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7-Jan-23-2024-10-11-28-0258-PM

How We're Governed

In 2007 Rowing Australia completed a governance review which resulted in the establishment of a suitable governance framework, including the conversion of the organisation into a Company Limited by Guarantee.

In March 2013, as part of the implementation of its Australia’s Winning Edge program, the Australian Sports Commission (now known as Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport respectively) adopted an enhanced focus on the governance of sporting organisations, headlined by the release of a set of Mandatory Governance Principles with which the leading sports, including rowing, were required to comply.

In response to this announcement the RA Board, with the assistance of the ASC, engaged well-credentialed and experienced consultants to conduct a whole of sport governance development project to ensure that the governance arrangements of RA and its Member Associations were compliant with the Mandatory Governance Principles and continued to provide the underpinning framework from which Australian rowing can grow and achieve sustainable success. This governance development project built on the sound governance platform that RA had put in place following its earlier 2007 governance review.

The governance development project featured extensive consultation and considered the governance arrangements of RA and each of its Member Associations. An updated RA Constitution to achieve full compliance with the Mandatory Governance Principles was unanimously passed at the 2013 Annual General Meeting.

RA’s Member Associations have also each accepted the recommendations of the governance development project and, through updating their own Constitutions, have adopted the relevant required governance changes to comply with both Sport Australia’s requirements and good governance principles.

The successful implementation of the governance development project has ensured that rowing’s governance, at all levels, is aligned to best practice principles and will provide the platform for the continued growth and success of Australian rowing.

Latest News (6)

Who Leads Us

The Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of Rowing Australia and for having oversight of its activities.

The Council is comprised of an appointed representative of each of RA’s Member Associations and is responsible for electing the Board and contributing to both the development and achievement of the sport’s strategic plan.

The Staff of RA, led by the CEO, are responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of RA in achieving the strategic direction set by the Board.

