Leander Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Leander Club is based in Henley-on-Thames, England, and is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, with only two Oxford College Boat Clubs being founded before, Brasenose College Boat Club and Jesus College Boat Club (the two competing in a Head race in 1815).
The club was founded in 1818 in London. Its first home is assumed to have been Searle's yard, Stangate - on the south bank of the River Thames (on land currently occupied by St Thomas's Hospital. In 1860 it moved to Putney and in 1867 constructed a clubhouse there. Thirty years later, in 1897, Leander purchased land in Henley and built its current clubhouse. The club's centre of gravity moved rapidly to Henley, although the Putney boathouse was retained until 1961.
For the first 179 years of its existence, it was a men-only club, but in 1998 opened its doors to women members, partly prompted by financial considerations, as the UK's Sports Council rules required organizations receiving funding to have an open membership policy.
Some famous members include:
- Ed Coode
- James Cracknell
- Tim Foster
- Jürgen Gröbler
- Steve Redgrave
- Matthew Pinsent
- Steve Williams
- Alex Partridge
- Debbie Flood
- Rebecca Romero
- Mark Hunter
- Toby Garbett
- Tom Stallard
- Rick Egington
- Peter Reed
- Josh West
- Steve Rowbotham
- Mark Banks
- Guy Nickalls
- Vivian Nickalls
- Gully Nickalls
- Ran Laurie
