Corporate Eight Challenge - City Of Oxford Rowing Club

LET THE RACES COMMENCE!

Corporate Eights Challenge

The 2018 Corporate Eights Challenge returned to river again last year for a spectacular event of competitive racing, followed by great food, drinks and celebrations. It was great to see so many businesses take part; Reaction Engines, Freeths Solicitors, Newton Europe, OPM, Poyry and Perspectum Diagnostics.

The winners of the Challenge Cup were Reaction Engines, with Freeths Solicitors taking the Silver Plate. Excellent team work!

If your business would like to take part in the 2019 Corporate VIIIs Challenge, please get in touch with Anna Stashkiw at: corporate.eights@oxfordrowingclub.org.uk

Local companies are invited to supply mixed crews of eight people with little or no prior rowing experience for this fantastic team building experience. The event consists of 9 sessions including 8 training sessions and the race itself. Training sessions are twice weekly during the four weeks prior to the event. City of Oxford Rowing Club provides all the necessary equipment and coaching to bring the crews up to a competent standard.

As well as being good fun, the Corporate Eights Challenge is an opportunity for company members to take part in a novel team building exercise and to meet other professionals from a variety of local businesses. An integrated, positive crew spirit is vital to rowing success, with everyone playing his or her own role in an atmosphere of friendly competition. Rowing is a sport which requires focus and dedication, whilst providing a great way of improving fitness and making friends at the same time! In addition to all the hard work involved, the Club bar is open after training to enable colleagues to relax and recover from their exertions on the river.

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Training Timetable

Training commences on Monday 22nd July 2019 and continues for four weeks. There are four training slots available with 2 crews per slot, as follows:

Mondays and Wednesdays 6pm

Mondays and Wednesdays 7:30pm

Tuesdays and Thursdays 6pm

Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:30pm

Crews train twice a week during the four weeks leading up to the race (there is no training allowed on the Monday or Tuesday of the week of the race). Colleagues, family and friends are invited to spectate, and the racing is followed by prize giving and a barbecue.

We are able to take 8 crews in total. The total cost per crew for 2019 season is £1,200. This includes:

Coaching by experienced and dedicated coaches (coxes will also be provided, don't worry!)
Access to training equipment.
Trip to the rowing tank (Iffley Road)
Race entry (including food at the event)
Insurance cover

Crews who took part in previous events include:

1) Freeths
2) Penningtons Manches
3) Trip Advisor
4) Oxford Policy Management
5) Harley Davidson
6) Oxford University Press
7) Poyry

Prizes to be Won...

Winners are presented with distinctive pewter tankards and their company receive a trophy to keep. The company name will be engraved on the Corporate Eight Challenge Cup which remains at the club.

Runners up are presented with medals and their company receive a trophy to keep. All other participants receive a medal for taking part.

Celebration Procedures

Of course the top prize at steak is the shear satisfaction of throwing your beloved Cox into the river!

A long standing tradition in rowing is to express the team's gratitude to the cox in leading their way to victory. At City Of Oxford Rowing Club we make no exceptions, especially when the Cox is our Corporate Eights Event Manager Rosalind Mitchell...

From this...

To this...

Thanks!

Previous & This Year's Winners

2018 Reaction Engines (Cup), Freeths Solicitors (Plate)
2017 Carter Jonas and Shaw Gibbs (Cup), Freeths Solicitors (Plate)
2016 Trip Advisor (Cup), Harley Davidson (Plate)
2015 OPM (Cup), Henmans Freeth Solicitors (Plate)
2014 Savills (Cup) Holiday Lettings (Cup),
2013 Holiday Lettings (Cup), Concha y Toro (Plate)
2012 Harley Davidson (Cup), BrookStreet des Roches LLP (Plate)
2011 Harley Davidson (Cup), Schlumberger (Plate)
2010 Holiday Lettings (Cup), Harley Davidson (Plate)
2009 Hamptons International (Cup), Sharp (Plate)
2008 Holiday Lettings
2007 Sharp (Cup), Manches (Plate)
2006 Schlumberger
2005 Harwell Scientifics Ltd
2004 Harley Davidson Motor Company
2003 R.T. Harris & Sons
2002 Hewden Hire Centres
2001 R.T. Harris & Sons
2000 Exitech
1999 Bookham Technology

Corporate Eights is a fabulous, fun event to take part in, building terrific camaraderie within crews and giving participants the opportunity to try out a fantastic sport - indeed, many of the Club's members joined as a result of taking part. I have competed in the event over the last few years (as a cox) and can thoroughly recommend it. I am very much looking forward to running Corporate Eights and do hope that you will take part.

Please do get in touch should you have any questions. To ensure your place, please arrange payment. Cheques should be made payable to City of Oxford Rowing Club and sent to The Treasurer, City of Oxford Rowing Club, Meadow Lane, Oxford, OX4 4BL. Bank transfers can be made to the following account: CORC, Sort Code: 20-65-18 A/C No. 90258938. Please let me know if you require an invoice.

If you are unable to take part in Corporate Eights this year but might be interested in a bespoke corporate rowing event at another time, please email me to discuss options.