Llandaff Rowing Club - Club History

Club History

"After World War II, returning members of Taff (1879) and Cardiff (1884) Rowing Clubs found their boathouses burnt-out, or collapsed through wood rot, and their boats and memorabilia missing.

Members joined forces to form Llandaff Rowing Club, rebuilding the old Taff Clubhouse and using the Cardiff Boathouse for temporary storage. At first, progress was very difficult because of problems in obtaining building materials in the post-war period and the absence of boats and the silt which had filled the river in places. As luck would have it, the Clubs' own boats, which had been washed up on the estuary mud flats had been rescued by residents of the lower part of Cardiff and protected under tarpaulins. After restoration work, rowing restarted at the end of 1946 and the first regatta was held in 1947.

In the 1950s the club blossomed and became a force on the regatta circuit. The Welsh National Rowing Club was formed in 1958 to represent Wales at the Empire Games, at which many of Llandaff's senior members officiated.

Jeremy and Timothy Luke began to compete at the top level in pair oared events reaching the trials for the 1960 Olympic Games, with the Edwards brothers winning the silver medal for coxless fours at the 1962 Empire Games in Australia.

Further international success in coxless pairs was achieved by Charlie Wiggin winning the Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta and a bronze medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

More recently, David and Robert Luke have won at Henley and represented Great Britain in World Championship events.

In 1993, a veteran squad was formed with the object of competing internationally. The squad has won regularly at National and World Championship, 1996 being an especially successful year with six gold medals at the World Masters Regatta."

On the 8th March 1998 the Club's land training facility was official opened by Rhodri Morgan, MP. The facility was supported by local business as well as members of the Llandaff Rowing Club Social Committee.

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