Varsity (rowing regatta)
Encyclopedia
The Varsity is a rowing regatta
on the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal in Houten
, Netherlands
. The Varsity is the oldest and most prestigious student rowing regatta in the Netherlands.
The Varsity one of the few student-only rowing races and certainly the only one were quality rowing is very important.
The Varsity is a rowing race with an atmosphere much different then other races. Traditional elements are combined with new technology and rowing philosophy. While rowing crews defend the honour of the club on the water, the spectators on the levee are fighting and brawling just as hard.
Open for all traditional race rowing classes like the 4+
, 4-
, 2-
, Skiff
.
But there are also two races in traditional clinker-built
boats (overnaads). These traditional races are often rowed by less-competitive rowers who can't participate in the normal races.
The main event is the Oude Vier (Varsity Four) which is rowed in a 4+. The best rowers of each student rowing club participate in this event. This means that almost all top rowers of the Netherlands are participating.
Most of the traditions in student rowing in the Netherlands evolve around the Varsity. A common toast within clubs is: "(our club) wins the Varsity!" Clubs who didn't win the Varsity in a long time even write songs about it.
The winner of the race is supposed to give a 'kroegjool'. A big party in celebration of the victory. All members of the other participating clubs are invited and drink beer for free. Often around 10.000 litres of beer is consumed in one night.
This tradition ended after the number of broken bones and general damage to Njord's boathouse went sky high.
Two races from 1915 and 1916 don't count towards the total score because of the abnormal World War I
situation.
(*) Caused by the dead-heat of 1960
Soon other rowing clubs started to emerge. In Delft
DSRV Laga was founded in 1876. The Groningen student club G.S.R. Aegir
originated in 1878. All student rowing clubs of this period started as 'subdivisions' of bigger and older student corporations
like Vindicat atque Polit. This meant all club were 'born' with a natural rivalry.
In England
the rowing sport was at that time more developed and already had a tradition of rowing races between universities. The best example is The Boat Race
between Oxford
and Cambridge
. This provided the inspiration for a similar race in the Netherlands.
In 1878 the Leiden Student Rowing Club KSRV Njord challenged the rowing club of Delft
, DSRV Laga. Laga accepted the challenge and raced against Njord on 2 July 1878 on the 'Galgewater' (Gallows water) in Leiden. The race contained two turning-buoys and had a total length of 3200 meter. Laga won with a margin of 12 seconds. The rematch was two years later, and, with a few exceptions, has been an annual event since.
Members of G.S.R. Aegir
, dispute the official history and claim that both clubs decided to race in celebration of the founding of Aegir in February 1878.
. This would become a key point in the history of the Varsity and student rowing in the Netherlands. The three clubs decided to form the NSRB (Royal Dutch Student Rowing Association). This body would be responsible for the organisation of the Varsity.
The first official Varsity was in 1883. The race was for the first time on neutral terrain and the equivalent of a golden medal, a 'gouden blik' became the price for the winner. In this race the turning-buoy emerged as a match-maker since Laga and Triton collied at the turn and never finished the race.
In the following years the race grew in size. More boat classes, more competitors and more spectators. The race moved to Haarlem
in 1885 after residents complained about the disturbance of the Sunday rest. In Haarlem was it possible to race without buoy. Rowing crews started to train on a daily basis for the race. This was unusual at the time and thus resulted in crews dominating for years.
The race moved again in 1902 to the Zweth, a brook between Delft
and Rotterdam
. Because of the small waterway only two crews could compete together. Qualifications for the final were necessary until another move in 1914 to the North Sea Canal
.
40 years after the founding of G.S.R. Aegir
they participated for the first time in the Varsity of 1918 and thus could join the KNSRB. The long distance from Groningen to the other clubs made participation impossible before. With a lead of six boat lengths, they won their first varsity. It would take another 38 years for the second victory.
In 1937 moved the race tot the Bosbaan
in Amstelveen
. Within the rowing world this caused much uproar. The Bosbaan was only 2000 meters long, too short for the traditional 3000 meters. Also was the track a little too narrow for the 5 competing boats.
