Established in 1859, the Melbourne University Boat Club is the oldest rowing club in Australia and established by Professor Irving, an Oxford University graduate and Melbourne University's second Classics Professor, for the purpose of a race between a University crew and a " crew of men from the metropolitan Banks”.
MUBC is an open club – you do not have to be a student at Melbourne University to row here. The club offers Youth (Under 21), Elite, Club and masters programmes and currently has approximately 400 active members and over 1000 associated alumni and friends. The club's original aim was that of Professor Irving, a Professor of Classics at the UNiversity, to raise a crew from the University to race a crew from Melbourne's metropolitan Banks in 1859. This aim has changed over time to simply enable all members to reach their potential as oarsmen and women.
MUBC members regularly make up a significant part of Australian national rowing teams at Junior, Youth and Elite levels and have raced in Olympic Games from Stockholm (1912) to London (2012). Continuing this tradition some MUBC members are among Australia's finest oarsmen and women, and will compete in the Rio 2016 Olympics whilst others will be content to race locally at the many Victorian regattas. Others will represent the University in the Australian Boat Race against arch rivals from Sydney University.
MUBC members also regularly make up a significant part of Australian national rowing teams at U21 and U23 levels, a major stepping stone to success. Competing at international regattas is also open to non-elite members with MUBC club and master rowers successfully participating in world renown events such as Henley Royal Regatta and Head of the Charles.
Others whether due to ability or family and work commitments, choose to row for fun and personal fitness. Ultimately these members are the backbone of the club. Whatever we do, we do it to the best of our ability.
Joining MUBC gives you full access to this most special of sporting clubs in the centre of Melbourne. The club now has an extremely varied competition calendar and membership base. Nowadays members are not solely drawn from the University, although undergraduates and alumni make up a significant sector of the membership.