  • The Board
  • The Council
  • RA Corporate & Community
  • RA High Performance
  • State Pathway Contacts
  • SIS/SAS Head Coaches
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Virginia Hayward Rowing Australian Capital Territory
Virginia Hayward Rowing Australian Capital Territory
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Stephen Handley Rowing New South Wales
Stephen Handley Rowing New South Wales
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Scott Austin Rowing Queensland
Scott Austin Rowing Queensland
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Fearnley Szuster Rowing South Australia
Fearnley Szuster Rowing South Australia
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Mick Casey Rowing Tasmania
Mick Casey Rowing Tasmania
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Chris Ohlich Rowing Victoria
Chris Ohlich Rowing Victoria
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Craig James Rowing Western Australia
Craig James Rowing Western Australia
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Sarah Cook Chief Executive Officer
Sarah Cook Chief Executive Officer
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Georgia Nemes Office Manager/Executive Assistant
Georgia Nemes Office Manager/Executive Assistant
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Mitchell Collins Vera General Manager of Operations
Mitchell Collins Vera General Manager of Operations
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Aaron Lane Chief Financial Officer
Aaron Lane Chief Financial Officer
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Emily Ekert Commercial Manager
Emily Ekert Commercial Manager
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Phil Lutton Media and Communications Manager
Phil Lutton Media and Communications Manager
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Alice Evans Event and Competition Manager
Alice Evans Event and Competition Manager
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Ron Batt Sport Development Manager
Ron Batt Sport Development Manager
Elizabeth Prater RA Staff headshot
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Elizabeth Prater Participation and Education Coordinator
Elizabeth Prater Participation and Education Coordinator
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Tufi Sele Digital Engagement & Indoor Rowing Manager
Tufi Sele Digital Engagement & Indoor Rowing Manager
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Bianca Chiera Events and Competition Coordinator
Bianca Chiera Events and Competition Coordinator
Nick Jones Staff Headshot
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Nick Jones Media, Digital and Communications Coordinator
Nick Jones Media, Digital and Communications Coordinator
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Paul Thompson MBE Performance Director
Paul Thompson MBE Performance Director
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John Hukins High-Performance Administrator
John Hukins High-Performance Administrator
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Rhett Ayliffe Men’s Head Coach
Rhett Ayliffe Men’s Head Coach
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John Keogh Women’s Head Coach
John Keogh Women’s Head Coach
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Jason Lane Head of Pathways
Jason Lane Head of Pathways
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Lyall McCarthy Men’s Senior Coach
Lyall McCarthy Men’s Senior Coach
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Mark Prater Men’s Senior Coach
Mark Prater Men’s Senior Coach
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Ellen Randell Women’s Senior Coach
Ellen Randell Women’s Senior Coach
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Tom Westgarth Women’s Senior Coach
Tom Westgarth Women’s Senior Coach
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Chad King Head Coach – Para-Rowing
Chad King Head Coach – Para-Rowing
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James Loveday Leach Coach – Para-Rowing
James Loveday Leach Coach – Para-Rowing
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Wayne Diplock High Performance Operations Manager
Wayne Diplock High Performance Operations Manager
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Nadine Morrison High Performance Operations Co-ordinator
Nadine Morrison High Performance Operations Co-ordinator
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John Bowes Pathway Transitions Manager
John Bowes Pathway Transitions Manager
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Dr Tony Rice Rowing Science Lead
Dr Tony Rice Rowing Science Lead
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Dr Nathan Versey Physiologist (Men’s NTC)
Dr Nathan Versey Physiologist (Men’s NTC)
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Erin McCleave Physiologist (Women’s NTC)
Erin McCleave Physiologist (Women’s NTC)
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Chris Bradley Sports Psychologist (Lead)
Chris Bradley Sports Psychologist (Lead)
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Josh Sebbens Sport Psychologist (Men's NTC)
Josh Sebbens Sport Psychologist (Men's NTC)
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Bronwen Lundy National Teams’ Dietitian and Nutrition Lead
Bronwen Lundy National Teams’ Dietitian and Nutrition Lead
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Alex Munt Nutritionist (Women’s NTC)
Alex Munt Nutritionist (Women’s NTC)
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Phil Cossens Senior Sports Physiotherapist (Men’s NTC)
Phil Cossens Senior Sports Physiotherapist (Men’s NTC)
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Tristan Shipsides Senior Sports Physiotherapist (Women’s NTC)
Tristan Shipsides Senior Sports Physiotherapist (Women’s NTC)
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David Young Strength and Conditioning Coach (Women’s NTC)
David Young Strength and Conditioning Coach (Women’s NTC)
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Jan Legg Strength and Conditioning Coach (Men’s NTC)
Jan Legg Strength and Conditioning Coach (Men’s NTC)
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Dr Kath Gaffney Principal Medical Officer (Women’s NTC)
Dr Kath Gaffney Principal Medical Officer (Women’s NTC)
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Dr Andrew Griffin Doctor (Men’s NTC)
Dr Andrew Griffin Doctor (Men’s NTC)
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Dr John Brooks Pathways Medical Lead
Dr John Brooks Pathways Medical Lead
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Ruth Trevallion Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Manager (Men’s NTC)
Ruth Trevallion Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Manager (Men’s NTC)
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Margaret Hamley Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Manager (Women’s NTC)
Margaret Hamley Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Manager (Women’s NTC)
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David Fraumano ACT State Talent Pathway Contact
David Fraumano ACT State Talent Pathway Contact
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Vicki Linton NSW State Talent Pathway Contact
Vicki Linton NSW State Talent Pathway Contact
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Andrew Service QLD State Talent Pathway Contact
Andrew Service QLD State Talent Pathway Contact
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Christine MacLaren SA State Talent Pathway Contact
Christine MacLaren SA State Talent Pathway Contact
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Vacant TAS State Talent Pathway Contact
Vacant TAS State Talent Pathway Contact
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Noel Donaldson VIC State Talent Pathway Contact
Noel Donaldson VIC State Talent Pathway Contact
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Jamie Hewlett WA State Talent Pathway Contact
Jamie Hewlett WA State Talent Pathway Contact
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Noel Donaldson VIS
Noel Donaldson VIS
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Ben Southwell QAS
Ben Southwell QAS
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Jason Lane SASI
Jason Lane SASI
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Jamie Hewlett WAIS
Jamie Hewlett WAIS
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Brett Crow TIS
Brett Crow TIS
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Dave Fraumano ACTAS
Dave Fraumano ACTAS

Whole of Sport Policies

Whole of Sport Policies are those policies that RA and its Member Associations collectively adopt.

Whole of Sport Policies is those which are mandated for use by sports funded by the Australian Federal Government and also other policies which are appropriate for adoption by the whole of the sport for reasons of good governance.

