Women at Leander Club, British rowing's 'medal factory', walked out over personal safety fears

ITV News

2 days ago

ITV News has spoken to a dozen elite women rowers, many current or former members of the Leander Club. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can email us in-confidence at [e-mail]
Britain's most prestigious rowing club – the home of many legendary Olympians - has been accused of ignoring the safety fears of its own female rowers, leading them to refuse to train with their male teammates.
ITV News has learned of two investigations carried out by the Leander Club, both involving allegations against two of its male athletes.
One was accused of a serious sexual assault in 2022, the other was investigated for harassment last year. The alleged victims were female rowers at Leander. Both men deny the allegations.
The club's athletes won 16 golds at last week's European Championships, to add to the 21 medals Leander rowers brought home from the Paris Olympics.
The fall-out at the club, which takes on 20 to 30 new athletes every year as members and boasts a host of Olympic champions as alumni, became so toxic that last season female rowers staged a walkout.
In the first case the club found ''insufficient evidence'' to launch a full disciplinary process, but it was after the second investigation, when the rower accused of harassment was allowed to return to the club, after a short expulsion that was overturned on appeal, that female rowers mounted their boycott.
In addition to refusing to use the club's gym at the same time as male members, they wore white ribbons on their kit to support the fight against abuse and violence against women in the sport.
It was also a protest symbol about the club's handling of both investigations.
ITV News has spoken to a dozen elite women rowers, who have asked to remain anonymous.
'It's really triggering,' said one Leander rower, about breaking away from the men. ''We didn't even want there to be men in the gym at the same time as us.
"We didn't want to represent the same club as people who've been accused of things like that.
''We wanted to say, 'we're not okay with it, we stand together as a squad'... and will not stay silent.''
In a letter sent to Leander's committee in October 2023, 33 athletes, both male and female, called on the club to investigate multiple allegations against one of their male teammates, including the serious sexual assault.
The document, which has been seen by ITV News, also claimed that in the aftermath of the allegations the man was ''permitted to train, eat and socialise in the same room as the victim, as well as other members of the women's squad".
"All concerned were deeply uncomfortable in his presence.''
The segregation first took place last season. While that stance has now been relaxed, one female rower told us concerns still exist to this day.
'We were failed by the very system that was supposed to protect us,'' she said.
'Anyone with talent is protected in the system,' claimed another athlete. ''People think [rowing] is elitist and it's privileged…If you have enough money, enough status, if you're good enough at sport, it's okay."That's what all that says. And it also says to all the people affected....that it won't be taken seriously. It doesn't matter... and it's really upsetting.''
A witness, who volunteered to give evidence to the investigation into the serious sexual assault, sent a statement to Leander about what he saw on the night of the alleged offence.
ITV News understands he was not contacted or spoken to about any of the details in his statement.
Responding to the athletes' letter, the club explained why no further action would be taken against the first male rower accused.'We recognise that there are certain very serious allegations contained in the accounts received,'' he wrote.
"But there is simply insufficient evidence to allow the matter to be taken further in a situation where the protagonist's evidence is fundamentally different.'
The club also confirmed it had informed both the police and British Rowing about the allegation, had facilitated a meeting between the police and the complainant and had provided her with professional counselling.
The complainant herself said she did have several phone conversations with the police, but did not meet officers in person to give a statement.
For mental health reasons she said she had to "stop the whole thing".
That's when Leander dropped their investigation, although they said the accused rower had been reminded of his responsibilities under the club's code of conduct.
The rower accused of harassment was initially expelled by Leander, but he was reinstated after winning an appeal against his sanction, when the case was heard by an independent panel.
British Rowing, which won eight Olympic medals in Paris, has recently been handed £25m of government funding in the build-up to the Los Angeles Games.
Last month, in relation to an investigation at another high-performance rowing centre, the governing body said that ''creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for everyone in the rowing community" was its priority.
The allegations surrounding Oxford Brookes University Boat Club centred on its coaching practices and claims that the club fostered a culture of ''bullying'' and a ''toxic'' environment.
A leaked 'toughness sheet' ranked rowers at the club with insulting comments such as 'put down the pies' and 'watching you row is like watching paint dry".
Sources close to the Oxford Brookes club told ITV News that this was "just the tip of the iceberg".
Other allegations include the use of the so-called 'jiggle test', where athletes were made to jump in front of a mirror to determine if they needed to lose weight.
'If it jiggled, it had to go,' one former rower recalled.
The national governing body revealed to ITV News that it has 'worked extensively with both Oxford Brookes University Boat Club and Leander Club to understand and address these concerns".
In a statement, Oxford Brookes University said: 'Respect and inclusion are central to our university culture. As soon as concerns were raised about coaching practices at Oxford Brookes University Boat Club, we launched an independent investigation.
'We have since received the investigation report and taken steps to address the issues raised, including leadership changes and targeted training. We are proud of our high-performance rowers and remain committed to all members of the Boat Club, and we appreciate the continued support and guidance of British Rowing.'
Leander Club told ITV News it ''takes seriously all issues relating to the safeguarding of our athletes. We have strict procedures in place to carefully examine any formal complaints and regularly review our club disciplinary processes to ensure they are fit for purpose, treating our athletes fairly and with respect.
"In addition to an updated code of conduct we have partnered with a specialist external provider to ensure members of the club know without doubt the standards we expect and the ways to highlight any individual misconduct. When issues are raised, we will continue to take immediate action where necessary to protect the welfare of our athletes.''
The club's chairman added: 'The athletes in our squads are at the heart of this club. When safeguarding issues arise, as with any organisation, there is a strict and confidential process that is followed to protect those involved. We continually review our safeguarding measures and have updated these in line with our ambition to ensure rowing is inclusive and accessible for the next wave of athletes pursuing their dreams of international sporting success.'