A lot of people don't know this... but not many years ago Mens' Rowing and Women's Rowing were very different things and to make this clear they had different Associations, the ARA and The WARA. Indeed, men competed and mens' regattas and women competed at womens' regattas, and rarely did the two meet! Eventually the two associations merged as The ARA and this became 'British Rowing', which is currently chaired by a woman - Di Ellis.

In the sixties various oarswomen at various universities decided that the only way forward at the highest level was to combine, to produce top crews for the top event - an early version of The National Squad. There had been international regattas for many years in Europe but women only got recognised in 1954 - though they raced on different days to the men! In 1960 the European Championships for Women came to Great Britain and these were held in the unlikely venue of Willesden, in London, at a lake called the Welsh Harp. Thus the ladies of the United Universities came together to represent Great Britain. A lot has happened in the ensuing half-century, but the ladies of the United Universities are as spry as ever and 'fifty years on' they reconvened at Thames Rowing Club at Putney in September 2010. For photos of the ladies please follow the link:-