Alumni
Once you've rowed for Sidney, you're always part of the club.
Staying involved
SSBC is keen for alumni to stay involved at every level. If you're in Cambridge and would like to help with coaching, bank-partying or supporting, the club would love to hear from you. Alumni are especially welcome at the Lent and May Bumps; race dates are on the CUCBC website.
The alumni WhatsApp group
There's an SSBC alumni WhatsApp group for club news, Bumps meet-ups and invitations to alumni events. To be added, get in touch with the Captain at sidney.captain@cucbc.org.
The Alumni Dinner
The main alumni event is the Alumni Dinner, open to all alumni and their partners: a chance to come back to college, relive Boat Club memories and meet rowers from across the years, with an outing on the river beforehand for anyone keen.
It's a great way to catch up with old crewmates and meet the current club. Future dates are announced on the alumni WhatsApp group and on the Important dates page.
Alumni Dinner 2026 and Tim's retirement
Saturday 24 October 2026 · booking has now closed
This year's Alumni Dinner is also a celebration of Tim's retirement, after an amazing 34 years with the club.
- Daytime Outings during the day
- 5:45 pm Pre-drinks
- 6:15 pm Panel discussion
- 6:45 pm Tim's retirement celebration
- 7:30 pm Dinner
- 9:00 pm Auction
Tickets were £55, or £45 for under 30s.
"Those who cannot catch, teach novices." – a history of Novice Terms, from those who survived them.
What makes a promising novice? What makes an inspiring coach? And what could possibly go wrong when you put nine of “Britain’s brightest minds” on a floating raft?
Join a panel of current and former coaches, captains, and rowers for a light-hearted look at the trials, tribulations, and peculiarities of novice rowing. From jaw-dropping crabs to coaching wisdom, questionable traditions to our first memories on the Cam, we’ll compare tales from novice terms past and present.
Supporting the club
The club has relied on generous support from its alumni for new boats and equipment over the years. Any donation, however small, makes a real difference.
The Lord Protector Boat Club
The Lord Protector Boat Club (LPBC) is SSBC's alumni club, named after Sidney's most famous alumnus, Oliver Cromwell. It's for those who still want to row with SSBC after graduating. Open to all SSBC alumni, rowers and coxes alike, it enters races such as Fairbairns and the Head of the Cam, and keeps a social network going between alumni of all vintages.
Join the Lord Protector Boat Club Facebook group to keep up with alumni news and crews.
Fairbairns
LPBC's big race of the year is the Fairbairn Cup, run by Jesus College Boat Club each December: a long-distance time trial on the Cam that's also the first big race for every novice. It's a chance for alumni crews to race the same course as the club's newest members.
Fairbairns 2026 is on Thursday 3 December for novices and Friday 4 December for seniors and alumni. At LPBC's first outing, Fairbairns 2011, the LPBC women came 3rd in the alumni eights and the men 6th. Want to row for LPBC at Fairbairns? Get in touch and we'll put you in a crew.
To get involved, message the club on Instagram or Facebook or email sidney.captain@cucbc.org.
