We’re a very successful and very inclusive club; most of our rowers come to New College having never sat in a boat. Our biggest novice intake occurs at the start of Michaelmas, when we take several boats of novice men and women and train them up for the novice regatta near the end of term, but we take people throughout the year. Enquiries from experienced rowers and coxes are of course very welcome too!

Our calendar revolves around the three termly competitions; the Michaelmas Novice Regatta, Torpids in Hilary and Summer Eights in Trinity. The latter two are ‘bumps’ competitions, a uniquely Oxbridge style of racing that evolved to allow racing on a stretch of river too narrow for side-by-side contests. In bumps, crews line up and attempt to catch the boat in front before being caught by the boat behind. If a bump occurs, the two boats switch places in the next day’s starting order. Although this sort of racing can create some exciting collisions (you'll find plenty of crashes on YouTube!), the risk of injury is minimal.

As one of the biggest clubs on the river (we entered eight crews into Summer Eights 2024, unsurpassed by any other college), NCBC offers a crew for every ability and commitment level. Top crews are in Division 1 and train seven times a week, while our less competitive crews may train once or twice a week. Regardless of which boat you row with, however, we promise high-quality training from our brilliant coaches and lots of fun!

Although we do enjoy a good row, it’s by no means the only thing we do: we have regular club socials, from classic crewdates to non-drinking socials like film nights and mini-golf, as well as a big party at the end of term to celebrate our accomplishments.