WELCOME TO RV E-NEWS

Good Afternoon,

The Victorian Rowing community are coming off a huge weekend of school racing, with excellent conditions setting the stage for the Head of the Schoolboys’ and St Catherine’s School Regatta.

This weekend, more than 1,400 athletes have their eyes set on the Nagambie Regatta, with two exciting days of racing ahead, while further RV Schoolboys racing takes place at The Geelong College Regatta on the Barwon.

The RV Virtual Rowing Championships are underway, with plenty of time still to enter, plus new State and National Team information and more exciting announcements to share.

The 150th Rowing Victoria State Championships are just around the corner, we look forward to seeing the community at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat to celebrate the occasion and support all of those who are competing. Have a great weekend, Adam Harrison  Chief Executive Officer

       UPCOMING REGATTAS

PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE RV STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

RV VIRTUAL ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The RV Virtual Rowing Championships are underway! The Virtual Open (Heats) started on Saturday and remain open to entries until midnight Sunday 15th February - still plenty of time to get involved and make your claim for the title!

The Top 4 in each category will progress to compete LIVE using EXR at the RV State Championships on Sunday 1st March (during the lunch break).

Entry is FREE, with registrations still open via the Row Nation event portal.

PRE-SALE - 150 YEARS OF VICTORIAN ROWING

Commemorate 150 years of Victorian rowing with this limited pre-sale edition publication.

This book captures the rich history, defining moments and remarkable individuals who have shaped our sport since its beginnings. From iconic regattas and championship triumphs to the grassroots volunteers and clubs that built the foundation, we celebrate the legacy, growth and enduring spirit of rowing in Victoria.

Pre-sale purchasers will receive a signed copy from the authors, and each purchaser will be individually named and acknowledged in the front of the book.

Expected to be released in the second half of 2026.

DEVELOPING GREAT COXSWAINS

RV ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH COX COACH

Rowing Victoria is pleased to partner with Cox Coach to strengthen coxswain development across Victorian schools and clubs.

Established in 2025, Cox Coach is an online learning platform dedicated exclusively to the development of coxswains. The platform is already in use at a growing number of Victorian rowing schools, and is producing exceptional results with their coxswains.

Rowing Victoria CEO Adam Harrison said the partnership reflects the organisation’s commitment to raising standards across all roles within the sport.

“Coxswains play a critical leadership role within every rowing program. Throughout the 2026 season, we have seen clear developmental gains from Victorian schools using the Cox Coach platform. The quality of the content, the calibre of presenters, and the professionalism of the production set a new benchmark for coxswain education. We are pleased to endorse Cox Coach and encourage our member schools and clubs to engage with this innovative resource.”

Founded by Charlie Durkin, a former Victorian and Australian junior representative coxswain, Cox Coach delivers structured lessons taught by leading figures in the sport, including current and Olympic-level coxswains and international coaches. The platform has been intentionally built around elite expertise and world-class production standards to ensure accessibility, clarity, and practical application for developing coxswains.

Cox Coach has also partnered with the Butterfly Foundation to support athlete wellbeing and ensure responsible, evidence-based education around nutrition and performance.

Cox Coach CEO Charlie Durkin said the partnership represents an exciting step forward for coxswain development in Victoria.

“We are extremely excited to be partnering with Rowing Victoria. The engagement and progress we are seeing from Victorian schools using the platform has been outstanding. This partnership strengthens our connection with the Victorian rowing community and reinforces our shared commitment to developing confident, capable, and high-performing coxswains.”

The Cox Coach team will be present at the Rowing Victoria State Championships from 27 February to 1 March.

Visit coxcoach.com to complete a demo, or follow Cox Coach on Instagram (@coxcoachofficial).

U19 AUSTRALIAN TEAM - NOMINATIONS OPEN

Nominations are open for the 2026 Under 19 Australian Rowing Team, set to compete at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from 5-9th August.

The athlete and coach nomination links can be found within the Event Requirements.

