by Hla Min

Update : 5th November 2026

RUBC Presidents

Sir Arthur Eggar

• Rowed at Cambridge University
• Author, Egg-Bairn Rowing Style
• Law Professor, RU
• Founded RUBC in 1923
• Pledged a third of his salary for the Operating costs of RUBC
• He attended the RUBC Annual Regatta in 1956. The photo was taken with the crew of RUBC, which won the Union of Burma President’s Trophy for Inter-club Eights.

• Wrote a series of articles for Guardian Magazine in mid 1950s
• In 2013, several Old Members (including me) contributed to reprint his Autobiography

Commodore Than Pe

• Past Captain
• Vice Chief of Staff (Navy)
• (later) Member of Revolutionary Council; Minister for Heath & Education

U Tun Thoung

• Past Captain
• Two sons Maurice & Winston are RUBC Gold

Sithu U Tin

• RUBC 40th Anniversary Souvenir Magazine — with U Po Zon and U Tin Htoon
• Hosted RUBC 40th Anniversary Dinner
• Sons : Dr. Nyunt Tin (1st in Burma in 1952, MRCP); U Han Tin (RUBC Captain & later Administrator, Rector)

Saw William Paw

• Professor, Commerce Department
• President, Rangoon University Sports Council

RUBC Captains

(1925 – 1965)

• Group photo of Past Captains was taken in 1963 – 64. Several had passed away at that time. A few were overseas.

Most Senior and/ or Oldest Past Captain

• U Thet Toe / C H Chan was the most senior among the Past Captains. He passed away in his 80s.
• Later, U Tin U became the most senior among the Past Captains. He later also became the oldest Past Captain when U Maung Maung Than Tun (who was a few months older) passed away. He passed away on August 19, 2025 (a few weeks after his 96th birthday).

Pre-war

U Ba Tun

• First RUBC Captain
• Captain in 1925

Commodore Than Pe

• Captain for 1927, 1928, 1930
• Second President; He succeeded Sir Arthur Eggar
• Founding member of Defense Boat Club and Burma Rowing Federation
• Vice Chief of Staff (Navy)
• Member, Revolutionary Council
• Minister of Health and Education
• Bust

U Oo Toke

• Captain in 1931

U Tha Htin

• Captain in 1932
• Nephews : Tin Wa, Frankie Ohn

U Tun Thoung

• Captain in 1933
• Third President in 1962
• Sons : Maurice, Dennis, Winston, Freddie

U Zaw Win

• Captain in 1934

U Aye Maung

• Captain in 1935

U Sein Tun

• Captain in 1936

U Thaw

• Captain in 1937

G. I. Ba Tun

• Captain in 1938

U Kin Maung Bo

• Captain in 1939
• First native Chief, Burmese Navy
• Brothers : Kin Maung Nwe, Kin Maung Wint

C H Chan / U Thet Toe

• Captain in 1940
• Also, RUBC Coach
• Nephews : Tin U, Myo Tint, Tin Htoon, Sein Htoon, Thaung Lwin
• Grand nephews : Phone Win and Zeyar Linn

U Kyaw Thant

• Captain in 1941

War

Club was inactive from 1942 to 1946, The Club house was ravaged in the World War. It was rebuilt with the help of Old Members.

Post/war

U Kyaw Thein

• Captain in 1947
• Civil Aviation

U Tin U

• Captain in 1948
• Most senior among the Past Captains until his demise on Aug 19, 2025
• Later — Captain, RGC
• Expert in Structures & Construction
• Brothers : Myo Tint, Tin Htoon, Thaung Lwin

U Kin Maung Nwe

• Captain in 1949
• Brothers : Kin Maung Bo, Kin Maung Wint

Dr. Pe Nyun / Dick San Pe

• Captain in 1950
• Head, Pediatric Surgery
• Lead, Operation on Ma Nan Soe and Ma Nan San
• Passed away in Canada
• Brother : Pe Thein / Tom San Pe

