Boat Naming Ceremony

Since being founded in 2014, London Otters Rowing Club has grown to one of the world’s largest LGBTQI+ rowing clubs, with over 150 members. Our two founders, Grant Ralph and Warwick Lobban, established the club to help break down barriers that prevent LGBTQI+ individuals from getting involved in sports, and the club’s success is down to the safe & welcoming community that has since developed.

2019 marked our fifth birthday, and after years of hard work, fundraising and saving, it gave us great pleasure to purchase our first brand new boats. There was no doubt when it came to naming these two boats, and at our Rainbow Races event on November the 23rd, we honoured our two founders by officially naming the boats ‘Ralphie’ and ‘Warwick’.