History of the Club
The origins of the club/organization date back to 2005, when the University of Richmond coach placed a flyer looking to start a youth rowing program. A group of girls from Collegiate School responded and started rowing that year. Unfortunately, the coach left at the end of the season.
Left without a coach or equipment, the five remaining girls Brooke Stallings, Maggie Varland, Chloe Stepney, Julia Megson and Brennen O'Rourke approached their parents in hopes of continuing to row.
Four parents, Bill & Jackie Stallings, Tom Megson and Tom O'Rourke joined together and formed North Mooreland Rowing Club with Tom O'Rourke agreeing to act as volunteer coach for one year. Starting with seed money advanced by the parents and a great deal of scrounging for equipment, NMRC began in the fall of 2006 with twenty three girls rowing. During that first full season, an additional parent, Steve Chilmaid, joined the board and also agreed to help as an assistant coach.
With the donation of a rowing shell from Wake Rowing in North Carolina, encouragement from Virginia Boat Club and the aid, advice,equipment loans and generous help of Hank Holswade, the coach of James River HS Crew, NMRC was up and running. NMRC, although started by Collegiate students, always had at least one non-Collegiate rower from schools like St. Christopher's, Maggie Walker Governor's School, The New Community School, Midlothian, etc.
At the end of the spring season in 2009, Coach O'Rourke called for a meeting of the parents and put forth a proposal to expand and ensure the continued existence of the rowing team. The existing members (parents), with the encouragement of Coach O'Rourke, had numerous meetings about the direction of North Mooreland. After much discussion, the members agreed to expand the reach and broaden the membership of the club by encouraging students from the entire Richmond area to join in the sport of crew. To this end, the Board of Directors was reconstituted, more parents were encouraged to get involved in committees, outreach to the entire Richmond area began and a majority of members voted to change the club name and colors to reflect the new direction being taken by its members.
In the summer of 2009, River City Crew (RCC) was born - with its' mission to bring scholastic rowing to the Richmond area for 8th - 12th grade students not attending a school with an affiliated rowing program. At this time Tom O'Rourke agreed to serve as RCC's first Executive Director and Head Coach.