Rentacrew Rowing Club enjoyed a fundraising dinner in March.
Rentacrew Rowing Club was formed in the late 1960’s as a subsidiary club to Leander. Its main purpose was to get around the Leander Committee’s ruling that crews could not race under Leander colours after Henley Royal Regatta. It was not popular with other clubs, as the pink oars and Leander boats that were used, made abundantly clear the origin of the crews who were in rowing parlance, ‘pot hunting’.
In the late 1970’s, Leander made it clear it wanted nothing to do with Rentacrew, and it must be said that the name was considered mildly offensive by many, particularly crews that were beaten! A small group of rebels kept Rentacrew ticking over, paying the annual registration fee to what was then the Amateur Rowing Association, now British Rowing. Rentacrew enjoyed something of a renaissance in the mid-eighties as a club for veteran Leander athletes .
These days it is provides the chance for some older members of the Club to row in their two boats a quad and a double. The small group involved pay back what they see as the generosity of Leander, by tackling odd jobs for which they fundraise, by staging a very light-hearted dinner. Recent examples of their work include having the memorial gates sand blasted and painted, and completely renovating one of the memorial benches.
Pictured, l: Long standing Rentacrew member Matt (the Punt) Gordon following the presentation of the Memorial Hippo Head award for outstanding support to the Club. r: Donald Legget tries his hand at archery.
