handle of a sweep oar. The overall winner receives the D. Lorne Gales Challenge Cup named after original McGill rower D. Lorne Gales.
2007 - Queen's
2006 - Queen's
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - McGill
2002 - McGill
2001 - Queen's
2000 - Queen's
1999 - McGill
1998 - McGill
1997 - McGill
2007 - Queen's
2006 - Queen's
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - McGill
2002 - McGill
2001 - Queen's
2000 - McGill
1999 - McGill
1998 - McGill
2007 - Queen's
2006 - McGill
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - Queen's
2002 - Queen's
2001 - Queen's
2000 - Queen's
1999 - McGill
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. The club is currently a Level 2 intercollegiate program and thus receives partial funding from the university.http://www.athletics.mcgill.ca/varsity_sports_article.ch2?article_id=158 As the only Quebec university with a rowing program, the club participates in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference. It is a registered club with Rowing Canada
Rowing Canada
Rowing Canada Aviron is a non-profit organization recognized by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of rowing in Canada. RCA represents 15,000 registered members at all levels, novices, juniors, university students, adaptive,...
.
Brief history
The club dates back to 1924 when it originally operated out of the Lachine Boat Club. Within two years the club established a rivalry with the University of Toronto Rowing ClubUniversity of Toronto Rowing Club
The University of Toronto Rowing Club was founded on February 10, 1897 and represents the Varsity Blues at local and international regattas. It is the oldest university rowing club in Canada....
with the inception of the McGill-Toronto boat race. In the ten year existence of the annual race McGill would only win the first two meetings.http://rowing.sa.utoronto.ca/history.html By 1939 both crews would cease activities with the outbreak of World War II.
Rowing returned to McGill following the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
with the revived club taking advantage of the then new Olympic Basin and its facilities. Initially only men crews raced with the first women crew taking to the water four years later in 1980. The following year the first Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURC) was held at the basin with McGill acting as hosts. The national championship returned to the basin in 2004, and again in 2009. In 2004 the men's eight won a silver medal, with current national team member Derek O'Farrell as bow seat. The 2009 event saw the women's lightweight coxed four score the Martlet's first ever medal (bronze), and the Redmen's first ever gold medal in the lightweight men's double.
Club Colours
As with all McGill sports team the men are known as Redmen while the women are called Martlets. The club colours are red and white matching the colours of the university. The blades are coloured red with two white triangles on the edge forming a sideways M. The logo is the McGill shield in front of two crossed McGill oars with the university's motto Grandescunt Aucta Labore (By work, all things increase and grow) on the bottom.Facilities
The Olympic Basin on Île Notre-DameÎle Notre-Dame
Île Notre-Dame is an artificial island built in 10 months from 15 million tons of rock excavated for the Montreal Metro in 1965. It was created for Expo 67 to celebrate Canada's centennial. The island is part of the city of Montreal and forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago...
acts as the home waterways for the club sharing it and its facilities with the Montreal Rowing Club
Montreal Rowing Club
The Montreal Rowing Club is a rowing club based in the city of Montreal. Its French name is club d'aviron de Montréal . The club originally started in 1982 as an activity offered by le Club nautique et plein air de Montreal, a non-profit organization set up by the city...
(MRC). Both clubs are run independently from each other although they do routinely support one another. These facilities include:
- The 2000 metres-plus long basin itself, the only one of its kind in North America.
- The indoor rowing tank, one of only two in Canada and the only one that can accommodate eight rowers.
- Hangers used for storing rowing shells.
The club also has an ergometer
Indoor rower
An indoor rower, or rowing machine, is a machine used to simulate the action of watercraft rowing for the purpose of exercise or training for rowing. Indoor rowing has become established as a sport in its own right...
room at the Currie Gym, part of McGill's athletic complex. Additionally, athletes have access to the varsity weight room as well as other services.
McGill-Queen's Boat Race
Since 1997 McGill crews have taken on crews from Queen's UniversityQueen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in the annual McGill-Queen's Challenge. Considered the Canadian equivalent of the famed Cambridge-Oxford and Harvard-Yale boat races, it takes place in late April alternating between Montreal and Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. The 2006 race was hosted by McGill which chose the Lachine Canal as the venue. Reviews were so positive that there has since been talks of making it the permanent home of the race.
The men race for the Challenge Blade, a port side blade painted with Queen's colours on the inside and McGill colours on the outside. The women compete for the Challenge Trophy which is adorned with the wood handle of a sweep oar. The overall winner receives the D. Lorne Gales Challenge Cup named after original McGill rower D. Lorne Gales.
Lorne Gales Challenge Cup Winners
2008 - Queen's2007 - Queen's
2006 - Queen's
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - McGill
2002 - McGill
2001 - Queen's
2000 - Queen's
1999 - McGill
1998 - McGill
1997 - McGill
Men's Challenge Blade Winners
2008 - Queen's2007 - Queen's
2006 - Queen's
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - McGill
2002 - McGill
2001 - Queen's
2000 - McGill
1999 - McGill
1998 - McGill
Women's Challenge Trophy Winners
2008 - McGill2007 - Queen's
2006 - McGill
2005 - Queen's
2004 - Queen's
2003 - Queen's
2002 - Queen's
2001 - Queen's
2000 - Queen's
1999 - McGill
External links
- McGill Rowing official website
- Rowing Canada official website
- Montreal Rowing official website