University of Kent Rowing Club - Canterbury | UK Rowing Clubs | Row HQ

University of Kent Rowing Club is the university's student rowing organisation in Canterbury. Its water base is the Somerset Maugham Boathouse at Plucks Gutter on the River Stour, while land sessions use the university sports centre and dance studios.

A small group of students founded the club in 1966 to bring rowing to the new Canterbury campus. It began on the River Stour and was historically based at the Somerset Maugham Boathouse; between September 2018 and April 2020 it shared Westbere Lake facilities with The King's School Canterbury.

The current club has men's and women's squads and takes members from first-year novices through to postgraduates. Senior members and alumni provide coaching, with early-morning or weekend water sessions and evening rowing-machine sessions arranged around study.

Kent currently focuses mainly on sweep rowing in coxed fours and pairs, while also offering some sculling. Full training, land-training, social and coxing, and alumni memberships provide different levels of involvement.

After a three-year break from the water, the championship squad returned in 2023-24, won its first regatta and placed second at three more. The club races at head events and regattas including the Head of the River and British Universities and Colleges Sport Regatta.

Kent's students' union named rowing its Sports Club of the Year in 2012-13, 2014-15 and 2015-16. The club also holds weekly socials, fundraisers, balls and barbecues alongside its training programme.