Great soldier brings cross into a famous rowing club (9)
I believe the answer is:
alexander
'great soldier' is the definition.
(Alexander the Great)
'cross into a famous rowing club' is the wordplay.
'cross' becomes 'x' (X is cross-shaped).
'into' indicates putting letters inside.
'famous rowing club' becomes 'Leander' (Leander Club, rowing club based in Berkshire).
'a'+'leander'='aleander'
'x' put inside 'aleander' is 'ALEXANDER'.
'brings' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for alexander that I've seen before include "Macedon's "great" king, d. 323 BC" , "cant compare with the British Grenadier" , "A great Greek ruler?" , "Macedonian conqueror of Greece" , "Boy" .)