Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic the BUCS Rowing Regatta has been cancelled.
The end of year BUCS regatta was supposed to take place from 8th – 10th May across the Bank Holiday weekend.
Each year the event sees every university rowing team descend upon Holme Pierre Point in Nottingham for three days of close racing in every boat category, from the small Singles up to the Eights.
Unprecedented Times
The decision to cancel the event along with all other fixtures was announced in a statement on the BUCS website.
It stated “The developing situation in relation to Covid-19 means we continue to find ourselves in unprecedented times. The well-being of students, staff, volunteers and officials involved in BUCS Competition is of the utmost importance to us.”
“As such, we have suspended the commencement of all BUCS activity, sporting and non-sporting, from 23.59hrs on Tuesday 17th March 2020 until 09.00hrs Wednesday 1st April 2020.”
Although the BUCS Regatta falls outside the suggested dates, the air of uncertainty has still caused the event to be cancelled.
This also comes after UEL cancelled all sporting activities for the rest of the season following a statement that was put out by East London Sports saying for the rest of term “All sporting activity will be cancelled”.
Thoughts From A Rower
Rowing can be a tedious sport at the best of times, it requires the same action again and again with the aim to get a little bit better each time until a race day rolls around.
This cannot be more true for the students who row for the University Of East London, although that elusive race day never came around this year, following the cancellation of the Reading Regatta and the closure of the national Head Of River Regatta.
This is a bleak time for the university rowing team as the end of year BUCS regatta was the last remaining event of the year.
Many of the rowing team are freshers and therefore haven’t had a chance to race before and having three races scratched has been disappointing.
Bren Heald is one of the new additions to the rowing club this year, he explained the disappointment surrounding this season.
“It’s very discouraging having all of our races cancelled, especially after grinding the early mornings throughout the winter months. As a novice, who only started in October of 2019, I was looking forward to competing and using my newly learned skills at the BUCS Regatta and seeing the culmination of all of the squad’s effort and dedication. I am eager to get back to rowing and to keep working hard, as a squad, for the 2020/21 season.”
The rowers of UEL will be hoping to get back on the water in September and will be looking forward to getting some races under their belt next season.
