Our history and values
The club was founded in 2014 by friends Grant ‘Ralphie’ Ralph and Warwick Lobban, who shared a passion for rowing but struggled to find a club where they could develop their skills as openly gay men. Determined to create a welcoming space, they established their own club and began seeking like-minded individuals. Starting as a small group on the ‘Meet-Up’ app, the idea quickly gained traction.
In their search for a home, the founders discovered the London Regatta Centre at the Royal Albert Dock. The facility featured an indoor tank ideal for offering learn-to-row courses to adults who had not yet experienced rowing, and the Centre’s six-lane, 2000 m, non-tidal rowing course allowed novices and amateurs to safely learn the sport on the water. In the early days, London Youth Rowing ran the club’s Learn to Row courses up until Group 10. By then, the club had grown enough to pass on skills and knowledge to new members.
The early days of the Otters were very different from today. With no boats or blades, the club was built on hopes, dreams, and a passion for rowing and making a difference in the community. Our first regatta was St Neots in 2015, where we had to beg and borrow to get our crew on the water. Over the years we’ve added more regattas and races to our repertoire, and rowed internationally: to the Paris Gay Games in 2018, to EuroGames in Nijmegen in 2022 and Vienna in 2024, and to Bruges for their 5 km side-by-side race several years running.
From the very beginning, the Otters have been more than a sports club: we are a community. Our first annual dinner and awards happened at The Narrow in Limehouse, and we used to have our AGM meetings at Red Bull HQ. Our first Rowcation was less than half the size it is today, and it has become one of the highlights of our calendar.
Our first coaches were a fantastic group: Sarah, Will, Dwayne and others. One has stayed with us from the beginning: Luke Vernall, after whom we named a boat at our 10 Year Anniversary.
As we have grown, our structure has grown to match. We registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club in 2019 and then incorporated as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2024, meaning we are now registered with the Charity Commission and have trustees with legal responsibility for the club.
Those beginnings laid the foundation for the thriving club we have now, with a large and growing fleet that can get more than 100 rowers on the water at once. In its first ten years the club has run some 34 courses, teaching more than 500 people how to row. We have big plans for the future: a project to build a permanent clubroom at the Royal Albert Docks, more and more diversity in our ranks, and competitive success that we couldn’t have imagined in those early years.
Our values
Inclusiveness: we welcome everyone who has an interest in rowing
Teamwork: we work together and motivate each other to achieve common goals
Development: we help our members improve their fitness and rowing technique
Sportsmanship: we train and compete fairly, handling both victory and defeat graciously
Resilience: we are determined and resourceful when faced with a challenge