Varsity winners handed in their prize and honorary members of the NSRB resigned in the dispute over the new location. Simultaneously it was debated to row the main event in the coxless four instead of the coxed four.
After Laga openly asked for a new location, Triton proposed Jutphaas
as a new location for the race. Triton swore that it would organise the varsity on behalf of the NSRB as long as the race was rowed in (the neighbourhood of) Utrecht
. An oath they still keep.
occupation, the Varsity was a forbidden event. However, Triton was allowed to organise the Varsity in 1941 as part of their lustrum. Later that year, after the german occupant prohibited the membership for Jewish students, all student rowing clubs (and all other student clubs) closed their gates. Only the executive board remained member to protect boats and property.
A mock Varsity took play in a Japanese
interment camp
. Representatives of the student rowing clubs created a game were dice decided the outcome. With cardboard they created a 5 meter track, boats, finish tower and they even painted the boats in the correct colours. Members and supporters of the student rowing clubs created the traditional outfit and practised the anthem of the club.
Representatives of each pre-war NSRB club (Njord, Laga, Triton, Nereus, Aegir) played for the main event, while Argo, a student rowing club not yet member of the NSRB, only could participate in the skiff
, double four and in the eight
. Triton won the race after an exciting battle against Laga.
After the war the importance of the Varsity grew a lot. The NOS
has broadcast the race on television since the 1950's.
After much debate between KNSRB clubs, it was decided in 1973 that all NSRF clubs should be able to participate in the Varsity. This led to major changes in the race. For the first time since 1914, qualifications were necessary.
The big culture difference between the new and the old clubs proved to be a difficult challenge for both worlds. New clubs did not like the distance and different race rules. They also objected to the traditional fighting and brawling between KNSRB club members.
The KNSRB members showed their disappointment by wearing black belts during the first 'joined' Varsity.
Since then the relationship normalised, although many KNSRB members misbehaved when a non-KNSRB club, Orca, won the varsity in 1980.
The Varsity moved north along the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal
in 1971. Since then the race stayed in Houten
except for a one year return to the bosbaan
.
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
on the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal in Houten
Houten
Houten is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. The expected population in 2015 will be 50,000. The municipality consists of the following towns:* Houten * 't Goy * Schalkwijk...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The Varsity is the oldest and most prestigious student rowing regatta in the Netherlands.
The Varsity one of the few student-only rowing races and certainly the only one were quality rowing is very important.
The Varsity is a rowing race with an atmosphere much different then other races. Traditional elements are combined with new technology and rowing philosophy. While rowing crews defend the honour of the club on the water, the spectators on the levee are fighting and brawling just as hard.
Open for all traditional race rowing classes like the 4+
Coxed four
A coxed four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a cox....
, 4-
Coxless four
A coxless four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars.The crew consists of four rowers, each having one oar. There are two rowers on the stroke side and two on the bow side...
, 2-
Coxless pair
A Coxless pair is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars.The crew consists of a pair of rowers, each having one oar, one on the stroke side and one on the bow side...
, Skiff
Skiff
The term skiff is used for a number of essentially unrelated styles of small boat. The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of...
.
But there are also two races in traditional clinker-built
Clinker (boat building)
Clinker building is a method of constructing hulls of boats and ships by fixing wooden planks and, in the early nineteenth century, iron plates to each other so that the planks overlap along their edges. The overlapping joint is called a land. In any but a very small boat, the individual planks...
boats (overnaads). These traditional races are often rowed by less-competitive rowers who can't participate in the normal races.
The main event is the Oude Vier (Varsity Four) which is rowed in a 4+. The best rowers of each student rowing club participate in this event. This means that almost all top rowers of the Netherlands are participating.
Most of the traditions in student rowing in the Netherlands evolve around the Varsity. A common toast within clubs is: "(our club) wins the Varsity!" Clubs who didn't win the Varsity in a long time even write songs about it.
The winner of the race is supposed to give a 'kroegjool'. A big party in celebration of the victory. All members of the other participating clubs are invited and drink beer for free. Often around 10.000 litres of beer is consumed in one night.
