London Otters Rowing Club

London Otters Rowing Club is an LGBTQ-inclusive British Rowing club based at the Royal Docks Watersports Centre in East London. It rows at Royal Albert Dock, where the London Regatta Centre provides an indoor rowing tank and a six-lane, 2,000-metre non-tidal course.

Grant Ralph and Warwick Lobban founded the club in 2014 after struggling to find a place where they could develop as rowers while being openly gay. The group began through Meetup and made the Royal Albert Dock its home. London Youth Rowing delivered the early Learn to Row courses until the Otters had developed enough experience to teach new members themselves.

The club welcomes complete beginners, experienced rowers and coxes. It runs up to three six-week Otterpups courses each year, teaching both sculling and sweep rowing in crew boats. The club reports that more than 500 beginners have completed over 40 courses, and its fleet can put more than 100 rowers on the water at once.

The Otters first raced at St Neots Regatta in 2015. Members later competed at the 2018 Paris Gay Games, the EuroGames in Nijmegen in 2022 and Vienna in 2024, and the Bruges five-kilometre side-by-side race. Club news also records a senior-eight win at Star Autumn Head in 2024 and two wins at Lea Spring Regatta in 2025.

The rowing calendar is paired with a community programme that includes Pride participation and the club's annual Rowcation. The club also runs Rainbow Races, whose 2024 edition was described by the Otters as its largest to date.

London Otters registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club in 2019 and became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in July 2024. The Charity Commission records its purpose as improving LGBTQI+ representation and participation in amateur rowing, particularly in London.