Samuel Forbes

QLD | University of Queensland Boat Club

Brisbane’s Samuel “Forbesy” Forbes is a fast-rising force in both flatwater and coastal rowing, combining a love for precision sculling with a competitive edge in the high-intensity world of beach sprints. A former rugby player at Brisbane Grammar School, Sam first picked up an oar under the guidance of his first coach, Richard Powell, quickly realising that rowing offered a clearer pathway to the high-performance arena.

Since then, Sam has built an impressive track record on the national stage. In flatwater, he claimed the 2025 Australian U21 men’s pair title and backed it up after a breakout 2024 season, where he secured gold in both the U19 men’s pair and U19 men’s four. On the sand and surf, Sam has dominated the Australian Beach Sprint Championships, collecting four national titles in just two years, including the U19 men’s single, men’s double, and mixed double in 2024, and the U19 mixed double in 2023.

Internationally, Sam represented Australia at the 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, reaching the final in the Coastal U19 mixed double sculls (silver) and winning the B final in the Coastal U19 men’s double sculls. These results have fuelled his 2025 goals: sculling more efficiently, completing a clean sweep of gold at the national beach sprint championships, and standing atop the podium at the World Championships.

Currently studying a Bachelor of Business (Finance) and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at Queensland University of Technology, Sam balances his academic pursuits with part-time work as an Administrative Coordinator. Away from rowing, he enjoys driving winding mountain roads, cycling, swimming, skiing, and travelling.

Guided by the advice to “sometimes you just have to dig it out” and to always “be coachable,” Sam approaches racing with the mindset to work with the boat, not against it. Whether it’s the calm of flatwater or the chaos of surf, one thing remains constant, his drive to go faster.

Samuel is currently a member of the Australian Coastal Mixed Quad Sculls. 

Last updated August 11, 2025.