There has been rowing in Manchester and Salford since 1823, with more than 15 clubs operating during the 1860s. Agecroft R.C. was formed by the gradual merging of these River Irwell-based clubs. Agecroft R.C. was established in Oct 1861 by Ishmael Lythgoe with its first boat house in the grounds of Agecroft Hall at Pendlebury before the manor house was sold and rebuilt by the James River in Virginia, USA. The club soon moved to the River Irwell further upstream at Littleton Road and were based there for over a hundred years. However, in early 2000s, the stretch of river had been allowed to return more to reeds to support fishing and the boathouse lay on part of a new flood plain so the club moved to a new boathouse close to Manchester City Centre at Salford Quays. This new home triggered a huge growth in club size and successes throughout the UK.
Current activities
The club regularly competes across the UK at all levels and has a broad membership base, from complete novices and juniors through to semi-professional athletes competing at international level. The club regularly hosts a small boats head race in the winter and supports two British Rowingworld class start coaches. The club hosts a wide variety of rowers of different abilities, ambitions and ages, with a large membership and a wide variety of members from juniors through students to veterans. The club has achieved qualifications and wins at the British Rowing Championships, Nottingham and Henley Royal Regatta and a course record at Henley Women's Regatta in the Intermediate 4+ event.
International performances
The club has been successful in the World Class Start squad with wins in the World Under 23s coxless pairs and a Home Countries win for England in the single sculls by Olivia Whitlam who has since gone on to represent GB at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and the three intervening World Championships. Other internationals since 2010 include Brendan Crean, Graeme Thomas, Zak Lee-Green, Oli Lee, Rebecca Chin and Olivia Oakes. Both Brendan and Graeme have also won National Championship gold medals in 1x and Home Countries Internationals.Graeme has gone on to represent GB at 3 successive Worlds, winning silver ad Bronze. Next step, Rio 2016! Zak Lee Green is another successful Agecroft graduate and is now part of the GB Lightweight team, having been to 2 Worlds in 1x and 4x. Daniele Gilardoni joined Agecroft in February 2013 where he rows and coaches.
Henley Royal Regatta
At HRR, under the coaching Denis O'Neill, the club, in successive years lost a semi-final by one foot, then a Final, then a semifinal, after which Agecroft won for the first timeThe Britannia Challenge Cup in 2009. In other highest results:
An Agecroft World Class Start 4x reached the semi-final Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, 2011 setting a course record.
Graeme Thomas reached the final of the Diamonds, 201, he then won the Queen Mother Cup in 2014 and 2015.
Junior rowing
The junior section of Agecroft was restarted in earnest in the 2000s with dedicated junior club officers and has over 60 members. They routinely enter the National Schools Head with junior coxless 4x.