LANS
Until early 2000s club members of Laga, Aegir, Skadi and Njord would fight earlier in the rowing season for the supposedly victory on the Varsity. During this 'kipvechten'(Chicken fighting) a (frozen) chicken would hang from the ceiling in Njord's boathouse. The club who retrieved the chicken would win the Varsity. Often the coxswain would be thrown into the air to catch the chicken.This tradition ended after the number of broken bones and general damage to Njord's boathouse went sky high.
Victories
The biggest student rowing club in the Netherlands, Nereus, is also leading in number of victories. The three founding clubs, Njord, Laga and Triton follow. The ranking in varsity victories is a bit misleading for contemporary achievements. Triton didn't win a varsity since 1967 and Njord didn't win since 1988. Skadi won 5 consecutive races in 2006-2010. The non-KNSRB clubs, Orca, Okeanos and Euros participate since 1973. Other non-KNSRB clubs are yet to achieve victory.Two races from 1915 and 1916 don't count towards the total score because of the abnormal World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
situation.
- 1. NereusNereus Rowing ClubThe Amsterdam Student Rowing club Nereus, was founded in 1885 by Mr. J. Schölvinck as a subsidiary organization of The Corps, an Amsterdam student fraternity...
37 - 2. Laga 30
- 3. Njord 21½ (*)
- 4. Triton 15
- 5. SkadiSkadi (rowing club)A.R.S.R. "Skadi", or Algemene Rotterdamse Studenten Roeivereniging "Skadi", is a Dutch student rowing club, located in Rotterdam.The name "Skadi" refers to the goddess Skaði from Norse mythology, while A.R.S.R. is the abbreviation for "Algemene Rotterdamse Studenten Roeivereniging"...
8 - 6. AegirG.S.R. AegirThe Groningen Student Rowing Club Aegir is a Dutch rowing club, founded 7 February 1878 as a subsidiary organization of Vindicat atque Polit, a Groningen Student Corporation....
6 - 7. OrcaOrca Rowing ClubAlgemene Utrechtse Studenten Roeivereniging ORCA -History:The General Utrecht Student Rowing Club ORCA, The Netherlands, located on the Merwedekanaal at Utrecht , was founded on 24 October 1970 out of the fusion of two older Utrecht student rowing clubs, Charon and Batavier. During a general...
5 - 8. Argo 1½ (*)
- 9. Okeanos 1
- 10. Euros 1
(*) Caused by the dead-heat of 1960
Prelude
The history of the varsity starts with the foundation of the first student rowing club in the Netherlands. On 5 June 1874 the K.S.R.V. "Njord" was originated on behalf of J.W.T. Cohen Stuart. Almost immediately after the founding Prince Henry of the Netherlands became the patron of Njord.Soon other rowing clubs started to emerge. In Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
DSRV Laga was founded in 1876. The Groningen student club G.S.R. Aegir
G.S.R. Aegir
The Groningen Student Rowing Club Aegir is a Dutch rowing club, founded 7 February 1878 as a subsidiary organization of Vindicat atque Polit, a Groningen Student Corporation....
originated in 1878. All student rowing clubs of this period started as 'subdivisions' of bigger and older student corporations
Corporation (university)
Corporation refers to different kinds of student organizations worldwide.Generally, universities in the various European countries have student organizations called corporations. The name is derived from the Latin corporatio meaning a body or group...
like Vindicat atque Polit. This meant all club were 'born' with a natural rivalry.
In England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
the rowing sport was at that time more developed and already had a tradition of rowing races between universities. The best example is The Boat Race
The Boat Race
The event generally known as "The Boat Race" is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the River Thames in London. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first...
between Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. This provided the inspiration for a similar race in the Netherlands.
In 1878 the Leiden Student Rowing Club KSRV Njord challenged the rowing club of Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
, DSRV Laga. Laga accepted the challenge and raced against Njord on 2 July 1878 on the 'Galgewater' (Gallows water) in Leiden. The race contained two turning-buoys and had a total length of 3200 meter. Laga won with a margin of 12 seconds. The rematch was two years later, and, with a few exceptions, has been an annual event since.
