MUBC Future Fund

On the third of September 1859, Professor Martin Irving led a crew of University oarsmen to victory in a boat race along the Yarra River.

It marked the first amateur race of its kind to ever be staged in Melbourne. Immediately after, the Melbourne University Boat Club (MUBC) was formed. From these small beginnings, MUBC has grown to become one of the leading rowing clubs in the world and a national sporting success story.

Our history is rich – as the oldest rowing club in Australia, we have generated an impressive array of championship titles and international awards. Specifically:

• More than 50 oarsmen and women representing Australia in the Olympics since 1912
• More than 120 oarsmen and women representing Australia in the World Rowing Championships since 1962
• More than 280 national championship victories
• Numerous Victorian representatives at interstate championships; and
• An outstanding record of success at the Australian University Rowing Championships (Intervarsity)

For 160 years, thousands of men and women have rowed for MUBC and enjoyed the many benefits that rowing has brought to their lives. We are proud of our culture, which fosters life-long companionship and teamwork. Our aim is to support every MUBC member to become the best they can be – both on and off the water. We wish to continue to create great people who contribute more to society.

Our history includes many stories of generous supporters and each year our coaches and administrative staff work hard to ensure high standards are maintained. However, in the modern world, we need to adapt our practices in order to sustain and improve the club.

That’s why we’ve established the Melbourne University Boat Club Sub-fund of the Melbourne University Sport Foundation, which we are calling the MUBC Future Fund. The Fund aims to raise $5 million. We have made a substantial start - almost $4m raised and the establishment of scholarships that will support us long into the future. It is an ambitious target, but ambition is at the heart of everything we do.

With your generous support, we will be able to continue to build our base and have more people rowing for the club and also provide an enhanced experience to our leading athletes and prospective rowers. It will enable us to employ more coaches, expand our administrative capacity and enhance our fleet.

We invite all the members of our community to assist MUBC by making a gift to the Future Fund. In doing so, you will be providing opportunities for future generations of oarsmen and women to come.

Throughout our history, we have always strived to be innovative in our training practices and progressive in our policymaking.

As a result, we are one of the few clubs that offer a breadth of experiences and performance standards at all levels.

The MUBC Future Fund has been established to specifically assist the club in expanding its operations in a strategic manner. This will be realised through employing professional management and additional coaches, developing better programs, and upgrading equipment and facilities

Specifically, your donations are helping to:

• Increase our administrative and operational managerial support, including a ‘General Manager’ (one of the first initiatives the Fund is supporting)
• Employ more coaches – full-time and part-time
• Provide more support for our leading athletes – including scholarships to help attract high-potential rowers
• Continue to enhance and maintain the quality of our fleet
• Provide a ‘Learn to Row’ experience for University students
• Provide tailored programs for international students
• Develop ‘limited season’ rowing experiences; and
• Maintain our broad range of existing programs

We need your help to secure a vibrant future for MUBC.

A number of gift categories have been developed to recognise those who generously assist us in realising a vibrant future. These are listed below.

Gifts to the MUBC Future Fund are held in the Melbourne University Sports Foundation. The University of Melbourne is a certified Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) and all donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible for Australian tax purposes.

The club has established the 1859 Club as a way of acknowledging and thanking those who have chosen to remember MUBC in their will.

You may also wish to consider establishing a scholarship to support student participation in rowing at MUBC.