 Jesus College Boat Club ( commonly abbreviated to JCBC ) is the rowing club for members of the college . The club was formed in 1835 , but rowing at the college predates the foundation of the club : a boat from the college was involved in the earliest recorded races between college crews at Oxford in 1815 , when it competed against a crew from Brasenose College . These may have been the only two colleges who had boats racing at that time , and the Brasenose boat was usually victorious . Neither the men 's nor the women 's 1st VIIIs have been " Head of the River " during Eights Week , the main college races , but the women 's 1st VIII was Head of the River in the spring races , Torpids , between 1980 and 1983 . Jesus boats have also had other successful seasons : the 1896 Jesus College boat had a reputation of being one of the faster boats in the university , and the women 's 1st VIII of 1993 won their " blades " in the first divisions of both Torpids and Eights Week , an achievement that led to the crew being described in the Jesus College Record as vying " not just for the College team of the decade , but perhaps for the team of the last three decades " , in any sport . 
