Bill Rand

The competitive rowing career of Bill Rand was a relatively short one and it revolved around the 1955 and 1956 seasons when he enjoyed success as a single sculler, double sculler with his brother Sidney, and with the Thames Rowing Club eights.

Rand’s successes in 1955 included winning the senior eights at the prestigious Molesey Regatta. Completing his National Service in the Royal Air Force (RAF), Rand then won the junior sculls at the Metropolitan Regatta and also the senior sculls at the RAF Regatta. He was back in the Thames Rowing Club eight that represented Great Britain at the European Rowing Championships at Ghent, Belgium.

Rand’s finest moment came at Henley in 1956 when he won the double sculls with his brother Sidney. The pair were also selected for the double sculls at the Olympics and, because of their training schedule for the Olympics, were not selected for the Euros. Unfortunately, Bill and Sidney were eliminated in the heats in Melbourne. Bill and his family emigrated to New Zealand and gained naturalisation in 1977. He died in his new home country in 2023. At one time, Bill Rand’s sister-in-law was Olympic gold medallist Mary Bignal who marred his brother Sidney in 1962.