21st September – The Rowing Briefing

This is your weekly Rowing Briefing, covering the key developments of the last seven days on the rowing circuit, both in the UK and beyond. To receive an audio briefing with these stories and more at the start of each week, sign up to Updates. If you have a story to share, contact our news desk – juniorrowingnews@gmail.com.

Domestic Rowing:

“A World Class Stretch Of River”

Newcastle University Boat Club

It’s been a quiet week on the rowing circuit here in the UK, yet as the country heads for the second wave of Coronavirus infections, rowing stands proud – at least for now.

British Rowing has released the latest version of their Return to Rowing Guidance, expanding their previous guidance in several vital areas such as the process for competitions, Changing room use, and the presence of Spectators at competitions. You can find a full copy of the latest document here

Whilst the rest of the rowing community struggle back to life, Newcastle University is at the forefront of efforts to bring competition back into the sport, with the Tyne Scullers Head taking place this weekend. The event is being run under British Rowing supervision as an opportunity to assess current return to racing guidance; with particular emphasis on spectators and social distancing measures. 

International Rowing:

getting on the erg everyday was quite a challenge

Jackie Kiddle

As the World Rowing Masters Championships fade into the past, the next set of events in world rowing begin to creep into the diaries of rowers around the world; in particular the 2021 World Rowing Indoor Championships, and the European Junior Championships.

In a series of short videos, World Rowing has discussed the impact of lockdown on the training habits of some of the world’s leading rowers. Hear from Jackie Kiddle, Sean Murphy and more here

FISA has announced the qualification criteria for the 2020 World Rowing Indoor Championships. The event will be run over several months, with competitors around the world submitting their Concept2 times to FISA to obtain a ranking in their chosen category. The finals will be streamed live in late February. 

Entries have been confirmed for the European Junior Championships taking place in Belgrade towards the end of September. A total of 426 athletes will compete from over 25 countries. The organising committee has highlighted the importance of this event, “As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, this will be just the second “on water” competition for the 2020 international rowing season, following on from the European Rowing Under 23 Championships in Duisburg, Germany earlier this month.”


This article supplements our Weekly Briefing that you can have delivered to your WhatsApp inbox at the start of each week. To find out more and sign up, head over to Updates.

If you’re hungry for more, check out any of our other pieces fromThe Catch, listen to our latest podcast episode, or flick through our race previews.

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