Category: Learn to row

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RRC and TopRow Melbourne partner to grow club membership

Richmond Rowing Club and TopRow Melbourne are partnering to introduce new rowers to the sport and focus on long term member growth for the club.

We have a strong history of running Learn to Row courses and a large number of our members have come to the sport in this way. The logistics of running Learn to Row courses with a volunteer coaching group can be challenging with competing priorities. Part of our strategy is to grow our member numbers to maintain a vibrant and financially sound club, this becomes even more important as we look to the impacts of COVID-19 on our operations.

As a result we have taken the Committee has agreed to partner with TopRow Melbourne (and Will Golding who is the face of TopRow Melbourne). Under this arrangement they will run frequent small Learn to Row courses from the club to focus on utilising our resources at quieter times. Once rowers graduate from TopRow Melbourne they will have the opportunity to join Richmond Rowing Club in our Development Squad and continue their rowing journey.

We have allocated 2 dedicated Learn to Row sessions into our rowing sessions as TopRow Melbourne trials operations over the coming months and starts advertising. These were communicated in our return to rowing plan along with ad-hoc part sessions depending on demand. This will be a similar amount of time/people as if we were running our own learn to row program.

We think this is a great opportunity for the club and TopRow to grow together. We also wish Will Golding every success with TopRow, he also continues to be an member of our RRC coaching group.

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Club races and our latest boat naming

Club Races
Fast and furious – with lots of splash – is how four eights competed in Sunday’s Club Races.  Around 20% of the competitors were in their first club races and it was great to see our DS members joining in and experiencing some racing.  After the heats, crews competed in an A Final and B Final.
The winning team of the A Final was Andrew Yuile, John Carey. Alan Randall, Leigh Sullivan, Kim Begelhole, Cristian Udovicich, Imogen Aitken and Kate Riley, coxed by Stef Dudczig.
Our selectors of crews did a pretty good job, but then tried to outfox us with the use of French on the starter’s line! Derek managed to video the finals so if you want to see your form check out the Facebook posts.
BBQ
It was great to see lots of our current Learn to Row group enjoying the BBQ and deck with the rest of the club.  It won’t be too long before they’re rowing in the next Club Races!
The Development Squad under the leadership of Sarah Hardy organized a fabulous BBQ.  And Sarah even co-opted Matt (hubby) and Bridgette (daughter) to help out on the BBQ while we were all racing.  Thanks to the salad providers… Pavel, Alysia, Emma & Matt, Amy and Sarah Hardy.  Sarah even provided homemade vege/vegan burgers – yummy!  The DS (including Oliver & Mikey G) also did a great job setting up the tables and cleaning up afterwards and photographing the day.
Bar server thanks go to Ally, Kathy, Dennis, Gypsy, John C, Amy and Kim B.  And thanks to Gypsy for coordinating the bar.
Boat Naming
We were pleased to name the latest acquisition to our fleet – a secondhand midweight single. (It’s a Wintech 2016 Club Trainer 75-85kg ACW honeycomb kevlar/fiberglass – for those interested in the technical details).

The committee has discussed over the past year the possibility of acknowledging and honoring the traditional owners of land on which our boathouse stands and the waterways on which we row.
What better way than naming a boat which is regularly in view of our members and other river users as well as to visitors to Melbourne.
The Boonwurrung elders have given us permission to use the word “Gurrong” – which means canoe in Boonwurrung language – on this, our newest fleet acquisition.
Kathy Macrow

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Receipt of VicHealth Active Club Grant

Richmond Rowing Club was delighted to receive a VicHealth Active Club Grant to support our Tiger Social Rowing program.

The $2,890 grant has enabled the club to purchase four pairs of yellow handled sculling blades and 5 sets of boat lights.  This reduces equipment constraints allowing more rowers to be on the water during the peak Thursday night and Sunday morning crew and social rowing time slots.
The oars were “christened” by four of the twenty one participants in our first 2018 Learn to Row group on January 30.  We are delighted that a number of members from that class have already signed up to join the club.
Welcome….. we look forward to helping you to further develop your rowing skills.
Just a reminder that all club members are welcome to join the social rowing program on Thursday evenings 6.15pm or Sunday mornings 9.45am.  Please contact Head of Rowing if you want to participate and are not currently receiving the Sportsnoticeboard sign ups for Tiger Rowing.

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Calling all rowers, coxes, coaches!

Our next learn to row starts on Sunday 14th June and runs for four consecutive Sundays at 12pm.
We have between 10 and 15 people signed up so far, but it won’t be possible to run it without coxes and coaches to help. It would also be useful to have a couple of rowers available in case we need to make up numbers or demonstrate technique.
You don’t need to commit to them all, but if you are able and willing to come along for a few hours to help out, please email Cat Hardie on [email protected]. Please specify which dates you could help out with (14, 21, 28 June & 5 July).
Thanks heaps.
Cat

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Learn to row at RRC this autumn

RRC will be running its 2013 Learn to Row course on the Yarra River in what usually is reliable autumn weather.
The course will commence on Sunday 28th April at 11:45am.
It will continue each Sunday to 26th May, excluding Mothers Day, 12th May.
The full cost is $150.
When the course is completed you will be invited to join our Development Squad with a $50 discount on membership cost.
If anyone has family or friends interested in learning to row please let them know.
More information and the Application form is available from our website; http://3.25.77.84/learn-to-row/

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