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George Watson's College Rowing Club

George Watson's College Boat Club (GWCBC), formerly known as George Watson's College Rowing Club, is the official rowing club of George Watson's College, located in Edinburgh, Scotland.

GWCBC is affiliated with Scottish Rowing and has produced multiple British champions.

History

The club has been competing at the British Rowing Championships since its inception in 1972 and has won multiple titles with the most recent being at the 2025 British Rowing Club Championships.

Honours

British champions

Notable alumni

Head coaches

  • George Hunter (†2023)
  • : Founded the George Watson’s College Boat Club in 1958 and ran it as an unpaid volunteer until 1994. Under his stewardship the club established its junior pathway and produced multiple national champions. He was awarded an OBE in 1980 for services to sport and served on the Scottish Amateur Rowing Association executive for over five decades.
  • Jim Ferguson
  • : Served as Head Coach through the 2000s and early‑2010s. During his tenure the club provided athletes for Scotland Home International teams and saw numerous junior selections for the World Rowing Junior and U23 Championships (e.g. Andrew Holmes). The programme also achieved annual victories at the British Rowing Junior Championships, holding the J16 4+ and WJ18 8+ records.
  • Evelyn Ferguson
  • : Assistant Head Coach during Jim Ferguson’s tenure. Evelyn played a crucial role in athlete development and logistical support, contributing to the club’s consistent performances at domestic and international level.
  • Jason Foster
  • : Succeeded Jim Ferguson and led the club until 2019. Under his guidance, the club qualified its first junior eight for Henley Royal Regatta, being eliminated by Radley College by a large margin.
  • Matthew Mole
  • : Appointed Head Coach in 2019, Mole led George Watson’s College Boat Club to significant achievements. In 2021, the club's junior quad qualified for the Fawley Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, defeating Hereford Cathedral School in the first round. They were subsequently eliminated by Windsor Boys' School, who progressed to the finals. In 2022, the club's quad once again qualified for the Fawley Challenge Cup, securing a victory over York City Rowing Club in the first round before being knocked out by Kingston Rowing Club.
  • Adam Johnston (Acting)
  • : A former Watsonian rower, Johnston has long served as a coach at George Watson’s College Boat Club and temporarily stepped up as Acting Head Coach in 2022. During his time as a student, he competed in various events, including the Open Junior Under 16 Single Scull at the 2009 Strathclyde Park Regatta, finishing with a time of 9:34.96. While not achieving top podium finishes, Johnston's dedication and understanding of the sport led him to make a significant impact as a coach, focusing on developing the technical skills and discipline of young rowers during his tenure.
  • Hamish Burrell (Current)
  • : Appointed Head Coach (listed in club’s key people) and former GB ‘Start’ lead coach. He talent‑identified and coached Katherine Grainger to U23 World Championship gold in 1997 and subsequent Olympic medals, and served as a GB Rowing Team coach (Women’s Pair) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Club captains

See also

References

External links