In 1881 Weybridge Rowing Club started life as the local "tradesmen's" rowing club, as opposed to clubs for gentlemen or as latterly called "certified amateur's" such as Walton's begun in 1927. In 1919 the club joined
National Amateur Rowing Association (NARA) which was set up as a rival to the
ARA. The ARA for several decades forbade manual workers to compete in its regattas. After
the 1914–18 war, women enjoyed greater freedom and were made more welcome in many sports, the club included a women's event in their "Peace" regatta and formed a women's section, captained by Amy Gentry. In 1924 a coxed four from the club represented
Great Britain in the
1924 Summer Olympics in Paris – V.J. Boveington (stroke), E.W. Hann, J.H. Townend, B.C. Croucher and cox H.L. Barnsley. They narrowly missed bronze and won many regattas at home. In 1926
Amy Gentry founds
Weybridge Ladies Amateur Rowing Club, the then women's section of the club, which moves a few hundred metres downriver to its base. In 1920 Weybridge Regatta (continued as Walton & Weybridge Regatta) is founded, as today held on the Walton Mile. The regatta was known as NARA's "Henley" and attracted large crowds for the rowing and following fireworks. Weybridge was one of the few clubs on the
Thames to remain open during the
Second World War when the regatta was suspended. In 1956 the
Weybridge Silver Sculls, the oldest sculling head on the non-tidal Thames began – held in October each year. It soon regularly attracted over 500 entries and attracts many hundreds today. The famous trophy was made by the event's founder, "Dickie" Bird. Successful juniors of the 1960s to 1980s included J Crozier, C Roberts, C Fuller, Peter Levy, Mike Webb, Ian Shore, Jeff Hunt, Paul Wensley, Duncan Nicholl and Jonathan Hulls, for Great Britain in international competitions. Today about one third of the active members are juniors — more if local school groups in Wey to Row and other events are counted. Re-emergence of women at the club began when Carol Adamson became its first female captain in 1990. Their leading eight came 8th in the
Women's Head of the River in 1993 in a field open category of about 150 and reached the finals of Club Eights at Women's Henley in 1992 and 1993. Across all boat types (singles to eights) the women in each subsequent decade have won a larger haul of outright wins than the club's men, bucking the trend of previous decades. Across various age categories they won ten events in 2018 across the British Masters Championships and European Masters Regatta. This places the multi-generational women's age-28-plus cohort on an alike footing to
Molesey,
Thames and
London. In 1991 Weybridge Veterans Head was founded, held each March. It hosts eights and fours, and has now expanded to juniors. ==Sister club==