In an outstanding result, Melbourne University Dragon Boat Club (MUDBC) has placed 5th from 25 crews in the 500-metre final of the small boat competition at Australia’s premier Dragon Boat racing event in April.
In just their second ever Australian Championship appearance, the club were extremely proud of their showing in this prestigious event which led to 15 of the MUDBC’s paddlers being selected to represent the Australian National Dragon Boat Team.
Nicknamed ‘Auroras’, the National team will compete at the International Dragon Boat Federation World Dragon Boat Racing Championships being held this August in Pattaya, Thailand. Members of the club will be participating in both the under-24 division and the premier division.
Eric Ny, the president of the club, was ecstatic with his side’s results at the competition in Albury. “As a club we are extremely happy with how far we have come, especially given that we compete as a youth crew against larger, wiser, and stronger crews from across the nation,” Eric said, crediting the performance to the recent appointment of the club’s head coach, Amir Yadegari.
MUDBC is one of the youngest clubs at the University of Melbourne, having only been established in 2018. However, since its inception the club has grown significantly and has consistently produced athletes who have competed at national and international levels.
Small boat competitions have allowed the club to participate even when it was difficult to find 20 paddlers as a club in its early years. However, in what is an encouraging sign for the club, MUDBC has witnessed a 30% increase in membership in the last season.
While the club supports the teams and athletes competing in the various regattas in local and national competitions, they also encourage participants at all skill levels who would like to take part and learn more about the sport.
“For those that wish to learn more about Dragon Boat, MUDBC offers a one-month free trial, allowing you to experience first-hand what it's like to be in a Dragon Boat, and to be part of the MUDBC family. From there, it is entirely up to you if you wish to join, enter regattas, or attend our social events.”
“As part of the Dragon Boat crew, members are also entitled to use small one-man boats called SC1s, for both training and leisure. These boats allow our members to explore the Dockland Harbour as well as travel down the Yarra River without guidance from the sweep,” Eric explained how newbies can get involved, signing-off with an important message – “You will never know how far you can go if you never try!”
The sport of Dragon boating originated in southern central China more than 2500 years ago. Being a sport that has its roots in folk culture, it has retained many of its traditional aspects in the competition, like the use of a wooden dragon head at the bow and a tail in the stern with scales printed on the boat.
There are two types of races – standard boat with 20 paddlers and small boat with 10 paddlers. In addition, both types of crews have a drummer, who gives commands to the paddlers and helps them maintain the synchronisation of strokes through the rhythm of drumbeats, and a steerer or a sweep, who manages the steering oar to adjust the position of the boat.
Those interested in learning more about the sport and giving it a try can reach out to the Melbourne University Dragon Boat Club on their social media pages: