The deciding race in the eights at Henley Royal Regatta, 1936: FCZ taking on the British Leander Club. YouTube

When football clubs included a rowing section

In the past, many sports clubs encompassed more than one discipline. One example was FC Zurich, whose former rowing section had a particularly eventful and successful history.

Michael Jucker

Michael Jucker

Michael Jucker is a sports historian, head of Swiss Sports History and director of the FCZ Museum.

In the late 19th century, numerous football clubs were established in Switzerland. Many of the clubs that emerged at that time practised several sports. This allowed them to harness synergies, for example by playing football in the cooler months and doing athletics in the summer. Whereas some, such as the Grasshopper Club and Lausanne Sport are still multi-sport clubs, FC Zurich (FCZ) once used to row – and with considerable success.
From the 1920s, members of FCZ could also pursue sports such as rowing or athletics.
From the 1920s, members of FCZ could also pursue sports such as rowing or athletics.
From the 1920s, members of FCZ could also pursue sports such as rowing or athletics. FCZ Archiv / FCZ Archiv
The first years of the FCZ rowing section, founded in 1920, proved challenging. The rowers were mainly influenced and supported by boat builder Alf Stämpfli on the left bank of Lake Zurich, where most of the already established rowing clubs were also based. FCZ was officially recognised as the tenth rowing club in Zurich shortly after its foundation.

A first international success came in 1923 in the Belgian town of Liège, where the FCZ eight emerged victorious in the regatta on the Meuse. The team of around 25 people had travelled up to Liège ahead of the race in a second class carriage on a Swiss Federal Railways train with the eight-man rowing boat in the corridor between the seats.
There are different boat categories in rowing. They are distinguished by the number of rowers, the type of rowing: sculling (two oars per rower) or sweep rowing (one oar per rower), and whether the boat is coxed or coxless.
 
Between 1924 and 1972, men’s Olympic rowing comprised seven boat categories:

- Single sculls
- Double sculls
- Coxless pair
- Coxed pair
- Coxless four
- Coxed four
- Coxed eight
 
Women’s rowing competitions were only added to the Olympic rowing programme in 1976.

Top international performances

In 1934, the FCZ rowers switched from the so-called orthodox style of rowing with an upright body, to the Fairbairn stroke, developed by Great Britain’s Steve Fairbairn, which was more elegant and less tiring. The switch paid off as the FCZ team was among the most successful at the Swiss Championships in the ensuing years. They also made waves on the international stage.
The Fairbairn style (left) and the earlier style (right), depicted on trading cards, which were enclosed in Nestlé chocolate packs in the 1930s.
The Fairbairn style (left) and the earlier style (right), depicted on trading cards, which were enclosed in Nestlé chocolate packs in the 1930s. Hear The Boat Sing
The sporting highlight came in 1935 and 1936 at the world’s most famous rowing competition still to this day, the Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames. In 1935, the Zurich team won both the coxless fours and the single sculls, and in 1936 they defended both titles plus winning the eights. In doing so, they were the first club from continental Europe to secure the classic hat trick of the Stewards’ Challenge Cup (coxless fours), Grand Challenge Club (eights) and Diamond Challenge (single sculls).
 
Particularly instrumental in these successes was Ernst Rufli, who had rowed to victory in the single sculls. In his youth he had been goalkeeper at the Blue Stars Zurich football club, but had already notched up many victories in rowing races. He beat international rowing heavyweights at the Henley Royal Regatta, winning the trophy with aplomb.
The FCZ rowers after their exploit at the Henley Royal Regatta, 1936. Ernst Rufli (1910–1996) is pictured in the centre, holding the small trophy.
The FCZ rowers after their exploit at the Henley Royal Regatta, 1936. Ernst Rufli (1910–1996) is pictured in the centre, holding the small trophy. Hear The Boat Sing
On their return to Zurich, the successful rowers were celebrated with a victory parade along the city’s Bahnhofstrasse.
On their return to Zurich, the successful rowers were celebrated with a victory parade along the city’s Bahnhofstrasse. Keystone
The Olympic Games were due to take place in Berlin in 1936. The question of whether Switzerland should take part in the competition, which was being weaponised for propaganda purposes by the Nazi regime, was the subject of controversial debate, not only among politicians, but also in the press and in sporting circles. The debate revolved around the prospect of sporting success on the one hand, and the fear of reprisals in Berlin and diplomatic implications on the other.

In the end, the decision was made to participate and Switzerland sent a team to the Games, mainly comprising the FCZ rowing section. There is no evidence as to whether the rowers struggled with this, or whether they consciously or subconsciously set the political aspects aside. The delegation that travelled to Berlin was strong, with the coxed and coxless fours, the eights, and Ernst Rufli in the single sculls.

After the Swiss positively dominated the heats, the real difficulties emerged in the final. The expectations of the National Socialist hosts were clear: Switzerland was not allowed to win and Germany must emerge victorious for propaganda purposes.

As a result, the lane allocation turned out to be unfavourable for the Swiss rowers. They had to start on the outside with strong crosswinds. Nonetheless, they managed to secure a silver and a bronze medal in the coxed and coxless fours, behind Germany. In the eights, however, they didn’t stand a chance as the pressure was simply too much for Hermann Betschart, Hans and Alex Homberger and Karl Schmid, with three races each. Ernst Rufli didn’t fare any better: his boat was also placed in the unfavourable outside lane and filled with water during the race.
The video shows the Olympic finals in the coxless fours and eights. Youtube

Going their separate ways

Shortly after the Olympic adventure it became clear that despite their successes, the rowers were not highly thought of within their own club. FCZ was in financial trouble and had to sell the Letzigrund Stadium to the city. The athletics, boxing, table tennis, hockey and rowing sections lost importance and financial backing.
 
In the winter of 1936/1937, the rowers, boxers and hockey players left FCZ. The track and field athletes had already done so in April 1934. They went on to become the Zurich rowing club, athletics club and boxing club, which still exist. The only one that didn’t survive was the Zurich hockey club.
 
Even independently of the football club, Zurich rowing club has remained successful, still notching up major victories to this day. And that’s how the short yet outstanding story of FCZ’s rowing section – but not its rowers – came to an end.

Swiss Sports History

This text was produced in collaboration with Swiss Sports History, the portal for the history of sports in Switzerland. The portal focuses on education in schools and information for the media, researchers and the general public. Find out more at sportshistory.ch

Published on: 24.09.2026

URL: https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2026/09/when-football-clubs-included-a-rowing-section/

More of: 20th / 21st centurySocietySportsSwiss Sports History

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