Club & Competitors Information

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Entries Open: Monday 8 January 2024
Entries Close: 11:59 pm AEDT Monday 4 March 2024
Withdrawals without Penalty: 11:59 pm AEDT Thursday 7 March 2024
Entry Fee Payments: 11:59 pm AEDT Tuesday 12 March 2024
Boat Park open for trailer arrivals: 7:00 am Sunday 17 March 2024
Training Commences: 7:00 am Sunday 17 March 2024
Racing Begins: Monday 18 March 2024

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Sport Integrity Australia is likely to conduct drug testing at the 2024 Australian Rowing Championships.

It is the responsibility of each competitor to know and understand their responsibility regarding Anti-Doping. Competitors and coaches are urged to take note of the current Sport Integrity Australia regulations in respect of banned substances for therapeutic use and act accordingly in achieving exemptions as required

Athletes and Coaches are advised that WADA will release the 2024 Prohibited List, which comes into effect on 1 January 2024.

The list can be viewed HERE 

Finally, SIA has updated their online education platform for anti-doping. We strongly encourage coaches, athletes, parents and support staff to undertake the online courses available.
They can be found HERE  

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Information on Athlete and Coach Accreditation can be found here

All entered athletes shall receive event accreditation (pending completion of an online induction).

Accreditation (or tickets) will be required for entry to the venue from Monday 24 March 2024

All Athlete and Team Staff accreditations will be available for collection from the Accreditation Office, at the main entrance, from 9:00am AEDT Sunday 17 March 2024 if their induction requirements have been met and entry fees paid.

Clubs and schools shall receive Team Staff accreditations (coaches, managers, drivers, etc.) on a pro rata basis based on the number of athletes from the club/school are entered into the regatta.  There will be no accreditation’s given outside of this amount, and any additional passes required should be purchased as General Admission tickets.

Team Staff accreditation’s will be given on the following basis:

All athlete and team staff accreditation shall be available for collection from the Accreditation Centre from Sunday 17 March at 9.00am.

Accreditations will be sorted via club/school and given in one group, so please ensure that the appropriate coach or manager to distribute the passes collects them.

You will require a Spectator Ticket or Competitor Accreditation Pass to access the venue from Monday 18 March 2024.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Clubs and Schools are encouraged to coordinate with shared boat trailers and boats where possible.

Trailer access to the Island will not be permitted until 4 pm on Saturday 16 March (until 6.30 pm) and then from 7 am on Sunday 17 March.

• The venue is currently scheduled to be used for the 2024 AAGPS Head of the River on Saturday 16 March which will prevent access to the venue for ARC crews before this time on Saturday. Any changes to venue access will be communicated via the event website (arc.rowingaustralia.com.au) and via social media channels.
• Boat trailer access will be controlled for boat unloading and loading – please follow the directions of event staff and volunteers.
• Trailers must register online at the following link: https://arc.rowingaustralia.com.au/trailer-registration/
• Trailers arriving before Saturday 16 March will be directed to park in P3 on the south side of the course.
• Trailers will only be permitted access to the island if there is a sufficient number of people available to unload boats.
• Once unloaded, all trailers are to be parked in the P6 car park on the south side of the course.
• Trailers wishing to arrive between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am AEDT on any evening should contact aevans@rowingaustralia.com.au to make arrangements.
• Gradual boat trailer loading is encouraged during the event. Trailers will have access to the Island during the competition days between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm, however, only a limited number at any time will be allowed access. There may be a wait at peak times.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

The following conditions of entry apply to all entrants:

Competitors agree that they may be filmed and/or photographed during racing which may be published online.

Competitors must be to swim for 50 metres and tread water unaided for 3 minutes.

• Competitors will be liable for any costs for ambulance transport required as a result of sickness/injury at the event

• Competitors must have their emergency contact details listed in Rowing Manager, or their team manager must hold these at the event.

The following conditions of entry apply to the Australian Open Schools Rowing Championships:

• School events are restricted to crews consisting of representatives from one school only.

