Club History

After World War Two, 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 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 1950's Llandaff Rowing 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.

With development, club membership grew drastically in size, and so in 1996, the club building was refurbished and extended to its current size, it is today. On 3rd November 1996, Sir Steven Redgraves, OBE and Matthew Pinsent, MBE. Officially opened the new clubhouse. Two years later on 8th March 1998, the Club's new land training facility was officially opened by Rhodri Morgan, MP. The facility was supported by local business as well as members of the Llandaff Rowing Club Social Committee.

Today, Llandaff Rowing Club is a major force in Welsh rowing and further afield. Our success continues at all levels with our crews and scullers winning medals and tankards at local, national and international events year after year.

Our success stories to date

Today, we have many members selected to row as part of the Welsh Squad Development Team. Jack Thomas trains in the Welsh Squad for the Men Lightweight U23, he recently won the IM3 8+ as part of Rhyfio Cymru at the 2012 Head of the River Race; Stephanie Hislop, was spotted and chosen as part of the World Class Start Programme and is part of the Senior Women's Welsh Academy. Also part of the Welsh Academy are Kirstin Watts (J16) and Taylor Robinson (J15), and all three women won gold medals at the 2011 Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships, as well as winning in their categories at Head Races.

Adaptive Rowing is new to Wales and Llandaff, and Tyler Hallett, has been selected to train as part of the Welsh Adaptive Rowing squad.

Our Junior squad, many of whom have been selected into the Welsh Squad in the past 12 years, have had considerable success winning medals at National Levels. Today, two of our best athletes have been selected into the GB U23 Squad: Zak Lee-Green and Hannah Pattersen.

Zak Lee-Green, chose rowing as part of his school sport lesson in 2006. Talent spotted by our coaches he joined the Junior squad for the Inter-Regional regatta and rowed as part of the Welsh squad. Today, Zak trains in the GB U23 squad and has competed in numerous top international regattas. With great results, Zak is developing in the right direction for hopefully Rio, Olympic 2016. During his time in rowing, Zak was selected for the Lloyds TSB Local Heros programme and due to the good work he has done in this role, was nominated as an Olympic torch bearer when the Torch Relay came to Cardiff in May 2012.

Hannah Pattersen joined Llandaff Rowing Club in 2009 and has worked hard, enjoying a meteoric rise in the sport. By 2010, Hannah made the final GB junior trials. Over the last 2 years she has won several gold, silver and bronze medals at international regattas and was a course record holder at Henley Women’s Regatta, Hannah now trains for the GB U23 squad.

In 2007, David Currie Jr was selected to row for the GB squad and won a bronze medal at the World Championships and a medal at Henley Royal Regatta. He continued to row and win at many International events.

Our Veteran Squad, was formed in 1993, and they won regularly at National and World Championships - 1996 being an especially successful year with six gold medals at the World Masters Regatta.

Steven Denley-Hill, one of our greatest successes, joined Llandaff in 1969 and has since won six medals at Henley Masters, 14 gold and six silver at the National Masters Championships and 15 FISA World Masters titles, winning in fours, doubles and his single scull. Steven continues to win medals to this present day as a Master G.

Charlie Wiggin won the Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta and a bronze medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. He went on to achieve considerable further international success in coxless pairs.

Llandaff have had many success stories with siblings rowing in the same boat. Brothers David and Robert Luke, sons of Jeremy Luke, won several times at Henley Royal Regatta in the late 1980’s. They also represented Great Britain in World Championship, winning medals at many events. The Edwards brothers won silver medals as part of a coxless four in the 1962 Empire Games in Australia and Jeremy and Timothy Luke competed at the top level in pair events, reaching the trials for the 1960 Olympic Games.

Our successs stories continue year after year...