Recruiting Information
It's great that you are interested in joining McGill Crew. Rowing is challenging and requires discipline and commitment. But like anything, victory is so much sweeter when you work for it, and if you work hard for the McGill Rowing Club you will be victorious, both on the water and off it. The reach of Mcgill's Crew extends much farther than an 18 foot oar; it initiates life-long friendships and creates a close knit community of athletes, coaches, and alumni.
Our crew is divided into varsity and novice programs. Read below for more information.
If you have more questions (such as practice location, summer training, trying out) look for answers on the FAQ page.
Online Recruiting Form
Tell us a bit about yourself. Please take a moment to fill out our online recruiting form.
Varsity Rowing
The varsity program is, as its name indicates, a varsity sport; this means that practices, independent training, and competitions are taken seriously. The varsity crews practice six mornings a week, and are expected to do a second afternoon gym workout independently. They race in four head races and five sprint races during the fall season. The number of varsity boats depends on the number of interested athletes. In addition to men's and women's heavyweight 8+s, we field lightweight and Junior Varsity boats. Although the McGill Crew normally competes in sweep events, there are racing opportunities for scullers as well.
The varsity season starts with a pre-season training camp (see Upcoming Events for details). Try-outs and boat selection usually begins in the first week in September and concludes by the third week in September.
Novice Rowing
The novice rowing program is designed so that anyone, especially people who have never rowed before, can row. (If you have past rowing experience, but have never competed in an official regatta, you may still be eligible to row at the novice level). Inexperience aside, the novice program is competitive. The novice crews train five mornings a week and compete in two head races (6km or about 20 minutes) and three sprint races (2km or about 7-8 minutes) during the fall season. Every year there are two novice men's 8+s and two novice women's 8+s. Thus, 32 novice rowers and 4 novice coxswains can compete for McGill.
The novice season starts with an orientation meeting to be held the first week of school (see Upcoming Events for details). The novice crews should be decided by the third week of September.
The coaches are looking for people who are generally fit; we don't expect technical knowledge of rowing. Tryouts are designed to give every potential rower the chance prove him/herself through tests measuring endurance, explosiveness, and overall body strength.
The novice rowing team also needs coxswains, so if you are small in stature (110-120 lbs.), competitive, self-confident, and a team player, then you're ideally suited. The "cox" is the only person in the boat who can see where the team is headed, who steers the boat and keeps an eye out for any obstacles. They also inform the team of the progress of the competition, then tells them how to win the race. Like a miniature coach, the cox keeps on the rowers' backs, pushing them to the limits of their endurance.