Royal Connaught Boat Club
Pune's rowing club on the Mula-Mutha river, started in 1868 as the Poona Boat Club and named after the Duke of Connaught.
Quick facts
- Founded:
- 1868, as the Poona Boat Club
- Present name:
- Royal Connaught Boat Club, since 1928
- Address:
- 7/8, Boat Club Road, Pune 411001
- Phone:
- 020 2970 6379, 77988 81794
- WhatsApp:
- 92265 54046
- Website:
- www.boatclubpune.com
- Entry:
- Members and their guests
History
The club began in 1868 as the Poona Boat Club, on the bank of the Mula-Mutha river. Its rowers used the calm stretch of water held back by a bund built upstream of Fitzgerald Bridge in about 1850. The club first leased its land and bought the site in 1876.
Over the next few years it took in two other rowing clubs: the Kirkee Boat Club in 1883 and the R.A. Boat Club in 1888. A boat shed and dressing rooms were built at that time.
In 1889 the club was renamed the Poona Royal Connaught Boat Club, in honour of the Duke of Connaught, then Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army, who took a keen interest in it. The Duke came back to visit the club on 25 February 1921. In 1928 the word "Poona" was dropped, and it has been the Royal Connaught Boat Club ever since. Most people in Pune simply call it the Boat Club, and the road it stands on is Boat Club Road.
Sports and facilities
- Rowing and sculling, kayaking and sailing on the river.
- Swimming, a health club, lawn tennis, table tennis and pickleball.
- Billiards and snooker, chess, carrom and darts.
- Restaurants, a bar and a lounge, guest rooms, conference and party halls, a terrace garden and a library.
The club runs its own sports league for members, started in 2023.
Visiting
It is a members' club. Visitors usually come as a member's guest, and members of affiliated clubs may use some facilities. Please check with the club before you go.
More in Clubs of Pune
- The Poona Club One of the oldest and best-known clubs in India, on Bund Garden Road, with an 18-hole golf course at Yerwada and more than 6,000 members.
- Deccan Gymkhana The sports club that gave the Deccan Gymkhana area its name, inspired by Lokmanya Tilak, with Pune's first swimming pool, Tilak Tank.
- PYC Hindu Gymkhana Started in 1900 by young cricketers as the Poona Young Cricketers' Hindu Gymkhana, with a 1906 pavilion on Bhandarkar Road.
Questions and answers
When was the Boat Club in Pune started?
It was started in 1868 as the Poona Boat Club. It has been called the Royal Connaught Boat Club since 1928.
Why is it called "Royal Connaught"?
It was named in 1889 after the Duke of Connaught, Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army, who took a keen interest in the club.
Can anyone visit the Boat Club?
It is a members' club. Visitors usually come as a member's guest, and members of affiliated clubs may use some facilities. Please check with the club before you go.
Sources: Facts from the club's own website (boatclubpune.com), checked 10 October 2026.