Members of G.S.R. Aegir
G.S.R. Aegir
The Groningen Student Rowing Club Aegir is a Dutch rowing club, founded 7 February 1878 as a subsidiary organization of Vindicat atque Polit, a Groningen Student Corporation....
, dispute the official history and claim that both clubs decided to race in celebration of the founding of Aegir in February 1878.
The early days
A third competitor arrived in 1882, USR Triton from UtrechtUtrecht
Utrecht is a city in the Netherlands.The name may also refer to:* Utrecht , of which Utrecht is the capital* Utrecht , including the city of Utrecht* Bishopric of Utrecht* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht...
. This would become a key point in the history of the Varsity and student rowing in the Netherlands. The three clubs decided to form the NSRB (Royal Dutch Student Rowing Association). This body would be responsible for the organisation of the Varsity.
The first official Varsity was in 1883. The race was for the first time on neutral terrain and the equivalent of a golden medal, a 'gouden blik' became the price for the winner. In this race the turning-buoy emerged as a match-maker since Laga and Triton collied at the turn and never finished the race.
In the following years the race grew in size. More boat classes, more competitors and more spectators. The race moved to Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
in 1885 after residents complained about the disturbance of the Sunday rest. In Haarlem was it possible to race without buoy. Rowing crews started to train on a daily basis for the race. This was unusual at the time and thus resulted in crews dominating for years.
The race moved again in 1902 to the Zweth, a brook between Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. Because of the small waterway only two crews could compete together. Qualifications for the final were necessary until another move in 1914 to the North Sea Canal
North Sea Canal
The North Sea Canal is a Dutch ship canal from Amsterdam to the North Sea at IJmuiden, constructed between 1865 and 1876 to enable seafaring vessels to reach the port of Amsterdam...
.
40 years after the founding of G.S.R. Aegir
G.S.R. Aegir
The Groningen Student Rowing Club Aegir is a Dutch rowing club, founded 7 February 1878 as a subsidiary organization of Vindicat atque Polit, a Groningen Student Corporation....
they participated for the first time in the Varsity of 1918 and thus could join the KNSRB. The long distance from Groningen to the other clubs made participation impossible before. With a lead of six boat lengths, they won their first varsity. It would take another 38 years for the second victory.
1930- 1940
The Varsity didn't cause much national attention until 1930, when two drunken varsity spectators from Laga decided to infiltrate the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. <> This and other incidents even led to questions in the House of Representatives.In 1937 moved the race tot the Bosbaan
Bosbaan
The Bosbaan is a rowing lake situated in the Amsterdamse Bos in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. Amstelveen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands and is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. Confusingly, all built structures at the north-eastern end of the course fall under...
in Amstelveen
Amstelveen
' is a suburban municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the following villages and/or districts: Amstelveen, Bovenkerk, Westwijk, Bankras-Kostverloren, Groenelaan, Waardhuizen,...
. Within the rowing world this caused much uproar. The Bosbaan was only 2000 meters long, too short for the traditional 3000 meters. Also was the track a little too narrow for the 5 competing boats.
Varsity winners handed in their prize and honorary members of the NSRB resigned in the dispute over the new location. Simultaneously it was debated to row the main event in the coxless four instead of the coxed four.
After Laga openly asked for a new location, Triton proposed Jutphaas
Jutphaas
Jutphaas is a former village and municipality in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The municipality merged with Vreeswijk in 1971, and is now the northern half of the town of Nieuwegein....
as a new location for the race. Triton swore that it would organise the varsity on behalf of the NSRB as long as the race was rowed in (the neighbourhood of) Utrecht
Utrecht
Utrecht is a city in the Netherlands.The name may also refer to:* Utrecht , of which Utrecht is the capital* Utrecht , including the city of Utrecht* Bishopric of Utrecht* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht...
. An oath they still keep.
