On the weekend, 16 Richmond rowers, coaches, supporters and a cox descended on Penrith for the 2012 NSW State Grade Championships. What an incredible weekend we had. Once again the NSW competitors proved to be tough and unrelenting opponents but Richmond’s presence (both on and off the water) did not go unnoticed!
With a record number of scullers competing, our two WD2x crews progressed through to the semi-finals with Karen and Cat taking on the final and placing 5th overall. Our two WC2x crews rowed strongly in their heats with Michelle and Rochelle progressing to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Rachael singlehandedly took on the WD1x and cruised her way through heats and semis to place 6th overall in the final. Both Cat and Rachael represented Richmond in the WC1x with Rachael progressing through to the semi-final.
Richmond’s WD4x stroked by Michelle with Nat, Karen and Rochelle competed in an eventful heat and following a re-start progressed through to the final, just missing out on a medal in a very close race placing 4th overall.
Our sweep rowers also had some great results Continue reading “RRC report from NSW Grade Championships”
RRC crews to contest NSW Championships
We are again challenging NSW and other state crews at the NSW State Grade Champs at Penrith. This regatta has proved very popular with perfect autumn weather, friendly officials who make us very welcome and a great course to row (straight and buoyed!).
More information about the regatta is available from http://www.rowingnsw.asn.au/news/253/609/edward-trickett-regatta-revised-start-times.html
The beautifully appointed RRC trailer is loaded with all our equipment to get the crews on the water. It is a long trip up the Hume Hwy so we wish the driver and car crew a safe trip. NB Don’t ring the Captin today, he is otherwise engaged!
The crews have done all their training to be ready to do their best coming down the olympic course. We wish them a great 2 days of racing.
Each days’ competiton has been delayed (2 hours on Saturday and 1 hour on Sunday). But that is not a problem, as it is due to Rowing Australia holding their olympic trails for the London Olympics. This is a wonderful opportunity to see our top rowers in action, battling it out to represent Australia. Wish we were there!
Good luck Tigers and we look forward to report in the near future on the regatta and the results for our crews.
Fundraising Success – RRC Trivia and Auction Night 17 March
Hello all
It is with great pleasure that I report yet another successful fundraising trivia night for RRC held on 17 March – St. Patricks Day.
This year the event raised more than $7000, which is a fantastic effort by all those who attended the evening, as well as donated an array of goods and services. As always there were some real gems on offer such as a trophy oar signed by members of the 2008 Olympic Team, a holiday house in Cape Paterson; as well as those more intriguing items like the ‘mystery’ package won by Martin Foster and the two Yarra Yarra rowers on offer for a mixed quad! Or course while the auction was a major element of the evening – the clear attractor was to get a perfect score card by answering all of Justin Thomas’s trivia questions. Yet again Justin tested everyone’s trivia brains and even threw in a ‘Spicks and Specs’ segment – courtesy of Lindsey Brown and her impressive voice.
As I write this and reflect on the fun evening, and opportunity to catch up with those I haven’t seen for a while, I am also reminded of the new equipment the club has been able to purchase as a result of events such as the trivia night, and the donations of members and their friends and family. For example Karen Doggett probably never wants to see a sausage again after coordinating the sausage sizzle at Bunnings last year, and I know from firsthand experience that I almost ate my weight in Freddo frogs while raising money for the club.
Many new members may not be aware that up until about 6 years ago boat loading included finding a trailer …. as well as de-rigging boats! Given a trailer is a pretty much a pre-requite for any rowing club wishing to attend regattas, and the ability to borrow trailers was becoming harder and harder, the club focused on raising money to buy its own. Aside from being pretty nifty, I think our trailer is also much loved because many of us shook buckets and ergoed for 24 hours to secure it. It is a fantastic resource that we are all able to benefit from and is sure to last the club well into the future for all the members yet to come.
Other items we have bought include cox boxes, new boats, ergo’s, oars – the list goes on. Naturally the shopping list of potential items is endless, so the Committee makes the tough decision of prioritising the list based on the needs of the club at the time. This year the Committee decided to focus the trivia night funds on a bit of upkeep by committing to purchasing new shoes for the women’s 8+, buying four sets of new sculling oars and another ergo, to name just a few. However now we know we have $7000 plus confirmed – we will be able to move further down the list.
Although clearly the club needs cash to supplement and refresh the fleet and other rowing equipment, the other thing essential to RRC are the day to day donations that many members make. These donations come in a variety of forms, such as: coaching, organising regattas, social events, painting oars, donating items to be auctioned, purchasing them, cleaning the kitchen and so on. RRC runs on volunteers and the notion that members give what they can, at different times and in different ways. So in addition to the bigger donations I also want to highlight the everyday ones and the flow on that these make to the workings of the club.
Thanks again to all those that helped with the trivia night, in particular Vicki Brennan, Ben Soraghan, Mike O’Neill, Mike Numa, Simon Crunden, Martin and quiz master Justin. If you have any ideas of fundraising activities/concepts you think we should try or would like to get more involved in the non-rowing part of the club please drop me a line or another member of the Committee.
Cheers
Emma
Emma Catford
President – Richmond Rowing Club
Sign Up for Sydney 2012 – Do It!
Watch out Penrith, the southern SIRC-us otherwise known as RRC is returning in 2012 to take on the NSW Grade Champs on Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April. (Don’t take us for fools!)
