Queen’s Rowing offers students at QUB the opportunity to take up a unique sport that would otherwise be difficult to access. Our state-of-the-art boat house, along with talented coaches, provide students with world-class facilities to take up rowing at a beginner level and to progress right through to become international athletes.
Our water sessions develop technique and fitness in the boats, for various competitions throughout the UK and Ireland. In addition, we host land-based training sessions including weights, circuits and ergometers (rowing machines) to further improve the standards of our athletes.
We welcome people from all backgrounds, from high levels of sporting competition to those exploring the opportunities of the university. Queen’s Rowing looks forward to developing a new generation of ambitious, enthusiastic and motivated university rowers. We want you on board to make this happen.
The club has been back in full flow now for a couple of months with athletes returning from their summer break as well as new students settling into life in Belfast. The club has great strength in depth this year with a senior squad nearing 80, while beginner recruitment went well yet again with over …
The summer racing season has been an exciting one for Queen’s athletes on multiple different fronts. From national team selections to Irish Championship wins. Post BUCS regatta the clubs prepared for the release of a documentary that many athletes have been working on, covering the season up to BUCS regatta. It went down a big …
Last week saw the premiere of the new Queen’s Rowing documentary covering the rowing season up to BUCS Regatta. This has been developed and produced by Men’s club treasurer and academy athlete – Sam Netherton. If you are yet to see the documentary it is now live on YouTube – Queen’s Rowing – The Road …
At Queen’s University Belfast Boat Club, we are proud to have a dedicated coaching team that includes three full-time staff members, each bringing a wealth of experience and expertise. Our coaches are committed to developing rowers at all levels, from beginners to high-performance athletes. With a focus on technical skill, personal development, and team cohesion, our coaching staff works closely with athletes to help them reach their full potential. Whether you are just starting out or aiming for competitive success, our team is here to support and guide you throughout your rowing journey.
John Armstrong– Head Coach John Armstrong began his rowing journey at Portora Royal School in 1975 before captaining Queen’s University Boat Club in 1983 and Lady Victoria Boat Club from 1994 to 1997. A highly accomplished athlete, John has competed in eight World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. His coaching career at Queen’s began in 2000, and he returned as Head Coach in 2020. Over the years, John has also coached at numerous prestigious events, including World Cups, World Championships, and the Paralympic Games.
Ryan Carney– Rowing Development Officer Ryan Carney joined Queen’s in 2023 as the Rowing Development Officer. With extensive experience as the former Head Coach at the University of Warwick and Lead Women’s Coach at Royal Chester Rowing Club, Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role, further enhancing the club’s development programme.
Andy Purdy – Junior Pathway Coach Andy Purdy has been an integral part of Queen’s Rowing for over four decades. Joining as an athlete in 1986, Andy transitioned to a volunteer coaching role with novice rowers in 1991. He later assumed a full-time position as the Junior Pathway Coach in June 2022, continuing his dedicated commitment to developing young talent within the club.
Options Rowing Academy at Queen’s
Queen’s Rowing is proudly powered by world leading IT infrastructure firm Options IT. Options support athletes at all levels of our athlete development pathway with a commitment to performance, innovation, and teamwork—values that align closely with both elite rowing and cutting-edge technology—Options IT helps QUB Rowing push the limits on and off the water. Through this partnership, Options IT continues to invest in local talent, fostering excellence in both sport and technology.
A World of Opportunities with Options
At Options, we offer full-time, part-time, graduate, placement and apprenticeship positions based in Belfast, with the opportunity to gain experience in our global offices, including Chicago, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, New York, New Zealand, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, and Toronto. We welcome individuals from diverse disciplines.
We’re the leading provider of IT infrastructure to global capital markets, supporting 550+ firms with high-performance trading infrastructure, cloud-enabled managed services, and Investment Bank-grade cybersecurity. Employees have the chance to travel, work with industry experts, and develop their careers in a dynamic, fast-paced environment that values discipline, teamwork, and ambition.
At Options, learning never stops. We provide the tools, training, and support for you to take charge of your career and grow within the financial technology industry. With 60% of our team under 30, we work towards a collaborative, energetic, and innovative culture where talent thrives.
Our Commitment to Excellence in Sport & Career Development
As proud sponsors of the Options Rowing Academy at Queen’s University, we support student-athletes in achieving both their sporting and professional goals. This sponsorship reflects our dedication to supporting discipline, teamwork, and ambition—values that drive success in both rowing and the workplace. We believe in empowering individuals to push boundaries, whether in the water or in the corporate world, by providing the necessary resources and opportunities to excel.
Head Coach: John Armstrong — john.armstrong@qub.ac.uk Rowing Development Officer: Ryan Carney — r.carney@qub.ac.uk Junior Pathway Coach: Andy Purdy — a.purdy@qub.ac.uk Ladies Boat Club — ladies-boat-club@qub.ac.uk Men’s Boat Club — mens-boat-club@qub.ac.uk Lady Victoria Boat Club — captain@ladyvicboatclub.org
Go and row at Queen’s!
We’re looking for enthusiastic people to row with us, whether or not you know your footplate from your rigger. Come on board and be part of something brilliant. If you’re a Queen’s student and would like to row we want to hear from you!
Boat House Address: 29 Lockview Road, BELFAST, BT9 5FH
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