Second World War
Under GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupation, the Varsity was a forbidden event. However, Triton was allowed to organise the Varsity in 1941 as part of their lustrum. Later that year, after the german occupant prohibited the membership for Jewish students, all student rowing clubs (and all other student clubs) closed their gates. Only the executive board remained member to protect boats and property.
A mock Varsity took play in a Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
interment camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
. Representatives of the student rowing clubs created a game were dice decided the outcome. With cardboard they created a 5 meter track, boats, finish tower and they even painted the boats in the correct colours. Members and supporters of the student rowing clubs created the traditional outfit and practised the anthem of the club.
Representatives of each pre-war NSRB club (Njord, Laga, Triton, Nereus, Aegir) played for the main event, while Argo, a student rowing club not yet member of the NSRB, only could participate in the skiff
Skiff
The term skiff is used for a number of essentially unrelated styles of small boat. The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of...
, double four and in the eight
Eight (rowing)
An Eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox....
. Triton won the race after an exciting battle against Laga.
1946 - 1959
Nereus, Aegir and Argo lost their boathouses and most of the boats in the war. But everyone (including Argo for the first time) competed in the 1946 Varsity. Triton won, but most important was that the NSRB received the honorary title 'Koninklijke' (Royal). Since then it's the KNSRB.After the war the importance of the Varsity grew a lot. The NOS
Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...
has broadcast the race on television since the 1950's.
1960 - present
In the 1960s the role of the parent societies, the corporations, started to change. This affected the rowing clubs heavily. Stand alone rowing clubs were founded, without a corporation as a parent. These rowing clubs could not join the KNSRB, but, as their number grew, needed representation. Thus, on the initiative of the KNSRB, all student rowing clubs started the NSRF (Dutch Student Row Federation). KNSRB clubs became a member of both organisations.After much debate between KNSRB clubs, it was decided in 1973 that all NSRF clubs should be able to participate in the Varsity. This led to major changes in the race. For the first time since 1914, qualifications were necessary.
The big culture difference between the new and the old clubs proved to be a difficult challenge for both worlds. New clubs did not like the distance and different race rules. They also objected to the traditional fighting and brawling between KNSRB club members.
The KNSRB members showed their disappointment by wearing black belts during the first 'joined' Varsity.
Since then the relationship normalised, although many KNSRB members misbehaved when a non-KNSRB club, Orca, won the varsity in 1980.
The Varsity moved north along the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal
Amsterdam-Rhine Canal
The Amsterdam–Rhine Canal or Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal is a canal in the Netherlands that was built to connect the port city of Amsterdam to the main shipping artery of the Rhine...
in 1971. Since then the race stayed in Houten
Houten
Houten is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. The expected population in 2015 will be 50,000. The municipality consists of the following towns:* Houten * 't Goy * Schalkwijk...
except for a one year return to the bosbaan
Bosbaan
The Bosbaan is a rowing lake situated in the Amsterdamse Bos in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. Amstelveen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands and is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. Confusingly, all built structures at the north-eastern end of the course fall under...
.
Controversy
- The combination of alcohol and the traditional fighting caused some controversy. As earlier mentioned, drunken spectators infiltrated the Royal Palace of Amsterdam.
- A rail bridge crosses the canal near the course, students would often pull the emergency brake of trains to reach their destination faster. This ceased when better transportation became available.
- In 2004 an unconsciousness student of Okeanos fell into the water after the fighting escalated.
Trivia
- The oldest sports related film-material in the Netherlands is from the Varsity of 28 May 1905. It's shot at the highly flammable 17,5 mm nitrate film. <>
Reference
- Article in TrouwTrouwTrouw is a Dutch daily newspaper. "Trouw" is a Dutch word meaning "fidelity", "loyalty", or "allegiance", and is cognate with the English adjective "true"...
12-April-2010 - Article in NRC HandelsbladNRC HandelsbladNRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched...
07-April-2008 - Article in De GelderlanderDe GelderlanderDe Gelderlander is a regional newspaper for the Gelderland region of the Netherlands. It is published by Wegener....
12-April-2009 - Article on NOSNederlandse Omroep StichtingThe Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...
9-April-2006
