SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



Towards the end of the eighties the standard 

 of rowing began once more to improve, and it 

 became common to see several crews of a fair 

 class entered for the Challenge Cup. In 1889 a 

 Sunderland crew, coached by the Reverend 

 A. F. Sim (who died abroad, ' multis flebilis 

 bonis,' a year or two later), showed both style 

 and pace. A series of good crews came from 

 Ryton — a modern Tyneside club, which has 

 owed much to a succession of Durham School 

 oars. Several university crews, of which Mr. 

 Malcolm Buchannan, one of the finest oarsmen 

 ever sent from Durham School, was the leading 

 spirit, displayed merits of a high order. During 

 the years 1900 to 1906 one of the most grati- 

 fying features of the regatta has been the revival 

 of the glories of the Tyne A.R.C. This revival 

 has been largely due to the enthusiasm and hard 

 work of Mr. James Wallace, who, in the sixties 

 and seventies, was one of the most accomplished 

 oarsmen in the north of England, and in these 

 later times has toiled unsparingly as a coach and 

 inspirer of the younger members of his club. 



But there is still much to desire in the class of 

 the average Durham crew. This was clearly 

 exhibited in the year 1 901 when a crew of 

 officers of the Royal Artillery stationed at New- 

 castle rowed at Durham under the colours of the 

 D. A.R.C. There was an entry of eight crews, 

 but there was nothing which could touch the 

 soldiers : in style and in pace they were im- 

 measurably superior to any other crew. Yet 

 when the same crew went to Henley it was 

 quickly outclassed in the race for the Wyfold 

 cup for fours. Nevertheless, in spite of deficiencies 

 in class and style, there is good rowing and good 

 sport to be seen at Durham Regatta. 



An analysis of the results from 1892 to 1906 

 shows that the Challenge Cup has been won three 

 times by Sunderland, twice by Middlesbrough, 

 twice by Durham University, twice by the 

 Tyne A.R.C, five times by Ryton, once by 

 Durham A.R.C, i.e. by the above-mentioned 

 officers' crew. A survey of the years since 1854, 

 when the Grand Challenge Cup was instituted, 

 shows that it has been won as follows : Dur- 

 ham A.R.C, eleven times ; Durham University, 

 ten times ; Durham School, six times ; Tyne 

 A.R.C, six times ; Sunderland A.R.C, six 

 times ; Ryton A.R.C, five times ; Tynemouth 

 A.R.C., three times ; Middlesbrough, A.R.C, 

 twice ; Lady Margaret Club (St. John's College, 

 Cambridge), once ; Jesus College, Cambridge, 

 once ; Newcastle A.R.C, once ; South Shields 

 A.R.C. once. 



Next in importance to the Grand Challenge 

 Cup is the Wharton Challenge Cup which, as 

 has already been said, was presented by the Right 

 Honourable John Lloyd Wharton in 1877. 

 This race is confined to the following clubs in 

 the City of Durham, the Durham A.R.C, the 

 University, the School, and Bede College. The 



racing for this cup generally provides good sport 

 and much enthusiasm, as there is keen, though 

 generous, rivalry between the local clubs. Since 

 its institution in 1877 the Durham A.R.C. has 

 won seventeen times ; the University has won 

 six times ; the school also has won six times. 

 In the year 1892 the race was thrown open to 

 the county of Durham for that year only, and 

 the cup was won by Sunderland, who defeated 

 crews from the Durham A.R.C, from Durham 

 School and from Ryton. 



The Wharton Cup superseded the University 

 Plate, one of the oldest races at the regatta, 

 which, at any rate from 1854 onwards was, like 

 the race for the Wharton Cup, confined to crews 

 in the city of Durham. It is singular that the 

 change of the name of the race coincides with a 

 change in the relative strength of the competing 

 clubs. In the years between 1854 and 1876, 

 when the race was called the University Plate, 

 crews hailing from the university won fifteen 

 times, the D. A.R.C. won five times, the school 

 three times. 



The Corporation Challenge Cup for junior 

 oarsmen was instituted in 1892. It does much 

 to encourage rising talent, and produces keen 

 struggles over the short course of little more than 

 half-a-mile. Short races of this kind are a 

 feature of north country regattas. At Durham 

 there is a special reason for the popularity of a 

 race over the short course. The windings of 

 the river make it difficult to view a race over 

 the long course from start to finish. Such a 

 view is, indeed, only possible for those who are 

 prepared to gird up their loins and run. But it 

 is more than doubtful whether a scramble over 

 half-a-mile fosters a good style of rowing. 



The Corporation Challenge Club has been 

 won by Sunderland five times, by Ryton three 

 times, by the Armstrong A.R.C. twice, by 

 Middlesbrough twice, byTynemouth once, by the 

 Tees A.R.C. once, by Bede College once. 



The Corporation Challenge Cup superseded 

 an older race for junior crews called the Stewards' 

 Plate. From 1854 onwards it seems to have 

 been a popular race, attracting a large number 

 of entries. It was won in turn by most of the 

 leading clubs in Durham and Northumberland ; 

 while an occasional winner hailed from York, 

 and even from Cambridge. 



It is much to be regretted that the revived 

 interest in rowing that has marked the last 

 twelve or fifteen years has not led to a revival 

 of pair-oared rowing in the north. Pair-oared 

 rowing is the supreme test of watermanship ; 

 and those who remember such pairs as Wallace 

 and Ayton, Chisman and Brignall, Mason and 

 Dunn, will regret that our northern clubs do not 

 devote themselves now-a-days to this most ex- 

 quisite type of the oarsman's skill. An attempt 

 was indeed made some twelve years ago to revive 

 pair-oared rowing at Durham Regatta, but the 



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