So for those RRC members/family/friends/BFFs it’s time to sign up…
To confirm your place you will need to:
- complete the Sign Up Survey
- buy an overheads ticket
Sign Up Survey
We need to know if you’re coming asap, and a few details about yourselves.
People are welcome to bring friends and family, so long as each individual fills out a survey so we have information regarding everybody.
To fill in the survey please click on http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6SY9XH6
Overheads for the regatta are $285 and cover accommodation, food and trailering costs – see payment details below.
Flights, transfers and seat fees are extra:
- Seat fee payments will be organised later
- Flights and transfers need to be organised individually, so start sorting yourselves out with hirecar-pooling and coordinated flight times.
Payment of Overheads
Costs must be paid via Trybooking by the 14th March to secure accommodation and finalise numbers.
To pay, click on http://www.trybooking.com/BGOG , enter password RRC1863 and buy one overheads ticket per person.
Didn’t your mother warn you about tigers?
RRC Trivia Night – March 17 @ RRC the Boathouse
Fantastic auction prizes Games BYO food, but do not BYO drink. As with any good race, be at the start line for a quick start, at 7pm.
The entry fee is being kept at an inflation busting $20. Book yourself a place by e-mailing Mike O’Neil on [email protected].
Prizes for the quiz winners and the best dressed / best decorated table and your chance to pick up a bargain or a holiday in a French villa at the famous RRC trivia night auction.
A big Christmas gift to the club
It is very gratifying to report to all the RRC members on our recent social and fundraising activities. When so many of you dig deep and help out we can make a big difference! Thank you!
RRC Christmas Raffle drawn 17 December 2011
We had a total of 536 tickets in the draw, that means a total of $2680 in ticket sales. After costs are deducted we should clear at least $2,000.
First prize, $800 Essendon Cyclery voucher was won by Jemma Evans. 2nd prize, $200 David Jones voucher, was won by Karen Bell and 3rd prize, $150 worth of mixed wines was won by Dennis Beck.
Thank you to all members who sold tickets and helped make this fundraising activity for the club a success.
RRC Port Melbourne Bunning Sausage Sizzle 18 December 2011
The committee would like to extend a huge thank you to all the members who helped with the sausage sizzle fundraiser. We had a grand total of 576 sausages donated and 15kg of chopped onions which amazingly enough were all sold plus a further 262 sausages bought on the day.
That’s a grand total of 838 sausages sizzled in the name of Richmond Rowing Club, which along with the sale of 364 soft drinks netted the club a total profit of $2189.
Special thanks to all those who donated their time and effort on site throughout the day to man the barbie and serving the endless flow of hungry shoppers.
The RRC Committee wish all the members a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year.
We look forward to another great year ahead with you as part of our wonderful club.
Richmond Rowing Club Christmas Party
Get into the Christmas Spirit with Richmond Rowing Club
This year we are running a fabulous Christmas Raffle as one of our major fundraisers with prizes that are going to ensure the winners have a Merry Christmas.
1st Prize: $800 voucher for Essendon Cyclery – for everything bike related
2nd prize: $200 voucher for David Jones
3rd prize: Mixed dozen white and red wine
We are asking all members to please sell 10 raffle tickets to friends, family & colleagues (or buy the tickets yourself) and return the completed ticket stubs and money to RRC secretary’s box (at end of cupboards upstairs) before the Christmas Party on Thursday 15 December. We would love you to sell more than 10 tickets, to get more see Karen Doggett or email [email protected]. The draw will be at 9pm on 15 December.
Memorial Service for Don Dudgeon
A memorial service will be held for Don at the Springvale Crematorium this Friday 29 July at 11:30. The crematorium is located at 600 Princes Highway, Springvale. The drive is approximately 40 minutes from the CBD.
The Passing of Don Dudgeon
Don Dudgeon one of Richmond Rowing Club’s greatest members passed away on Saturday 23 July after a brief illness in hospital. Don was very influential at the club as an athlete through the 1950’s and 1960’s and then as an administrator and coach during the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. Don was in someways a controversial character, but his love and passion for the Richmond Rowing club was extraordinary and his dedication to the development of the sport, in particular sculling is legendary.
Don was one of the greatest scullers the club has produced, representing the Victoria four times in the President’s cup and rowing in countless national and international regatta’s during his competitive rowing career. After retiring from major competition, Don continued to make his mark on the sport in masters rowing and through coaching and mentoring athletes along the Yarra River including a number of world championship and Olympic level athletes.
As an administrator, Don served Richmond Rowing Club over several decades in a number of roles including president, captain, secretary, treasurer and general committee member and was a long serving president of the Victorian Amateur Sculling Association.
Very much a traditionalist, Don was a great believer in the old methods and continued to row with timber macon oars in his immaculate Sykes timber single and double sculls well after carbon fiber boats and big blades became the benchmark in the sport. Don’s knowledge of rowing was extra ordinary, and his ability to rig a boat was second to none, but unfortunately for most difficult to follow, as his measurements were always calculated in imperial which was the mark of the man and his methods.
Don was a great mentor and friend to me and many others over a number of years. He provided me guidance and support during my competitive rowing career and as a coach and administrator of the club. There will be many words spoken about Don in the coming weeks as people reflect back on the life of the great man and his passing will bring much sadness to a number of people who knew him well. He will be deeply missed.
Don leaves behind his beautiful wife Mariee and three children Julia, Greg and Stuart.
Simon Crunden