To be selected onto the U19 Team, an athlete must first be in a boat from their home state in order to attend trials. The crews are then trialled against other crews to determine the fastest trial boat in each boat class. Each State can enter one crew in each boat class into the trials. For more information on this process, please read the Trial Boat Information.

Nominations close on 28th February 2026. 

2026 PATHWAY & OTRC TEAMS - NOMINATIONS OPEN

We are excited to open nominations for the 2026 Victorian Pathway (Under 18) & Oceania Teams Rowing Championships (Under 22) State Teams.

The Pathway Team are set to compete at the Interstate Pathway Regatta at SIRC, Penrith, from April 13-14, whilst the OTRC Team will be heading to Wyaralong, QLD, from May 22-24.

Please review the full Selection Requirements before nominating.

Please direct any questions regarding selection to Delwyn Oliver on delwyn@rowingvictoria.asn.au.

NATIONAL ROWER SURVEY

This short survey aims to better understand your experience as a rower and the culture you share with your crew, club, or school.

We want to hear directly from you, the athletes for whom our sport exists, about what you enjoy, what you don’t, and what makes training and racing together meaningful. Your input will help shape our sport’s future and will result in a better competition experience for all athletes engaged in club rowing in Australia.

The results of this survey will be shared with rowing clubs, state associations and Rowing Australia. Please complete the relevant survey via the links below.

AUSTRALIAN HENLEY MARQUEE LUNCH

You're invited to enjoy one of the best seats in Melbourne rowing at the annual Australian Henley Lunch, held inside the Henley marquee on the banks of the Yarra. Guests will enjoy a spit roast and salads, with all beverages included. Tickets are $90 per person.

This is a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with old rowing mates, wear your club blazer with pride, and support one of the oldest regattas on the Yarra River. We would greatly appreciate your support to help keep this tradition going.

Bookings are essential by Wednesday 18th February.

NAGAMBIE REGATTA - BLAZEAID

The summer season of 2026 has so far proved to be a challenging one here in Victoria with the mercury soaring, catastrophic fire conditions and bushfires resulting in devastating consequences for thousands of residents and farmers across the state, including some members of our rowing community. As rural communities come together to put the pieces back together and rebuild critical homes and infrastructure, many charitable organisations are stepping in to assist with volunteers, supplies and critical support. BlazeAid is one of those charities; they have base camps currently set up in fire affected areas in Goomalibee, Yarroweyah, Skipton, Harcourt, Longwood, Alexandra, Natimuk, Bullioh and Walwa, working with farmers to rebuild fences and other structures that have been damaged or destroyed by the bush fires.
 
On Sunday during the club and masters events, we are offering all winning crews an option to either receive a medal for their winning performance or to opt for an in-kind donation to BlazeAid.  At the end of the regatta, we will tally all winners who choose to donate and Nagambie Rowing Club will match the amount to provide a donation to BlazeAid on behalf of the Victorian rowing community. Please join us in supporting this important charitable work and help rebuild our rural communities.

LEVEL 2 UMPIRES WANTED

The Rowing Victoria Umpires' Commission is recruiting new Level 2 Umpires to help with the growing demand to run regattas in a safe and fair manner.

Umpiring is a fantastic way to be involved in rowing and allows people to gain a great appreciation of the sport while developing lasting friendships with fellow umpires, athletes and coaches.

You will be provided all the training necessary, supported by Umpiring mentors, and can select where and how often you volunteer.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please contact 📩 secretaryumpires@rowingvictoria.asn.au

ARC26 TRAILER SPACE

Damascus College Ballarat has boat transport space available for the Australian Rowing Championships in Tasmania, details below.

Departs Saturday 21st March (overnight), arrives at Lake Barrington 10am Sunday 22nd March, returns Sunday 29th March (overnight), arrives in Geelong 6am 30th March.

$270 per rack, standard rack sizes to suit coxed four/quad.

Please contact Paul Blanchfield if you are interested or for more information: p.blanchfield@damascus.vic.edu.au

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.