Rowing Australia Commissions

From time to time the Board may appoint Commissions to enhance RA’s engagement with particular sections of the Australian rowing community, and to ensure that these important communities are able to provide valuable input into RA’s activities.

  • Athletes
  • High-Performance
  • National Rowing Participation and Development
  • Masters
  • Umpires

Athletes Commission

The purpose of the RA Athletes’ Commission is to represent the views of athletes to the RA board and relevant committees of RA. We report to the athlete body the outcomes of relevant decisions made by RA on issues identified by the athlete body through the Athletes’ Commission.

We will advise the board on all matters relating to athletes within the rowing community. We may offer or give advice; offer or give counsel; offer an opinion; make a recommendation; consult; or, give information or notice to the RA Board.

The Athletes’ Commission will endeavour to look after the athletes of RA in the following ways:

  • Be available to provide advice and support to athletes where appropriate;
  • To communicate relevant material from RA to the athletes;
  • Keep the athlete body informed;
  • Provide the athlete body with a structure for having communication with
    the RA board; and
  • To provide guidance in the form of advice to athletes involved in an appeals process.

Chair
Luke Letcher OLY

Athlete Members
Nikki Ayers PLY
Thomas Birtwhistle PLY
Lucy Stephan OAM
Kate Rowan
Sarah Hawe OLY
Alex Purnell OAM
Josh Hicks OLY
Tim Masters OLY

Appointed Members
Alice Arch
Cameron Girdlestone OLY (Ex Officio – Member of AOC Athletes’ Commission)
Josh Booth OLY (Ex Officio – Member of ASC Athlete Advisory Commission)

High-Performance Commission

The High Performance Commission oversees the implementation of our High Performance Plan. It considers and advises the RA Board and Management on strategic issues relevant to High Performance rowing. The focus of the Commission is maximizing medal outcomes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to achieve this requires the achievement of our agreed performance drivers in the following important areas; Leadership and Governance, Athlete performance and Pathways, Coaching, the Daily Training Environment, Competition, Performance services, Culture and Personal Excellence, and Research and Innovation.

The HP Commission is chaired by Rowing Australia Deputy Chair, Flavia Gobbo and she is joined by Hannah Every Hall (RA Athletes’ Commission Chair), Paul Thompson (Performance Director), Jaime Fernandez (Deputy Performance Director), Reinhold Batschi (person with significant high performance rowing coaching background) and Geoff Lipshut (independent appointment – person with significant high performance background). The Commission meets regularly, reports to the RA Board and involves key stakeholders in its deliberations. A brief Bio of the members is below:

Flavia Gobbo (Chair)

The current Rowing Australia Deputy Chair, Flavia Gobbo is a Director of WorkCover QLD. WorkCover is a government owned statutory body and is the main provider of workers’ compensation insurance in Queensland. Until recently Flavia was the Chairman of Q-COMP as well as part of the Senior Leadership team at Telstra Legal Services and held a number of senior roles during her thirteen plus years at Telstra

On the water, Flavia was a successful rower at both the State and National levels and now competes at Masters level as a member of the University of Queensland Boat Club. She joined the Board of Rowing Australia in December 2012 and was appointed the Vice-Chairman of the Board on October 2014.

Hannah Every Hall

As an athlete, Hannah Every-Hall first competed for Australia at the Nations Cup in 1999 in Hamburg, Germany where she won the U23 Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls. She went on to represent Australia at seven World Rowing Cups and multiple World Championships, as well as representing Australia in the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Off the water, Every-Hall has a degree in Human Movement, as well as a Masters’ Degree in Dietetics from Deakin University. She is also a member of FISA’s Athletes’ Commission, representing the Asia-Pacific region.

Hannah is the current Chair of the RA Athletes’ Commission, a role she assumed in November 2016.

Paul Thompson OBE

The current Performance Director of Rowing Australia, Thompson is a rowing coach of World and Olympic Champions. With over 30 years of international coaching and leadership experience, Thompson provides the leadership and high performance experience required to oversee RA’s high performance program.

Jaime Fernandez

Jaime Fernandez has represented Australia at three Olympic Games and claimed a silver medal for Australia’s Men’s Eight at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. An accomplished coach, Fernandez is currently the Deputy Performance Director for Rowing Australia where he oversees the performance pathway and supports the delivery of the RA high performance program.

