Club History
1969: Dawn of the Wolf
Wolfson College Boat Club first competed in Summer VIIIs on Wednesday 28th May 1969, only 3 years after Sir Isaiah Berlin was formally named the head of Wolfson College, and several years before the first of Wolfson’s buildings was opened. According to The Times, the Wolfson men were caught in their first race by the medics of Osler II, but the next day went on to secure the first bump in College history, against the St. Hilda’s women.
An early Wolfson crew carries the first boat, Aline, named for Lady Berlin.
Sir Isaiah Berlin watches as Wolfson competes in Summer Eights 1973.
1970s: Women Go for the Bump
Until the mid-1970’s, most Oxford colleges were single-sex, each admitting only men or only women. As there weren’t enough women’s boats to support a separate women’s division in the bumps races, women raced alongside the men.
In 1974, five men’s colleges – Brasenose, Hertford, Jesus, St. Catherine’s, and Wadham – began to admit women. Within twenty years, most colleges would admit both men and women. (The sole exception, St. Hilda’s, would remain female-only until 2008.) With the increase in women at Oxford came a surge in women’s rowing, and a separate Summer Eights women’s division was finally feasible.
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In 1976, ten Colleges came together to make this happen: the five above-named, and four of the five women’s colleges – Somerville, St Hugh’s, St Hilda’s and LMH. And the tenth college? Wolfson, of course! We are proud to have been among the founding competitors in women’s bumps racing at Oxford. Our women began at 4th on the River on the first day of Summer Eights, 26 May 1976. Four days later, we had held that position, having rowed over ahead of St. Catz each day.
St Catherine's Women's Eight preparing for the first women's Summer Eights division in 1976. (Courtesy of Anu Dudhia)
1986 — 1992: Women's First Boat Powers Up
The Wolfson women had an exceptional campaign in the late 1980’s into the early 1990’s. Over those six years, the women achieved a total of 32 bumps, moving up 16 spots in Torpids and 14 spots in Eights, and reaching 4th on the River. They earned blades in Eights in 1986 and in Torpids in 1989.
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We are looking for details, pictures, and any other information about the women's boat club over this period. If you know more, please email us.
1999: Boathouse Fire
In September 1999, arsonists set light to the University College boathouse, where Wolfson was based alongside University, St. Peter’s and Somerville colleges. In the aftermath of the blaze, Wolfson boated from a metal shed erected on the side of the river next to the construction site of the new boathouse. Though the Wolf Pack’s temporary muddy home didn’t do much for morale or footwear, their humour lived on. The first boat purchased after the disaster was affectionately named “Firestarter.”
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Unfortunately, arson would again strike Oxford rowing. In July 2005, animal rights protesters set fire to Hertford’s boathouse at Longbridges, and boats belonging to Hertford, St Catherine’s, Mansfield, St Hilda’s, and Templeton were destroyed.
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It wasn’t until the spring of 2007 that University College’s new — and rather impenetrable — boathouse would open. Wolfson now enjoys these very modern facilities, complete with sliding boat racks, large garage doors, and a full erg training facility around back.
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We are looking for stories and photos from this period. If you know more, please e-mail us.
University College boathouse after the 1999 fire. (Courtesy Arthur Bullard)
Univ boathouse shed, November 2005
2006 — 2012: Men's First Boat Surges
The men’s boat club enjoyed huge successes from 2006 to 2012. Over those six years, the men moved up 22 places in each of Torpids and Summer Eights. They earned blades twice in Torpids, in 2010 and 2011. In Eights, the men earned blades three times, in 2008, 2010, and 2011. They achieved a total of 40 bumps over those six years, and catapulted from Division III to 4th on the River.​​
M1 celebrate their 2011 Summer Eights blades (Left to right: Chris Prasser, Duncan England, Philipp Becker, Nanda Pirie, Mario Recker, Cliff Sofield, Cory Kampf, Paul Kelly, Jeremy Howick, Christian Bell).
2019 — 2022: Wolfson Women Dominate
After years of steadily rising in the Bumps charts, W1 finally secured Wolfson Boat Clubs first headship in Summer Eights 2019. Cancelled Bumps races in 2020 and 2021 due to flooding and the Covid-19 pandemic did not stop them — when racing continued with Summer Torpids in 2021, W1 secured the double-headship (holding both Torpids and Summer Eights headships), which they defended in Torpids 2022.
The lower boats, too, excelled, with both W2 and W3 the highest women's second and third boats on the river respectively.
2022 — Present: Continued Success
The club continues to enjoy success across the board. W1 continues to be one of the strongest crews on the river while on the men's side, M1 is currently second on the river in Torpids and fourth on the river in Summer Eights.
In 2021, and again in 2023, Wolfson also was able to qualify an Eight for the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, in composite crews with University College and Christ Church College respectively.
Recollections of Wolfson's First Cox
In the summer of 2014, Douglas Johnson, one of Wolfson’s first coxes, visited the Isis for the first time since 1971. In the intervening time, Wolfson had moved from the bottom division of the bumps charts to contesting strongly in the top! He was kind enough to share his thoughts:
"I was a second year undergrad at St Peter’s, where I had been the First Eight cox for two Torpids and a Summer Eights, getting a few bumps. However, for the 1969 Eights, I had been sacked after some differences with the coach. A couple of scratch crews used to ask me to take them out, but I was otherwise unemployed.
At the start of Trinity, a man from Wolfson approached me to cox their boat, and I was happy to do it. We were, of course, in the lowest division. I cannot remember the man’s name (although I can picture him), nor how he lit on me (was he ex-SPC? Did he have a friend or contact there?).
Anyway, we had a good time, and a while later there was a very civilised dinner at Wolfson at which one of the dons advised me that strenuous exercise should be avoided as leading to long term damage!
Having effectively lost contact with Oxford for so long, I had no idea of Wolfson’s prowess at rowing. I am delighted to see that things have advanced so far."