So, are Naked Rowing Calendars a Thing Now?

Warwick rowers are all in again this year (Photo courtesy of Warwick Boat Club) 

The phenomenon started four years ago with the Warwick Rowing men's squad. Then, the following year, the Warwick women's team joined the fray. Now, Newcastle University's men and women are back on the naked calendar train. So, the question is, have rowing and naked calendars become a thing?



The above video features the 2014-2015 Warwick women's squad—the third edition of the calendar, and, from the looks of it, the raciest. However, perhaps not so racy as that of the 2014-2015 Warwick men (see below). But raciness aside, all four of these teams have chosen worthy charities and have gone "the full monty" to make sure that those causes have received considerable contributions.



The Warwick women contribute to Macmillan Cancer Support—a cause for which Warwick reports it has donated some £5,000. The Warwick men? Sport Allies—a charity that combats homophobia in sport. According to the above video, the Warwick men have been able to raise £200,000.



And, after a hiatus in 2014, Newcastle University has produced its own set of calendars once again, having debuting the idea in 2013—the men's calendar went on sale last Wednesday, and the women's calendar launched on Thursday last week. The Newcastle University men have opted to contribute to prostate cancer research in a decidedly different way from growing a mustache...



...and the women of Newcastle University chose to bare it all to fight breast cancer. The Warwick calendars are already on the market, and they've gotten a lot of attention—you know you've made it when the HuffPost article on your calendar has over 176k Facebook likes. The NUBC calendars have some catching up to do, but have already started to 'make a splash' on the rowing intarwebs. And, something that should be appreciated by the rowing community, from the perspective of Newcastle University—it's cold up there in the North.

For the rower who has everything...

-RR

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