Building on Success at Cambridge University Rowing

Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club (CUWBC) announces today that Chief Coach, Rob Baker, will be leaving to become Chief Coach to the Cambridge men’s Openweight team. Alongside this change, CUWBC and Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club (CULRC) are pleased to announce the joining of performance programmes across openweight women, lightweight men and lightweight women.

Rob has made a significant contribution to CUWBC in the six years he has been with the club and the whole of CUWBC wishes him every success in his new role. By developing a strong programme and augmenting his own coaching abilities over those 6 years, Rob has built a powerful high performance environment where individuals flourish on and off the water. Rob has led CUWBC to some stunning performances at the Boat Race and in other national and international competitions, with key wins at the British Rowing Championships, Fours Head, Women’s Eights Head, British and European University Championships. Five members of CUWBC who rowed for the British rowing team last summer had all learnt to row at Cambridge University.

Rob Baker stated:

“The past 6 seasons with CUWBC have been challenging, rewarding and hugely formative for me as a Coach. I am extremely proud of the work we have done and where the club now stands in world rowing. I have worked with tremendous athletes, a great support team and have forged life-long friendships with many people involved with CUWBC. I leave the club after two seasons of clean sweeps in the Boat Races and we stand at the top of University Women’s rowing in the UK. I look forward to working with the next CUWBC chief coach and their team in my new role and helping both clubs to progress and win more Boat Races.”

Rob leaves Cambridge University women’s rowing in a great position with a strong system and a fantastic support framework in place that has underpinned CUWBC’s success in recent years. Assistant Coach, Patrick Ryan, who has been a key part of CUWBC success, will continue to coach and develop the scholar athletes alongside the Club’s wider professional team.

The Club, led by its Executive Committee, aims to build further on this strong performance platform by continuing to join up the performance programmes across CUWBC and Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club (CULRC). Recruitment for the newly expanded position of Chief Coach Cambridge University Rowing Women and Lightweights will begin soon. This new position will lead the combined programmes of openweight women, lightweight women and lightweight men.

Cath Bishop, Chair of CUWBC’s Executive Committee, said:

“We wish Rob all the best in his new challenge working with the men’s team and thank him for his immense contribution to CUWBC and stunning Boat Race performances in 2017 and 2018. We are delighted that CUWBC could provide the environment for Rob to develop his coaching and be part of such a successful programme for women’s rowing in the UK. I and the rest of CUWBC are very excited about merging the performance programmes across CUWBC and CULRC to take things to the next level for the next generation of Cambridge University rowing talent.”