Rowing Victoria New CEO Announcement

Rowing Victoria is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Jickell as our new CEO commencing in October 2020.

Please find below the announcement which provides more detail on Ian's Career to date.

CEO Official Announcement

RV Active Minutes Challenge Update

Thank you to everyone for participating in the active minutes challenge so far.

The Active Minutes Challenge aims to build community connection.

It’s not too late to join! If youre up for the challenge you can back date your Active Minutes to Saturday August 15^th from 12:00!

Check out our events page here for more information, live results and to submit your active minutes!

To follow our daily updates please visit our social media pages:

Instagram- rowing_victoria                  Facebook- Rowing Victoria

Here are the results as of Thursday 27^th August:

Total Active Minutes in the challenge so far: 238,202 minutes 

Average minutes per participant so far: 48 minutes

Head of the Yarra officially cancelled.

We regret to inform the rowing community that the Head of the Yarra, scheduled to take place Saturday November 28th 2020 has been cancelled.

We look forward to 2021 and once again hosting the rowing community, our supporters and sponsors in a best-ever event on Saturday November 27th 2021. Stay safe and save the date.

Click here for more information.

Rowing Victoria's Weekly Local Legend     -   Linda Skidmore  

Introducing our Local Legend Linda Skidmore, President of Yarra Yarra Rowing Club.

Linda joined YYRC in October 1988, at the age of 14. At that time she was a keen swimmer, but found she could avoid Sunday morning church by going rowing with her Dad (Jim Skidmore, Club Patron). 

Linda had a very successful 12 year career from Junior, under 23, and open- age crews. Her career entailed representing Victoria in the VIS Youth 4- in the summer of 1992 / 1993, rowing in VIS Youth Squads and experiencing the Trans-Tasman series.

After several years of training for and narrowly missing selection for the Australian team, she was burnt out. At the age of 26, she took a ten-year break from rowing. During this break she worked full-time; competed in touch footy; ran the Great Wall of China half-marathon; competed in Olympic-distance triathlons; cycled; and took up surf-boat rowing leading her to compete in the George Bass Surfboat Marathon, 192km over five days.

The Head of the Yarra brought her back to rowing. One of the things she values most about rowing is the lifelong friendships she has made. It felt like coming home. Since returning to YYRC, Linda has represented Victoria in the WM8+, with a national win in Adelaide in 2014, and has built a career in coaching. She is now the Junior Coordinator at Genazzano, coaching Learn to Row, Junior and Intermediate squads.

“Coming back to rowing, I have enjoyed the friendly rivalry as well as the community spirit and achieving my own goals,” she said.

Now in a leadership role, I have learnt that you can’t please everybody, but that everybody has something valuable to offer.” Linda wants her time as President to be remembered for encouragement of YYRC’s community and family atmosphere, as well as our contribution to the rowing community as a whole.

Thank you Linda for your outstanding work within our Rowing Community.

Do you know somebody who is a local rowing legend?

Provide us with their name and story for a chance to be featured in Rowing Victoria's weekly featured athlete via email at: 

memberservices@rowingvictoria.asn.au 

VPP News Update - September HP Time Trial

Nominations have closed for the Rowing Australia Senior A Team and they will close on Friday 11^th September for the Under 23 team. The September Time Trial scheduled for Saturday 26^th of September at Carrum is a requirement in both age groups Event Requirements. Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions and without further information from the State Government it is both unknown and unlikely that this event could take place in its usual format. Optimistically Rowing Victoria will wait until advised at the end of this lockdown before determining whether the event could take place as it only relates to a smaller proportion of the Victorian rowing community. Rowing Australia are aware and supportive of any decision that is made in Victoria.

Further information will be published when known.

Olympic and Paralympic contention athletes granted an exemption to return to rowing at the NWSC

The VIS Rowing Program comprising 10 athletes in contention for Olympic / Paralympic selection have been granted an exemption to return to rowing under the State Government’s “High Performance and Professional Sport Guidance Note” (HPPSGN). 

We are extremely grateful to all those involved who have worked hard in gaining this special exemption. With Victoria at a disadvantage for on water training compared to our interstate counterparts, due to the Stage 4 Melbourne lock down, we hope this will allow our Victorian Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls an opportunity to continue their development as they strive for success. 

To enable this, a detailed Risk Management Strategy has been approved by the VIS Taskforce and athletes have been provided with Work Permits. The agreement for the program to operate was that it is based at the National Water Sports Centre (Carrum). Parks Victoria have approved the use of the facility at planned times under the HPPSGN.

The VIS Rowing Program have implemented stringent procedures around using Carrum. Athletes and Coaches have undertaken additional education prior to the approval of the plan. 

Rowing Australia’s Anti-Doping Policy Updates:

Rowing Australia’s Anti-Doping Policy has been amended and is effective 10 August 2020.

The changes bring our sport in line with the establishment of Sport Integrity Australia which will replace the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) as the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) in Australia from 1 July 2020.

For more details on the changes, please click here.

COVID-19 UPDATES:

• Rowing Communities in Metropolitan Melbourne have unfortunately seen an increase in COVID-19, and the move to stage 4 has limited the potential to row in Melbourne.  Rowing Victoria’s full statement can be found HERE
• Regional Victoria have now also seen State Government restriction levels increase to stage 3. Rowing Victoria’s full statement and Guidelines for Regional Victoria can be found HERE

General Meeting Updates

Rowing Victoria’s next general meeting will be held on the 15/9/2020. For more details and to register please visit the Rowing Victoria Event page HERE.

Annual Awards Nominations have reopened :

Due to the postponement of this year Rowing Victoria Annual Awards until the AGM, we have decided to reopen the nominations! If you know of an outstanding:

• Club Person
• Coach
• School Person
• Umpire
• Regatta

Make sure their outstanding contribution is recognised by nominating them HERE

Volunteering Victoria - 2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants

Volunteering Victoria, on behalf of the Australian Government, is pleased to offer 2020 Supplementary Volunteer Grants to volunteer involving organisations across Victoria to support the efforts of volunteers in building stronger, more resilient communities.

Grants of between $1,000 to $5,000 can be used by volunteer involving organisations and community groups to support the efforts of their volunteers and encourage and increase participation in volunteering.

For more information please visit Volunteering Victoria website.

Applications are now open and close 20th of September.

Sport and Recreation Victoria Grants

Sport and Recreation Victoria is providing grants to assist with the purchase of sports uniforms and equipment, and to improve the capacity and accessibility of clubs and other community sporting organisations, and improve the skills of their coaches, officials and managers. Closing 29^th September 2020. Click here to find out more!

Please note that clubs can still apply if they have received recent Covid-19 Short Term Survival funding.

Expanded Business Support Fund

With the stage 3 and 4 restrictions in parts of Victoria, the State Government has introduced additional business support that some Club's may be eligible for.

Clubs can apply if they:

• are operating in a postcode that is affected by the return to Stage 3 restrictions (not necessarily their registered address); and
• are an employing business; and
• are currently registered to pay GST; and
• have a payroll of less than $3 million per annum; and
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at 16 March 2020 (date of the State of Emergency declaration); and
• have been engaged in carrying out the operation of the business in Victoria on 16 March 2020.

Applications can be made up until 14th of September via this link here.

To register now click here!

Are your contact details up to date? 

To ensure your club and members are not missing any important information you can check to see if your contact details are up to date on the Rowing Manager website https://www.rowingmanager.com/