Grand Challenge Cup

The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry.

The event dates from 1839 and was originally called the "Henley Grand Challenge Cup". The Stewards resolved that a Silver Cup, worth 100 guineas, was to be competed for annually by amateur crews in eight-oared boats. One of the prize medals awarded at this first race was presented to the Regatta in 1969, and is on display in the Prize Tent.

The Grand Challenge Cup has since been competed for annually with the exception of the years affected by the two World Wars. The eligibility rules have varied over the years, but the premise that the Cup has always been open to all established amateur clubs has remained at its core. In its history the Cup has been won by foreign crews 45 times - 12 times by crews from Germany, 11 from the US, 9 from the former USSR, 4 times by crews from Canada, 3 times each from Australia and Belgium and once each by crews from Bulgaria, Croatia, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The Cup itself records the names of all winning crews since 1839. The base was added in 1896 and subsequently extended in 1954 and again in 1986. The Book of Honour was added as an integral part of the trophy in 1954. In 1964, the winning Harvard crew of 1914 presented the Regatta with a new cup, identical to the original of 1839, which is now very fragile. This new cup continues to be used as the trophy awarded to the winning crew on finals day.

Winners

1839-1849

*1839 First Trinity Boat Club, UK
*1840 Leander Club, UK
*1841 Cambridge Subscription Rooms, London, UK
*1842 Cambridge Subscription Rooms, London, UK
*1843 Oxford University Boat Club, UK
*1844 Oxford Etonian Club, UK
*1845 Cambridge University Boat Club, UK
*1846 Thames Club, London, UK
*1847 Oxford University Boat Club, UK
*1848 Oxford University Boat Club, UK
*1849 Wadham College, Oxford, UK

1850-1899

*1850 Oxford University Boat Club, UK
*1851 Oxford University Boat Club, UK
*1852 Oxford University Boat Club, UK
*1853 Oxford University Boat Club, UK
*1854 First Trinity Boat Club, UK
*1855 Cambridge University Boat Club, UK
*1856 Royal Chester Rowing Club, UK
*1857 London Rowing Club, UK
*1858 Cambridge University Boat Club, UK
*1859 London Rowing Club, UK
*1860 First Trinity Boat Club, UK
*1861 First Trinity Boat Club, UK
*1862 London Rowing Club, UK
*1863 University College, Oxford, UK
*1864 Kingston Rowing Club, UK
*1865 Kingston Rowing Club, UK
*1866 Oxford Etonian Club, UK
*1867 Oxford Etonian Club, UK
*1868 London Rowing Club, UK
*1869 Oxford Etonian Club, UK
*1870 Oxford Etonian Club, UK
*1871 Oxford Etonian Club, UK
*1872 London Rowing Club, UK
*1873 London Rowing Club, UK
*1874 London Rowing Club, UK
*1875 Leander Club, UK
*1876 Thames Rowing Club, UK
*1877 London Rowing Club, UK
*1878 Thames Rowing Club, UK
*1879 Jesus College, Cambridge, UK
*1880 Leander Club, UK
*1881 London Rowing Club, UK
*1882 Exeter College, Oxford, UK
*1883 London Rowing Club, UK
*1884 London Rowing Club, UK
*1885 Jesus College, Cambridge, UK
*1886 Trinity Hall, Cambridge, UK
*1887 Trinity Hall, Cambridge, UK
*1888 Thames Rowing Club, UK
*1889 Thames Rowing Club, UK
*1890 London Rowing Club, UK
*1891 Leander Club, UK
*1892 Leander Club, UK
*1893 Leander Club, UK
*1894 Leander Club, UK
*1895 Trinity Hall, Cambridge, UK
*1896 Leander Club, UK
*1897 New College, Oxford, UK
*1898 Leander Club, UK
*1899 Leander Club, UK

