Sponsors
We are currently looking for new sponsors - CAN YOU HELP? If you are interested in investing in the Oxford Women's Boat Club, to any level, please contact Claire Galloway (Sponsorship Officer).
Rowing is an expensive sport, and the boat club can't survive without the generous sponsorships received from companies and members over the years. Historically, the women's Boat Club has not received anything like the high levels of sponsorship the men's Boat Race and its TV coverage attracts. However, this could soon change. The Henley Boat Races now attract crowds of up to 10,000 each year and 2008 was the first year the women's Boat Race and the other Henley Boat Races have been shown on Sport UK TV. This high level of exposure comes at a significantly lower cost than the men's Boat Race and will hopefully expand our attraction to potential investors.
In addition to this we also provide help with:
- Graduate recruitment
- Publicity locally and in the national press
- Opportunity for corporate events and staff away days including the Henley Boat Races, Henley Women's Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta and Oxford Colleges
We have a strong record of achievement at other well-known rowing events throughout the year, including both headraces and regattas. In addition OUWBC has a very high profile within the University of Oxford. Over half of all Oxford students try rowing at least once in their university career and OUWBC represents the pinnacle of achievement and prestige within the Oxford rowing community. Our members are highly visible in Oxford, whether cycling round town in Oxford rowing kit, racing with our colleges in Summer Eights (an event that attracts thousands of people to the river every day), or through articles in the student and local newspapers. The Henley Races press releases are also picked up by the newswires, and featured in the sporting sections of online news services.
The club itself comprises approximately 25 people per year, with a mix of undergraduates and graduates, both from overseas and from the UK. We have a thriving old girls network, in the form of 'Windrush', who receive a twice-yearly newsletter and are in constant communication via an online Web board, which facilitates chat between old and new boat club members.
Contrary to many people's expectations, the women's Boat Clubs at Oxford and Cambridge are independent of their men's equivalents. While the men receive hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding annually, the women must add fund-raising activities and sometimes part-time jobs to their schedules to make ends meet. We are particularly grateful to all the companies who have over the years seen past the hype and supported the less famous Boat Race, and proud of the OUWBC habit of gaining excellent degrees as well as managing our club without professional support and whilst training 30 hours a week.
OUWBC oarswomen have an outstanding track record both in sport and business. Many of our members have gone on to work for the top graduate recruiters, or become doctors, lawyers or researchers. OUWBC graduates have competed for Great Britain at the Olympics and world championships, and recent members are in contention for future national squad places.