• No more than 46 entries will be accepted into any one event

• No more than 3 entries will be accepted from any one school in an individual event. Any entries over these amounts shall be placed on a waiting list; after the close of entries, crews on the waiting list may be added as appropriate from the waiting list at the discretion of the regatta organisers.

The following conditions of entry apply to the Australian Open Rowing Championships:

• Under 21 and Club events are restricted to crews consisting of representatives of one club or school only except for the Under 21 2- in which composite crews are permitted.

• Athletes entering Club events must not have been a member of a National Senior A or Under 23 team in the previous year, and must not be nominated for national team selection in a Senior A or Under 23 crew as of 31 January 2024. Any athlete with a para classification is eligible for club events regardless of national team status.

• No more than 46 entries will be accepted into any one event

• No more than four entries will be accepted from any one club/school in an individual event. Any entries over these amounts shall be placed on a waiting list; after the close of entries, crews on the waiting list may be added as appropriate from the waiting list at the discretion of the regatta organisers.

The following conditions of entry apply to the King’s & Queen’s Cups Interstate Regatta:

• Interstate events shall be open to competitors who are citizens of Australia or who have been a resident in the State or Territory of Australia for which they intend to compete for a continuous period of not less than 12 months before the close of entries. Athletes must compete for their state of origin unless an interstate transfer has been completed per the RA Rules. Each State Association is entitled to enter one crew into each Interstate event.

• State Associations wishing to lodge Interstate transfer requests must do so by 29 January 2024.  Please email Alice Evans  to lodge requests.

Entry into the 2025 Australian Open Rowing Championships and Australian Open Schools Rowing Championships is open to all competitors who are authorised to compete by their affiliated Member Association and who are eligible under the Rowing Australia Rules and By-laws of Racing.

A School competitor is one who qualifies as Under 21 (Youth) under the provisions of the RA rules and is attending a secondary school as a full-time day student. Entrants in the Australian Open Schools Rowing Championships must represent their school.

A University competitor is one who qualifies as a University Competitor according to the Australian University Sport Guidelines. For the avoidance of doubt, a competitor may represent their university in a university event even if they might otherwise be a competitive member of another club.

Overseas crews are welcome to compete in the Australian Open Rowing Championships.

School crews from overseas may compete in the Australian Open Schools Rowing Championships.

A rower or coxswain’s age shall be taken on 31 December 2025. As an example, a rower or coxswain shall be classified as an Under 21 (Youth) rower until 31 December of the year in which the rower reaches the age of 20.

For para rowers to be eligible to compete, athletes must be formally classified by a full RA or National Federation / World Rowing equivalent Classification Panel and be granted an eligible sport class, and sport class status. Athlete sport class and sport class status are usually published in the RA, NF or World Rowing Classification Master lists. Athletes who do not have a national or international sport class status or have been given a sport class status of ineligible, are not eligible to compete in para events at the Australian Open Rowing Championships.

Classification assessments will be conducted at the Rowing NSW State Championships in February and also at the Australian Rowing Championships. Anyone seeking classification and/or further detail should contact James Loveday  who will assist.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

The cost to enter the Australian Open and Australian Open Schools Championships is $55.00 (incl. GST) per seat (including coxswains).

The cost to enter the  500m Sprint events is $11.00 (incl. GST) per seat.

All entries for the Australian Open, Australian Open Schools Rowing Championships and Interstate Regatta must be made through Rowing Manager 

Entry Fees must be paid by Tuesday 12 March 2024. Invoices and details on payment can be found on Rowing Manager

All Australian clubs have access to Rowing Manager for entry purposes, International entrants should contact Alice Evans 

Entries to the Interstate Regatta must be made via Rowing Manager and are open to State and Territory Associations only.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

All car parking at ARC will be free of charge.  Please follow the directions of all venue parking staff and volunteers.

Spectator, Athlete and team drop off and pick-up will be permitted. Cars and Vehicles will be directed to the drop-off zone.

Para athletes with a legal Disability Parking Permit will have access to Disability Parking, in marked and allocated Disability Parking spaces.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Athlete First Aid will be located at the western end of Boatshed 4.

