Northumbria University Boat Club

Formerly Rutherford College of Technology BC and also Newcastle Polytechnic Boat Club.

Rutherford College was founded in 1877 and the Boat Club in 1964 through the efforts of the late Dr Graham Matthews, a member of the Tyne Amateur Rowing Club, who was a lecturer in physics at Rutherford College in Newcastle. Graham was also instrumental in establishing the Rutherford Head Race, the first race taking place on Saturday 10th December 1966.

In 1970, the Rutherford College of Technology became Newcastle Polytechnic, and this appeared to trigger a decline in the fortunes of the Boat Club. Membership was declining, however, and by about 1976 the club was moribund, and by 1978 its boathouse, erected in 1969 when the future seemed bright, had fallen into disuse. The boathouse has since been demolished.

There had been no-one at the Polytechnic since about 1976 to keep the Boat club in existence, and during the mid-Seventies the Head race was organised with considerable external help, eventually being taken over by Tyne RC in 1977.