What does a coxswain do, and who can cox a crew?

A coxswain is a member of a crew whose primary functions are, at a minimum, to steer the boat and to provide instruction and encouragement to the crew. A crew may be coxed by a coxswain of any gender identity. Age categories (Under 17, Under 19, Under 23, Senior) apply to coxswains as they do to rowers, except in Masters events. In Masters crews the coxswain's age is not counted when working out the crew's average age (rules 2.4 and 2.7, 2026 RCA Rules of Racing).