The Regatta Doctor and emergency medical care for spectators and competitors during racing is located in the Dr Bill Webb Medical Centre located approximately 50m beyond the Finish Tower.

Rescue services will be active on the water throughout racing and official training sessions.

The nearest hospital is the Nepean Hospital approximately 6km from the course.

If your club or school team is planning to bring medical staff to Sydney, they may be required to meet the requirements of NSW Health Department to enable them to legally perform their duties to your team.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Click here to view the simplified 8 Lane Progression System which will be used

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Rowing Australia does not intend to run “race for lanes” for events that attract 8 or less entries at the 2024 regatta with the exception of Under 19 and School Events and events that are being used for selection purposes.

In Under 19 and School events that attract 7 entries or less, a non-compulsory race for lanes will be conducted.

In events used for selection purposes (U21 1x, U21 2-, a compulsory race for lanes will be conducted, where 8 entries or less are received.

In the remaining U17 (club), U21 and U23 and in Open and Para events, where 8 or less entries are received, competitors will proceed directly to a final.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

To view a simplified summary of which races are on which days, click here

Race Schedules can be found here

Race Schedules will be updated following the close of entries and following the withdrawal without penalty period

The Race Schedules are subject to change, competitors must check for the most up to date information available online and at the regatta.

The 2025 Australian Rowing Championships will be conducted in accordance with the Rowing Australia Rules of Racing and Related By-laws.

The current version of the rules, including a summary of the changes, can be found on the Rowing Australia website

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

The course opens for official training from 7.00 am from Sunday 23 March, the venue will close at 7.00 pm.

All competitors and spectators must vacate the venue prior to the venue closing.

No boats will be allowed on the water for unrestricted training prior to 7:00 am on any day (subject to light conditions). All boats must be off the competition course 15 minutes prior to the start of the first race e.g. off the course by 7:45 am for an 8:00 am first race. Boats with training bow numbers will be permitted to remain on the water but must use the “During Competition” traffic patterns and must have cleared the competition course as described above.

The course will reopen for unrestricted training approximately 15 minutes after the last race of the day. Crews will be permitted to access the beach launching area 5 minutes after the last race commences and must be off the water by 7:00 pm. Rescue will also finish at 7:00 pm. Crews will not be permitted to depart the outgoing beach launching area after 6:20 pm.

Only boats with a valid bow number will be allowed on the water during competition times.

Bow numbers must be used by para crews when using para training lanes.

Changes to training times may be made at the discretion of the Technical Delegate.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Test weighing scales for coxswains and lightweight rowers will be available from 9:00 am AEDT on Sunday 23 March

COXSWAINS

The minimum weight for a coxswain (wearing a racing uniform) is 55kg for all coxswains. The weighing scales shall indicate the weight of the coxswain to 0.1kg.

Coxswains must be weighed wearing a racing uniform not less than one hour and not more than two hours before their first race in which they are competing, on each day of the regatta. 

LIGHTWEIGHT ROWERS

Lightweight competitors must be weighed wearing a racing uniform not less than one hour and not more than two hours before their first race on each day of the regatta.

The average weight of a men’s lightweight crew (including the Interstate Regatta) excluding the coxswain shall not exceed 70kg. No individual may weigh more than 72.5kg. A male single sculler shall not weight more than 72.5kg.

The average weight of a women’s lightweight crew (including the Interstate Regatta) shall not
exceed 57kg. No individual may weigh more than 59kg. A female single sculler shall not weigh more than 59kg.

Lightweight rowers may have their weights carried forward for subsequent lightweight events on that day as long as the crew’s average weight in accordance to the above requirements is not exceeded.

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

Information on Ticket Sales will be found here in late 2024.

Dogs are not permitted on-site at SIRC (except for companion dogs).

*Yet to be updated with 2025 information

It is the responsibility of the crew to ensure that their boat is on weight per the Rowing Australia Rules of Racing.

Random checks of boat weight will be carried out at any time during the competition.

Scales will be available from 9:00 am AEST on Sunday 23 March 2025