The Novice Squad is not operating the 24-25 season up to the end of August, as learn to row graduates from summer 2024 joined the Development Squad straightaway. It may be revived for winter 25/26. The text below is thus not operational at the moment, but left as a guide for future years.
Who we are
Those who have rowed a bit before elsewhere but have been not been on one of our L2R courses can also join this squad if it suits their ability level. The exact make-up will vary from year to year, but it is usually about 10-12 people, of varying ages but with a shared enthusiasm.
Sessions
Although most of the Novice Squad members are the least experienced rowers at the club, there is still a great deal of dedication and commitment, with two 'compulsory' sessions Wednesday evening and Sunday morning early, doing a mixture of water, ergo, flexibility, fitness and core strength work.
The water sessions involve trying out both rowing (eights and fours) and sculling (quads, doubles and singles) to gain wider experience and find out what people are most suited to. There are also opportunities to join in with more experienced crews to benefit from their knowledge and to further develop technique, stamina and confidence.
Competition
The majority of the Novice Squad members generally start entering competitions within 6-9 months of finishing the L2R course. There are a series of head races (time trials over 1 to 5 km) during the autumn and winter. The first event for new rowers if progressing well might be Durham Small Boats Head or our own Tyne Head, both in February.
Local regattas (with side-by-side races) at Chester-le-Street, Cambois, Tees, Durham and Hexham (to name but a few) follow. We also have the Sunday League Series around the region for newer rowers - first Sunday of the month March to October. Not to mention the Great Tyne Row, all 25km of it in (Newburn to Tynemouth), usually in late August or early September.
Contact details
For information, email Colin Percy at colinwpercy@gmail.com.
This page last updated on 03-04-25.