Tim Conrad

Tim Conrad represented Australia at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games in the Men’s Eight. He then went on to have a highly successful coaching career and was previously the Head Rowing Coach of the Queensland Academy of Sport. Conrad coached Australia’s Men’s Four to silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and also a silver medal at the 2009 World Rowing Championships. Conrad has been a long-standing coach of the Australian Rowing Team across a number of teams.

Geoff Lipshut

Geoff Lipshut is the current CEO of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia and AIS Winter Sports Program, a position he has held since 2000. Lipshut has also been named to the Australian Olympic Team, as a coach or official, at seven consecutive Olympic Winter Games. Starting in 1994 at Lillehamer Norway as an Aerial Skiing Coach, he was later recognized by the International Olympic Committee with an award of Sporting Excellence in 2003, following Australia’s first Winter Olympic Gold Medal in 2002. At the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Geoff was a member of the Team Executive in the role of Performance Director, where Australia recorded its best ever performance at a Winter Games, with 2 Gold & 1 Silver medal, together with 6 other top 10 placings. Geoff was again responsible for performance in Sochi 2014, where the Olympic Team also claimed 3 medals.

National Rowing Participation and Development Commission

The National Rowing Participation and Development Commission (NRPDC) is charged to perform the delegated functions of the RA Board in dealing with the National Participation Framework along with facilitating the involvement of key stakeholders and independent experts in the planning and delivery of the Framework.

The National Participation Commission is chaired by RA Board Director, Bryan Weir. The Commission also invites specialists within sports participation to attend meetings and assist the Commission to deliver the National Participation Framework.

Masters Commission

The RA Masters’ Commission was created in 2013 to provide advice, leadership and guidance for the Australian Masters rowing community. The Commission meets via teleconference on a monthly basis.

Mission

To provide leadership for an active inclusive community of Masters rowers at all levels of participation and competition.

Strategies

Development of guidelines for the efficient and effective management of Masters rowing regattas.

  • To review opportunities at all regattas for the Masters community to compete, achieve and enjoy fun, fitness and social interaction regardless of age, gender and skill.
  • To communicate all relevant information to support members and Clubs, and provide a forum to address concerns, and to share and consider new ideas.
  • To be a link to developments in Masters rowing internationally.

The Terms of Reference for the RA Masters Commission 

Members

Karen Clay (Chair)
Neil Smith (ACT)
Phil Titterton (NSW)
Matt Bialowski / Michelle Loveday (QLD)
Greg Keene (SA)
Jason Dolbel (Tas)
Nikki McAllen (Vic)
Tamsin Keevill (WA)
Alice Evans (Rowing Australia)

Sub-Committees

Alternate Events (headed by Nikki McAllen)
Handicaps (headed by Mark Mussared)

Umpires Commission

Umpires play a vital part in Australian rowing, providing safe and controlled environments that are enjoyed by athletes and spectators alike.

The General Areas of Responsibility of the Umpires’ Commission are:

• To support the RA Vision “To be the number one rowing nation in the world and Australia’s leading Olympic Sport”
• To promote umpiring throughout Australia;
• To standardise umpiring and to maintain and improve the quality of umpiring in general, in particular at the Australian Rowing Championships, the Australian Masters Rowing Championships and the Australian Coastal Rowing and Beach Sprints Championships and at other national events; and
• To monitor the qualifications and quality of RA umpires.

Objectives and Activities

• To maintain and develop selection criteria for juries at RA Events;
• To supervise the work of the juries at National Rowing Championships;
• To coordinate Australian umpires’ nominations to World Rowing and international juries;
• To conduct umpires’ seminars using the most modern educational techniques and methods;
• To conduct examinations for RA umpires licences;
• To attend jury meetings at RA regattas.

Members

The Rowing Australia Umpires’ Commission is represented by the following:

Grant Ford (Chair)
Tina Maher
Caroline Schomberg
Brett Ralph
Greg Smith
David Grubits
Geoff Northam
Nick Hunter (ex-officio)

Rowing Australia

Physical Address

Rowing Centre, 21 Alexandrina Dr, Yarralumla ACT 2600, Australia

Postal Address

PO Box 7147, Yarralumla, ACT 2600