Novice Rowing and Coxing

Novice Rowing

Welcome to everyone who is interested in learning how to row at Churchill! You’ve made a great decision to join a sport that is friendly, accessible, and quintessentially Cambridge. If you have never rowed before coming to Cambridge (and the vast majority of people in CCBC were in the same boat, pun intended), the best way to start is coming to one of our try rowing days in early October. These are opportunities to get in a boat with a mixture of novice and senior rowers and see what the sport is all about. Try rowing days aren’t just for freshers, they’re open to any students at Churchill who would like to give rowing a go. Lots of people join the club after their first year and you will be very welcome!

In Michaelmas Term you will be put into a novice crew, where you will be taught the fundamentals of rowing. Novice crews are organised by the Lower Boats’ Captains. Training consists of a mixture of land training, which can be done at the College gym as well as the Boathouse, and water training. There are several novice races in Michaelmas Term, such as Emma Sprints and Clare Novice Regatta, which lead up to the Fairbairn Cup race at the start of December. Your coaches, captains, and the senior crews will be there to cheer you on!

If you enjoy rowing as a novice (and we really hope that you do) then you can continue on to the senior crews in Lent Term and beyond for bumps racing, which is the true highlight of the Cambridge rowing calendar. If you are interested in taking part in the upcoming try rowing days please fill in the form below!


  • Do I have to wake up really early?
    Novice rowers can’t be on the water until 7:30am during Michaelmas Term, so it’s quite possible to wake up at 7am for an outing and still cycle to the Boathouse on time! Rowing may change your definition of an early morning, but there’s no better way to start your day than on the Cam. Plus, all outings are set up to allow people to get to their 9am lectures, so there’s no need to worry about that either.
  • Do I need to be an amazing athlete?
    Absolutely not! Technique is arguably more important than athleticism and as novices you will all be starting from the same level. Training goals are set based on your ability, and there really is a crew for everyone. Our goal is to help you improve your technique and fitness across each term. CCBC runs one of the most successful learn-to-row programs in Cambridge so you will find the club a very positive and encouraging place, whatever your level of interest. Enthusiasm and a willingness to show up are more than enough!
  • Do I have to commit all of my time to rowing?
    In a word, no. In Michaelmas Term you will typically have two or three outings a week, and since they will be in the mornings you will have the rest of your days to do other things! If you progress to rowing as a senior then there are crews for every level of interest, from social rowing to competing at the top level of college rowing. If you’re keen to row just for fun, rowing in one of the lower boats is ideal… although I defy anyone to row “just for fun” when the gun goes off to start a bumps race!

Novice Coxing

The focus of rowing is usually on the eight rowers, but if you’ve scrolled down this far you have realised that the most important role is actually the coxswain (the Webmaster is completely unbiased). As a cox you are in charge of safety, steering, and coordinating the rowers, which is perfect if you think you want to learn more about the cerebral and psychological side of the sport, and a bonus if you enjoy shouting at people. Coxing is all about tactics and learning to work with coaches and crews to mold eight individuals into one crew.

In the first instance, as a novice cox you will be paired up with a senior crew for some outings to help you get to grips with steering and the fundamentals of being in a boat on the River Cam. Coxes have a lifejacket and a microphone, so there is no need to worry about not being the loudest person in the world! As well as a senior crew, there will also be cox-focused coaching from the bank to help you learn. Part way through Michaelmas Term you will be assigned a novice crew with the ultimate aim of racing in the Fairbairn Cup. If you enjoy the novice term you can then join the senior squad as a cox and start training for bumps racing!

The coxes are organised by the Coxing Captain and supported by the cox squad as a whole. Everyone is friendly and willing to share advice and feedback. It is also a great way for people who are already rowers to improve their overall technique and understanding of the sport, and we would welcome anyone who is already rowing and interested in learning how to cox.

If you are interested in coxing, or learning more about what it means to be a cox, please contact the Coxing Captain Eleanor Joinson below.

Contact the Coxing Captain
  • Don’t I have to be really small?
    Not at all! As long as you’re keen and get into the boat, then you can cox! At an elite level smaller coxes are preferable as they are generally lighter but at Churchill the difference in size is pretty negligible. A cox who can improve quickly and is safe, is better than a cox who is simply lighter. In fact, the cox of the men’s first boat in 2018 was over 6 feet tall!
  • I’m not very loud, is that a problem?
    You don’t have to be the chattiest person to cox. Firstly, you wear a microphone so you don’t have to shout much. Also, good coxes are succinct and clear, and give the rowers time to think about what they are doing: talking too much can be as bad as talking too little! There are also set phrases to use to cover the basics commands and you can build up how much coaching/motivation you do as you get more confident. The most important aspect of coxing is steering and coordinating the rowers safely.
  • Isn’t it boring just sitting in a boat?
    A good cox can coach, motivate, think about tactics and steer all at the same time, which is a lot to do all at once! There’s always something you can do to improve as often different things motivate different rowers, different rowers have different rowing problems, and different rowing locations require different ways to steer. And I’m sure that crews would be very happy if you want to join in their erg sessions…