The main aim of the Junior Squad is to introduce young people to the sport of rowing with a view to future participation in top domestic events including: the main Head races; National Schools; Junior Inter regional; and National Championship regattas.

The Junior Squad also acts as a feeder to the senior sections of the club. In this manner the more senior juniors gradually integrate with senior athletes and act as role models for the younger members.

The competition junior squad trains three times a week (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday) and the high performance juniors aim to train six days a week.

The novice Junior squad trains on Sunday mornings.

Competition in rowing falls into two seasons. The regatta season runs throughout the summer (generally from around May to August). Regattas are sprint races that allow for side by side racing, or at bigger events, multi-lane racing. Distances vary but cover anything from 500m to 2000m.

The head season runs throughout the winter. Head races are generally over longer distances and are organised as time trials; boats start racing one after the other.

In the last twelve months we’ve attended over 40 events, ranging from our locals at Norwich, Bedford, St Neots and Peterborough, to further afield events at Wallingford, Oxford and the Olympic venue at Eton Dorney.

In recent years we entered nearly all of the National Events including the Head of the River races, National Championships, Ladies and Henley Royal Regatta and the World Championships. There’s something for everyone, from Novice to Elite.

We aim to group people with similar rowing aspirations into crews. As a member of a crew you will train on the water and build your fitness on land. The level at which you can compete will depend on you and your fellow crew members but you will be able to take part in your first races within a few months of taking up the sport.

Our own Regatta, always held on the first Saturday of August, is highly regarded as a gem of a traditional regatta and is always a highlight in our own rowing year.

Non competitive recreational rowing is a fun way of getting fit and enjoying the outdoors. Membership of the club and British Rowing gives you access to contact other clubs and arrange to row in different venues.

We also have a group who travel to Portugal each summer for four days of varied rowing on an organised event. There are lots of opportunities to row at Sudbury outside of the normal club sessions during the week or evenings in the summer.

We warmly welcome anyone with an interest in coxing: whether new to boats or an old hand. Generally, coxes are put with crews that match their abilities and objectives, but we also operate a coxing rotation policy, so novice coxes can learn from experienced crews and vice versa.

Similarly, coxes are welcome to take out men’s and women’s crews depending on their preference.

SRC is very much an active sociable club. We provide opportunities to be with other people, perhaps to provide help and support and to work with others as part of a team.

We are always in need of people to help mend boats, provide refreshments, keep the boathouse tidy and shipshape, help crews get on or off the water and even help with coaching.

Like any sport, rowing takes time to master and you will gain reward proportional to the time and effort you are prepared to put in.