William Ohn Pe

• Captain in 1951

U Chan Tha

• Captain in 1952
• Captain, Prome Hall Soccer
• Passed away in USA

U Maung Maung Than Tun

• Captain in 1953
• Bohmu, Navy
• Ambassador
• Founding member of Defense Rowing and Burma Rowing Federation
• Sons : Hla Maw Tun, Aung Khine
• First Father-Son Pair (RUBC Captain & Gold)

U Ko Ko Lay

• Captain in 1954

Dr. Myo Tint

• Captain in 1955
• Won races as Stroke, Bow & Cox
• 3rd in Burma in 1952 Matric
• Brothers : Tin U, Tin Htoon, Thaung Lwin
• Succumbed to Covid

U Tin Htut

• Captain in 1956
• Won Senior Novices as Rower and Cox
• Co-founder, BASES
• Brothers : Mya Maung, Than Toe

Dr. Harry Saing / Htut Saing

• Captain in 1957
• ARAE Champion in 1958 and 1960
• Multiple Sports Athlete
• Pediatric Surgeon
• Second Lead, Operation on Ma Nan Soe & Ma Nan San
• Professor, Hong Kong University
• Passed away in Hong Kong; Ashes scattered in the waters near HK Rowing & Sailing Club

Dr. Than Nyun / George

• Captain in 1958
• Fmr Minister
• President of OMA

U Tin Htoon

• Captain in 1959
• ARAE Champion in 1958 and 1960
• Silver medalist for SEAP Yachting in 1965
• RUBC 40th and 90th Anniversary Souvenir Magazines
• Architect for Thiri Pyitsaya Hotel and Burmese Buddhist Temple in Singapore
• Brothers : Tin U, Myo Tint, Thaung Lwin

U Han Tin

• Captain in 1960
• Fmr Rector
• Passed away in Australia
• Father : Sithu U Tin (4th President in 1963, 40th Anniversary Issue)

Dr. Tin Wa

• Captain in 1961
• Cox, Golden Crew in 1958 & 1959
• Retd Prof in USA
• Father : U Tin Ohn (early member)

U Sein Htoon

• Captain in 1962
• ARAE Champion in 1960
• President, Burma Rowing Federation)
• Son : Zeyar Linn is also Past Captain and Gold
• Second Father-Son Pair (RUBC Captain & Gold)

U Thaung Lwin

• Captain in 1963
• Top grad in Electrical Communications in 1966
• IBM Burma
• Moved to Singapore
• Brothers : Tin U, Myo Tint, Thaung Lwin

U Myo Tin / William Hone

• Captain in 1964
• Air Force Of
• Ambassador

U Zaw Lin

• Captain in 1965
• Army

Sad Ending

• Higher authorities ignored the RUBC Bye Laws (and Robert’s Rule of Order) in mid 1960s.
• I was the last Executive Committee Member to be elected at AGM.
• I was elected as Treasurer in 1964. I served as Vice Captain in 1965.

RUBC Coaches

They include

• U Thet Toe / C H Chan

• Dr. Harry Saing

• U San Maung / Gerald

U San Maung (Gerald Sein, GBNF)

He is Past Secretary and Gold.

Ko Tin Myint Razak remembered the AGM (Annual General Meeting) where they voted Ko Gerald for Secretary.

In the Rag Regatta, Ko Gerald rowed as Bow for the EC crew which has three ECs who usually rowed on the Stroke side.

He was an excellent Sculler.

He served as RUBC Coach. He would emphasis on practicing with “Fixed Tub”.

He was Shooting / Production Manager for Ah Myo Tha Yoke Shin (managed by U Sein Tin and U Mya Maung) and affiliated movie companies. We met Ko Gerald and his team in Ngapali where they were shooting a movie with War War Win Shwe. He asked if I would like to join them on the road trip via Taung Goke back home. The trip was tough but memorable. At Taung Goke, our host (movie theater owner) offered free admission to young people who could translate the movie titles into English. A winning entry was “Fly away bitter bird” for “Pyan Lay Dei Nghet Khar”.

We miss you, Ko Gerald.