From Shenzhen with a Splash!
Green Templeton Boat Club have recently returned from a successful trip to China, proudly representing the college at Shenzhen Regatta 2024 where they competed with selected local crews and a Cambridge intercollegiate team.
On Thursday 27 June, fourteen members of Green Templeton Boat Club (GTBC) flew to Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport for an extended weekend of rowing and cultural exchange in China. GTBC were invited to compete in the Third Shenzhen X9 Alliance of Universities and Institutes Rowing League Around X-Lake Sciensity Regatta, which brings together nine university rowing clubs from across China with the aim to promote the prominence of the sport for science and education. GTBC sent a diverse group of eight different nationalities, of past and present Green Templeton College students and associate members, with many members that started learning to row at GTBC in 2023 or before.
Members of the Boat Club write
We received a warm welcome from the Shenzhen Deep Dive Rowing representatives and were given the opportunity to discover the Science and Technology Park of Dasha River in Nanshan District (Shenzhen City) during our stay. After a hearty breakfast on Friday 28 June, we had morning training sessions on the Dasha River, taking in the sights and sounds of the race environment, as equipment was checked, oars were counted, and as we acclimated as best as we could to the very warm climate of the region.
Saturday 29 June marked race day. Two crews from GTBC competed, a Men’s 8+ and a Mixed 8+, racing side-by-side on the 800m course. After giving their all against the composite college boat from Cambridge, the Mixed crew celebrated a hard-fought victory in the friendly race against two local university crews. The Men’s crew put up a strong fight in their races, giving everything they had and finishing strong with smiling faces and warm congratulations to the other teams.
The atmosphere on race day rivalled Oxford’s own Summer Eights races, with hundreds of local spectators lining the bankside cheering crews on, taking photos and soaking up the friendly competition. Many local news crews documented the day’s activities and were keen to hear from our rowers pre- and post-racing.
Offering some reflections on the experience of rowing in Shenzhen, a GTBC member said that they enjoyed most ‘the feeling of being abroad in a boat we don’t know, on a river we don’t know, but with rowers we know… [That] was a lot of fun!’
Once all racing had concluded, the X9 Alliance and international crews participated in a medal ceremony and took final pictures. The sporting tradition of exchanging university merchandise was observed, with many local crews swapping their T-shirts and stash with GTBC members.
We were welcomed to the X9 Alliance International Youth Exchange Event for an evening of celebration, cultural exchange and Chinese tradition with all 12 racing crews hosted by Deep Dive. In an opportunity to bridge communal and cultural ties, each crew was invited to give a short performance on the stage, which saw GTBC proudly perform ‘Tales of the Thames’: a one-of-a-kind reenactment of an Oxford bumps race as told through the language of dance and with English-Chinese narration. ‘Talking with other rowers and learning what the boat clubs are like, how they train, and what the sport means to them was a real highlight. I especially enjoyed the banquet dinner and getting to spend time with the other teams.’
‘The after party was an absolute highlight. The food was amazing, performances were great and it was just very, very fun’, one GTBC rower described.
Finally, farewells were exchanged. Sunday 30 June marked the end of the Regatta and the final day for many in Shenzhen. Five rowers flew back to the UK (with an unexpected extra day in Beijing thanks to flight delays!), five rowers spent the next week travelling within the Guangdong province, and the remaining four rowers stayed on in Asia to catch up with their families. Visiting China and taking part in the Regatta was a fantastic experience and is a highlight of GTBC sporting achievements this year.
‘This trip is easily my top rowing experience to date. It was wonderful to share in the sport with so many different people.’
We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to the organising committee of Shenzhen Deep Dive Rowing Sports Company, who extended the invitation to GTC and made this opportunity inclusive, accessible and financially viable to our members. Thanks to the GTBC community and selection-organising committee for their dedication, inclusivity and facilitation of this opportunity, and to GTC for their support in this unique event.