South Queensland School Age Rowing Conference

We saw encouraging results last weekend, despite the wild and windy conditions at the Queensland State Rowing Center, for the first regatta of the South Queensland School Age Rowing Conference 2023.

This is the Conference's second year running and last weekend 285 athletes across 17 schools and clubs participated in traditional short course racing at the QSRC, Wyaralong Dam. The Conference will offer a variety of racing, the next, on the 6th May, being a Henley style sprint regatta over 500m at the Damien Leeding Memorial Park Oxenford, and an erg relay, on the 27th May, with the Trophy Regatta back at the QSRC, Wyaralong Dam on the10 June.

The Conference was born by Rowing Queensland, in discussion with the member schools and clubs of GCRASRA. A rebrand of that competition and development of a new format which engages more schools and clubs across the region: the South Queensland School Age Rowing Conference. This conference will not only provide competition opportunities to the previous GCRASRA participants, but allow for athletes from non-rowing schools to compete for their clubs. The Conference will also expand regatta offerings and locations each year to make it as inclusive as possible, with events potentially to be held on the Maroochy River, Lake Kurwongbah, Oxenford and the QSRC at Wyaralong Dam. It is hoped that this structure of competition will make the sport more accessible to young athletes across South East Queensland, and provide a model that can be rolled out in other regions.