WELCOME TO RV E-NEWS

Two Masters regattas down, one to go, as crews continue to build momentum ahead of the RV Masters State Championships in Nagambie next weekend. With strong racing across both regattas so far, we're set for a big finish to the Masters season!

Plenty of exciting representative news this week, with the Victorian OTRC Team announced and a number of Victorians earning national team selection!

Read more below.

Rowing Victoria

       UPCOMING REGATTAS

AUSTRALIAN ROWING TEAMS ANNOUNCED

Rowing Australia has named the 2026 Senior, Para, Under 23, and Under 19 Australian Rowing Teams, following a week of intense trials at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith.

Congratulations to the Victorian athletes below on their selection - an outstanding achievement that reflects their commitment and perseverance this season.

UNDER 19

Piper and Emma are set for an exciting Australian debut in the Women's Pair, as one of three selected Under 19 crews. The team will be competing at the U19 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria 🇧🇬 from August 6-9.

UNDER 23

It’s fantastic to see Tom, Winston and Susannah back in the green and gold, all with valuable experience at the national level, whilst Max will represent Australia for the first time.

The team will be competing at the U23 World Rowing Championships in Duisburg, Germany 🇩🇪 from July 23-26.

Tom Foley & Winston Hooper in action in 2025

SENIOR & PARA

The Women will compete at World Cup I in Seville, Spain 🇪🇸 from May 29-31, before being joined by the Men for World Cup III Lucerne, Switzerland 🇨🇭 from June 26-28.

These athletes will be aiming to earn a spot in the final Rowsellas squad for the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam this August.

2025 Women's Eight racing in Lucerne

PATHWAY TEAM SUCCESS

A strong Victorian performance capped off another fantastic Interstate Pathway Regatta at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, from 13-14 April.

In hotly contested racing, our Eights came out on top, while our Quads showed great improvement in their finals, finishing 2nd by just half a length.

Well done to our athletes, coaches, parents, and supporters for all their efforts and enthusiasm across the regatta.

We’re very excited to see what lies ahead for these promising young rowers. With strong relationships formed, we hope to see them rowing together in the Big White V into the future!

Images: Rowing Victoria / Clem Tsang

VICTORIAN OTRC U22 TEAM ANNOUNCED

Rowing Victoria congratulates the following State Members on their selection in the 2026 Victorian OTRC Under 22 Team.

We look forward to watching these athletes compete at the Oceania Teams Rowing Championships in QLD, from May 22-23.

We are confident they will make Victoria proud! Go the Big White V!

JOB BOARD

Please be advised that multiple job opportunities have recently been added to the Rowing Victoria job board. See full details via the link below.

ROWING VICTORIA X OAKLEY & RAY-BAN

Are you looking to upgrade your style for the end of the season? Rowing Victoria members can access an exclusive discount on premium Oakley & Ray-Ban eyewear.

Enjoy 40% off RRP on Oakley & Ray-Ban eyewear and 15% off RRP on Meta eyewear.

Instructions available via the link below.

HOTY BOAT CHARTER

The Head of the Yarra is providing a free boat charter listing service to assist travelling crews to access boats, and provide an opportunity for charter clubs or schools to earn additional funds or defer costs.

This year we expect over 300 crews racing, which will represent the biggest field ever for the event. We are expecting a large number of crews from interstate and overseas, and many of these entrants will be looking to charter boats and oars for the event and possibly for crew training beforehand.

If your school/club has a boat or boats with oarsets that you would like to list for charter, please follow the link below and complete a form for each boat that you would like to list.

It is up to the boat provider to determine the terms on which the charter is to be made.

REMINDER: BOW & STERN LIGHTS

It is important that ALL rowers on ALL waterways (and coaches on bikes and powerboats) between sunset and sunrise have adequate lighting for your safety and the safety of others. 

Rowing boats, in restricted visibility and between sunset and sunrise, are required by LAW to exhibit;

• Two all-round white lights - one attached to the boat at or near the forward or bow end, and one attached to the boat at or near the stern end.
• Bow light - A continuous white light is considered acceptable if it is visible in clear conditions from a distance of 1 kilometre.
• Stern light - A flashing white light is considered acceptable if it flashes at least once per second and is visible in clear conditions from a distance of 1 kilometre.

Not withstanding the above, it is considered acceptable for a light to be masked so as not to interfere with the vision of the vessel’s occupants, provided at least one light is visible from any direction (see diagram below).

BIKE LIGHTS

In addition to safely lighting our boats, it is important that coaches are also meeting requirements off the water. By law, your bike must be fitted with a rear red reflector, a bell, and at least one working brake.

When riding at night and in low-light, you must use a front white light and a rear red light. The light can be flashing or steady but must be seen from 200 metres away. It is also a good idea to use flashing lights during the day to help other road users see you.

SAFETY REMINDER

Rowing Victoria would like to remind all members the importance of using our equipment and waterways safely and appropriately.

Please follow traffic rules, including correctly using designated turning zones. Rules and maps for all waterways can be found on our Venues webpage. By following these rules, our waterways are safer for all. 

We have also been made aware of a number of incidents where rowing coaches have been sighted either riding without helmets, using megaphones at incorrect hours, or using mobile phones while riding (both in conversation or filming their crews).

For your own safety, to avoid fines, and to respect other members of the community, we ask that you please ensure you are obeying the law and not partaking in the behaviours above.

WATERWAY ACCESS & INCIDENT REPORTING

Could all waterway users please ensure they are acquainted with their local waterway rules; traffic direction, turning points, stationary obstacles etc.

So that RV, Maritime Safety Victoria and now, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority can support the community in providing safe waterways, please register all incidents via the RV Report an Incident tile on the home page of the RV website.

A consistent management of reporting will assist us in ensuring we are kept safe on the water and the chances of equipment damage is mitigated.