1900-1949

*1900 Leander Club, UK
*1901 Leander Club, UK
*1902 Third Trinity Boat Club, UK
*1903 Leander Club, UK
*1904 Leander Club, UK
*1905 Leander Club, UK
*1906 Royal Nautique de Gand, Belgium
*1907 Royal Nautique de Gand, Belgium
*1908 Christ Church, Oxford, UK
*1909 Royal Nautique de Gand, Belgium
*1910 Magdalen College, Oxford, UK
*1911 Magdalen College, Oxford, UK
*1912 Sydney Rowing Club, Australia
*1913 Leander Club, UK
*1914 Harvard Athletic Association Boat Club, USA
*1915-1919 "not held"
*1920 Magdalen College, Oxford, UK
*1921 Magdalen College, Oxford, UK
*1922 Leander Club] , UK
*1923 Thames Rowing Club, UK
*1924 Leander Club, UK
*1925 Leander Club, UK
*1926 Leander Club, UK
*1927 Thames Rowing Club, UK
*1928 Thames Rowing Club, UK
*1929 Leander Club, UK
*1930 London Rowing Club, UK
*1931 London Rowing Club, UK
*1932 Leander Club, UK
*1933 London Rowing Club, UK
*1934 Leander Club, UK
*1935 Pembroke College, Cambridge, UK
*1936 Zurich Rowing Club, Switzerland
*1937 Rudergesellschaft Wiking Berlin, Germany
*1938 London Rowing Club, UK
*1939 Harvard University, USA
*1940-1945 "not held"
*1946 Leander Club, UK
*1947 Jesus College, Cambridge, UK
*1948 Thames Rowing Club
*1949 Leander Club, UK

1950-1999

*1950 Harvard University, USA
*1951 Lady Margaret Boat Club, UK
*1952 Leander Club, UK
*1953 Leander Club, UK
*1954 Krylia Sovetov, USSR
*1955 University of Pennsylvania, USA
*1956 Centre Sportif des Forces de Armee, France
*1957 Cornell University, USA
*1958 Trud Club, USSR
*1959 Harvard University, USA
*1960 Molesey Boat Club, UK
*1961 Central Sport Club of the USSR Navy, USSR
*1962 Central Sport Club of the USSR Navy, USSR
*1963 University of London, UK
*1964 Club Zjalghiris Viljnjus, USSR
*1965 Ratzeburger Ruderclub, Germany
*1966 TSC Berlin, Germany
*1967 SC Wissenschaft DHfK, Germany
*1968 University of London, UK
*1969 SC Einheit, Germany
*1970 ASK Vorwarts, Germany
*1971 Tideway Scullers School, UK
*1972 WMF Moscow, USSR
*1973 Trud Kolomna, USSR
*1974 Trud Club, USSR
*1975 Leander Club and Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club, UK
*1976 Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club, UK
*1977 University of Washington, USA
*1978 Trakia Club, Bulgaria
*1979 Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club and London Rowing Club, UK
*1980 Charles River Rowing Association, USA
*1981 Oxford University Boat Club and Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club, UK
*1982 Leander Club and London Rowing Club, UK
*1983 London Rowing Club & University of London, UK
*1984 Leander Club and London Rowing Club, UK
*1985 Harvard University, USA
*1986 Nautilus Rowing Club
*1987 Soviet Army, USSR
*1988 Leander Club and University of London, UK
*1989 Hansa Dortmund, Germany
*1990 Hansa Dortmund, Germany
*1991 Leander Club and Star Club, UK
*1992 University of London, UK
*1993 Hansa Dortmund, Germany
*1994 Charles River Rowing Association & San Diego Rowing Club, USA
*1995 San Diego Training Center, USA
*1996 Imperial College Boat Club and Queen's Tower Boat Club, UK
*1997 Australian & New South Wales Institute of Sport, Australia
*1998 Hansa Dortmund and Berliner RC, Germany
*1999 Hansa Dortmund and Berliner RC, Germany

2000 onwards

*2000 Australia Institute of Sport, Australia
*2001 H.A.V.K. Mladost and V.K. Croatia, Croatia
*2002 Victoria City Rowing Club and Univ. of Victoria, Canada
*2003 Victoria City Rowing Club, Canada
*2004 Hollandia Roeiclub, Netherlands
*2005 Dortmund Rowing Center, Germany
*2006 Hollandia Roeiclub, Netherlands
*2007 Shawnigan Lake Rowing Club and Victoria City Rowing Club, Canada
*2008 Kingston Rowing Club and Victoria City Rowing Club, Canada

ources

* [http://www.hrr.co.uk/ Henley Royal Regatta]
* [http://www.hrr.co.uk/thisyear/display.php?year=All+years&event=The+Grand+Challenge+Cup+%28Open+M8%2B%29&crew_name=&submit=Go Recent Results]
* [http://www.rowinghistory.net/HRR%20US/hrr_1839-1939.htm Henley finals results 1839-1939]
* [http://www.rowinghistory.net/HRR%20US/hrr_1946-2000.htm Henley finals results 1946 onwards]