Union Boat Club caters for rowers of all levels.
UBC is one of New Zealand’s Premier rowing and sculling clubs. Located on the Whanganui River, in the centre of Whanganui City the Union Boat Club offers the best of training venues.
Union has programs for Club, School, Masters and Recreational rowers.
To row you must have strong personal discipline but also have the ability to operate as part of a team. You will learn life long skills and attributes that can be applied to all aspects of your life.
It might be hard work but it’s also fun.
Club Rowing
If you’re an experienced rower and would like to row at a competitive level consider UBC. We are always on the lookout for school leavers and other rowers who have moved to Whanganui from other centres to join this squad. Members of this squad will compete at a high level at several regattas throughout the season in differing boat categories.
School Rowing
Union Boat Club has a large squad of secondary school rowers. Students from Whanganui Girls College, City College and Cullinane College row for UBC. School rowers will row for UBC during the racing season at club regattas. During the later part of the season (February – April), there is a number of Secondary School regattas where the squad members will represent their school.
These regattas include the Whanganui School Champs, North Island Secondary Schools Champs and the NZ Secondary Schools Championships (Maadi Cup) regatta. The Maadi Cup Regatta hosting alternates between Lake Karapiro, Cambridge in the North Island and Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel in the South Island. The Maadi Cup Regatta will see over 125 schools represented and more than 2200 athletes attending.
If you are interested in rowing for your school, please email UBC or speak to your school PE Department.
New Rowers are always welcome no matter what school you are from. We offer a free trial of three rows out in a boat for you to judge whether rowing is for you.
If you choose to join the club and continue—only then do the fees apply.
Masters Rowing
Masters rowing has become very popular in the last few years with more mature people coming back to rowing or trying the sport for the first time. The UBC Masters concentrate on active participation and enjoyment of the sport while also using it to keep fitness levels up. Many masters are also involved in the club through the committee and coaching younger crews.
The lower age limit to be a master is 27 years. There is 11 age groups go up to 85+.
There are several regattas UBC Masters attend each year including the Masters Games – held in Whanganui every 2 years.
Regattas range from casual fun to serious.
Recreational Rowing
If you are an experienced rower or would like to learn to row for fitness, UBC will cater for your needs.
We can also offer Boat Shed hire for you to keep your boat in our shed for a small annual fee. Recreational rowers are entitled to use full use of boatshed facilities, including gym and shower.