Parent's Guide to Rowing Australia Junior and School Rowing Under 17-21 2026

Age is measured to 31 December of the calendar year in which the rower reaches the stated age:

• Under 17: until 31 December of the year the rower reaches 16.
• Under 19: until 31 December of the year the rower reaches 18.
• Under 21: until 31 December of the year the rower reaches 20.
• Under 23: until 31 December of the year the rower reaches 22.

For example, a rower who turns 16 at any point during 2026 is an Under 17 rower for the whole of 2026. Age categories apply to coxswains too (except in Under 23 and Masters). A rower too old for Under 23 is classified as Open. Masters rowing starts from the beginning of the year in which the rower turns 27.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rules 26 and 29.

A school competitor is a rower who qualifies as Under 21 and is attending a secondary school as a full-time day student.

• Only athletes representing their school may compete in school events.
• School events are restricted to crews made up of rowers from one school only.
• A school competing in a Rowing Australia event must also be registered with its state or territory member association, and no competitor may race for more than one club, institute or school at the same regatta.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rules 17.1, 18.5 and 26.1.

• Coxswains are members of the crew, and age categories apply to them (except in Under 23 and Masters). A coxswain's gender is open, so a girls' crew can be steered by a boy and the reverse.
• The minimum weight for a coxswain in racing uniform is 55.0 kg. A coxswain below that may make up the weight with deadweight in a sealed bag, placed in the boat as close as possible to their person. Racing equipment cannot count as deadweight.
• Coxswains are weighed in racing uniform by an authorised person on tested scales, not less than one hour and not more than two hours before their first race, on each day of the competition.
• In a single-club or non-composite crew event, the coxswain must be from the same club as the rest of the crew.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rules 29 and 30.

Each member of a school or club crew competing in a Rowing Australia event must wear the registered racing uniform of their school or club.

• All garments in a crew must be identical in design and colour, apart from permitted sponsor identification, which must also be identical within the crew.
• Rowers may wear undergarments of differing lengths as long as the undergarment is an identical colour.
• If any crew members wear headwear, it must be identical in colour but not necessarily in design.
• Oar and scull blades should be presented the same way on both sides, in the school or club colours or a consistent colour.
• Rowing Australia keeps a national register of the racing colours of each club, institute and school.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rule 52.

The rules say the health and safety of all participants is a matter of paramount concern.

• The organising committee provides the safety measures at its regatta. During official course hours, a medical and rescue service must be ready to act on both the land and the water.
• Training happens only during the official training hours announced by the organising committee, with medical and rescue cover on land and water. All crews must be off the water by the course closing time, and crews can be sanctioned for not following this.
• Clubs, schools, coaches and rowers must keep equipment in a safe and suitable condition and make sure rowers meet the swimming and health requirements.
• Rowers and team officials must follow the instructions of the Jury and the organising committee on any safety matter.
• The rules also say the ultimate responsibility for competing safely lies first with the club or school the rower competes for and with the individual rower and their team officials. Rowing Australia accepts no legal liability.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rules 23 and 63.

At Rowing Australia events, when unfair or unrowable conditions are present or predicted, the Fairness Committee can change how racing is run. Its options include:

• using the lanes that offer the most equal conditions
• recommending that the organising committee change the timetable
• suspending racing when weather is, or is about to become, unfair, unrowable or unsafe, and recommending alternative times
• re-seeding lanes from the previous round, or running time trials
• starting earlier, resuming later when conditions improve, or omitting a round (for example semi-finals) if bad conditions have stopped racing for a long time

Separately, any member of the Jury can stop a crew going on the water if they consider it a danger to itself or other crews. If there is a dispute, the President of the Jury decides. In adverse weather, coxswains may race in extra clothing in their club or school colours for health reasons.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rules 52.9, 63.8 and 72.

No. A competitor may not race for more than one club, institute or school at the same regatta. A competitor may, however, represent their state as well as their club and their school (or university, where they are representing it in a University Event) at a regatta.

Events for Under 17, Under 19, Under 21 and School rowers are open only to rowers who meet the requirements of that category. Entries also need an approved waiver form from each competitor and coach, received by Rowing Australia before racing starts.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rules 18.3, 18.5 and 18.7.

Yes, within limits. Clubs and schools, using authorised personnel, may substitute up to one half of the rowers in a crew (and the coxswain, if the crew has one), provided each replacement is eligible to compete in that event and to represent the club or school.

• The substitution must be communicated in writing at Athlete Services at least one hour before the first heat.
• No substitution can be made in a crew that has already raced in a heat (or compulsory preliminary race) of its event, except for medical reasons, where Rule 61 applies.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rule 60.

A crew has made a false start if its rowers begin rowing and its boat crosses the start line after the Starter has shown the red flag (or the red light is shown) and before the start command is given. The crew is shown a Yellow Card. If more than one boat false starts, only the crew or crews the Judge at the Start decides actually caused it get a Yellow Card.

A crew that causes two false starts, or receives two Yellow Cards in the same race for any infringement, is awarded a Red Card and is excluded from the event.

Crews must also be attached to their starting positions at least two minutes before the designated start time.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rules 75, 76 and 77.

• A crew representative must give as much notice as possible and at least two hours before the advertised start time of the race, in writing, to the organising committee or regatta administration staff.
• A withdrawal, once made, cannot be reversed.
• A crew withdrawn within 72 hours after entries close loses no entry fee. Withdrawals after that time are charged or not refunded, whatever the reason.
• A crew that fails to start, or does not give two hours' notice, can be fined $250. There is no financial sanction for a crew that withdraws for medical or safety reasons acceptable to Rowing Australia.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rule 59.

A protest to the Board of the Jury can only be made by a crew whose objection was rejected, a crew whose ranking was affected by an accepted objection, a crew ruled DNS (did not start) or DNF (did not finish), a crew that was excluded or disqualified, or a crew that disputes the published results.

• It must be in writing and given to the President of the Jury no later than one hour after the race finishes (or one hour after the official results are published, if the protest is about the published results).
• It must come with a deposit of $100, which is refunded if the protest is upheld.
• The Board of the Jury decides before the next round of races in that event and no later than two hours after the last race of the day. It gives its decision and reasons in writing.

Source: Rowing Australia Rules of Racing (2025 Edition, updated January 2026), Rule 85.