UK Premier League
"Rage as one"
Paddling with Raging Dragons
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Dragon boating is a competitive sport that relies on timing and team work. See with your eyes. Listen with your ears. Paddle with your heart. Fight fatigue to emerge champions. Rage as one.
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What is dragon boat racing?
The sport’s origins reportedly date back to around 278BC. According to legend, respected poet and minister Qu Yuan drowned himself in a river in protest against a corrupt government. Villagers raced out in boats to save him and threw dumplings into the river to deter fish from eating his body.
Modern day dragon boat racing is a thrilling and colorful sport. It is fiercely competitive, involving large teams of twenty paddlers, a drummer and a helm. A crew’s strength, stamina, timing and team work are crucial to its success. It is recognized as one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
Raging Dragons – how it all began
Back in 2002, a group of university student friends built a remote controlled fighting robot and entered him into a competition. They named him ‘Rage’. His masters later decided to form an amateur dragon boat racing team. To commemorate their beloved robot creation, they called themselves the ‘Raging Dragons’.
It has taken over a decade of persistence and determination to get to where we are now. Today, Raging Dragons is a club with members of all ages and ethnic origins.
Rage continues to grow from strength to strength. Some of our members have gone on to represent Great Britain in European and World Championships, bringing home some gold medals in the process.
Want to try it out?
You don't have to be super fit – everyone has to start somewhere. We regularly welcome newbies to our training sessions...so chances are, you won't be alone :)
You can bring a buddy if you like, and our friendly team will look after you anyway. Your first three sessions with us are free. As a beginner, you'll be seated with or behind a Rage buddy so you have someone to follow. Just come and get a feel for timing, technique basics, and most importantly, have fun!
Just drop us a line and let us know when you're free to join us for a paddle :)
Rage reviews
Jess Lee
'A tonne of fun, friends for life, great way to build up fitness, and of course the banter!' is how I'd describe Rage and the reasons why I LOVE this family! We're an eclectic bunch from all walks of life and around the globe – whether you are a seasoned paddler or completely new, everyone is welcome!
On the boat, our coaches provide fantastic and varied training that pushes us outside of our comfort zones and motivate us to be the very best. Coupled with the leadership from our captains, we reap the rewards of winning trophies. We also have regular socials together where friends and family join too – check out our photos to see what I mean!
Come join us if you're looking for a unique hobby, enjoy competition and fitness, but most of all; love fun and making new friends!
We train together. We celebrate together. We #RageAsOne!!!
Andrew Travers
You don't get to choose your family. But you do get to choose your dragon boat team. This group has become a mix of friends, team mates, companions and are there for each other on and off the boat. No matter what background you come from you will always find a place on the boat beside a great friend.
Sharyl Jauod
For years I'd been looking for a hobby that I would enjoy and get me physically fit. I found this at Raging Dragons. I fell in love with the sport after my first paddle and signed up as the coaches and team welcomed and inspired me to join.
Trainings are tough, but the coaches are diligent and patient. They care about the team, both on and off the water. Sportsmanship is emphasized through quality fun, focused drills and competitions. The coaches encourage paddlers to achieve their best. I've made friends for life and dragon boating is my new passion.
Richard Edmunds
Raging Dragons are like no other team I know – full of life, energy, people from all walks of life, from different countries and cultures, but when on that boat racing, the connection with 22 people is truly fantastic – one heart.
Once a Rager, always a Rager, no matter who you are. Once you get into that boat, you belong.
I have more than 40 close friends now thanks to Raging Dragons and dragon boating.
As a chap over 50, I can honestly say I'm in the best shape I've ever been. If you want to be part of something exciting, don a Raging Dragons race top and become part of dragon boat history.
Regina McKechnie
I joined Rage after giving birth 7 months earlier with a goal to improve my fitness levels and meet new people who shared similar interests.
Since day one, I have been welcomed with open arms by the most eccentric group of people who make up Rage. We train hard together, we eat well together! We support each other on and off the boat.
The training sessions are tough but enjoyable. The coaches are genuinely interested in each individual paddler's development. And from disco warm-ups to baby rescues, race days with Rage are always exciting, memorable and full of laughter.
Raging Dragons have not only improved my fitness levels, but have provided me with life long friends who I can easily call my family. I can't imagine paddling with any other team. It just wouldn't be the same!