RA News: Issue 53

Message from the CEO The start of 2010 has been an extremely busy one for Rowing Australia and the remainder of the year promises to only offer more of the same. Rowing Victoria was superb in hosting the 2010 Australian Rowing Championships and Interstate Regatta. The seven day showpiece of Australian rowing for the first time welcomed the World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) as a partner and WCSN streamed free and live coverage of the final day’s rowing action over the internet. We will continue to further our relationship with WCSN so that more rowing can be televised in the future. The 2010 championships saw New South Wales win their third straight King’s Cup and they were awarded the trophy by Governor General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce. Dan Noonan was announced as the 2009 Rowers’ Rower of the Year, capping off a great year for the Mosman rower. A list of all 2009 award recipients is included later in the newsletter. Stage and Screen, Rowing Australia’s travel provider is also providing some excellent touring packages for both the Senior A World Championships trip to New Zealand, as well as the Under 23 and Junior tours to Europe. Stage and Screen is offering some great travel packages for all supporters so make sure you visit the link on the Rowing Australia website to take advantage. In the last month Rowing Australia’s Online Shop has gone live and offers all visitors a great range of products, including athletic apparel, coaching manuals and training equipment. The online shop is another advancement for Rowing Australia, and the secure web site also provides a user-friendly navigation system. From the Boardroom The Anti-Illicit Drugs in Sport Campaign received ministerial sign off on February 18 and was officially launched at the 2010 Australian Rowing Championships. Rowing Australia is the first sport to team up with the Department of Health and Ageing to offer this program, which will include funding of $125,000 in its first year and then indicatively $120,000 for a further two years. RA provided a detailed response paper to both the AOC and the Sports Minister on the Crawford Report, establishing itself as one of few sports to provide written feedback. A response from the Sports Minister is expected within the coming weeks. Applicants for the National Education Coordinator position within RA closed on 12 March and we look forward to appointing the successful candidate shortly after Easter. This position will be important in providing continued support and guidance to community rowing across the country and delivering RA’s national education programs. I wish you all a happy and safe Easter break Andrew Dee CEO Rowing Australia

	Nagambie waves farewell to successful national titles The 2010 Australian Rowing Championships concluded on Sunday 7 March with New South Wales’ being awarded their third successive King’s Cup by Governor General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce. The victory by NSW capped another action-packed regatta that saw the emergence of new stars as well as the return of some more familiar faces.
	Australian berths up for grabs The 2010 National Selection Trials run from April 23 to May 2 and there is an intense battle looming for the minimal seats on offer for the Senior A, Under 23 and Junior teams. The ten-day selection process at the Sydney International Regatta Centre will feature the cream of Australian rowing (see the initial athlete invitation list, pdf, 260kb), as the incumbent team members look to stave off the comebacks of 16 returning 2008 Olympians.
	World Championships supporters tours now available Rowing Australia, through its official travel management company, is offering an all-inclusive Supporters Tour to the 2010 Senior World Rowing Championships in Lake Karapiro, New Zealand. A range of packages are available from Stage and Screen, along with packages for the 2010 Under 23 and Junior World Championships, so book your ticket now to cheer on our Australian athletes.
	2010 Nationals on-demand footage Online Rowing Australia and WCSN were proud to provide live and free coverage of the final day of action at the 2010 Australian Rowing Championships from Lake Nagambie. On-demand footage from the nationals is now available through the WCSN website, while viewers can poll for your favourite moment from the 2010 Australian Rowing Championships.
	Hidden Secrets Rowing Australia has now launched its Online Shop, offering the rowing community the chance to purchase athletic and general apparel, coaching resources, as well as training equipment. The secure website is easy to navigate and user friendly. The RA website contains a number of helpful resources, the Online Shop this month’s RA “Hidden Secret”.
	Noonan scoops Rower of the Year prize Mosman’s Daniel Noonan took home the top award in Australian rowing after being announced as 2009 Rowers’ Rower of the Year. Noonan stroked the men’s quad scull to silver at the 2009 World Championships in Poland. Find out who else was honoured in the annual awards.
	Athlete profile: Duncan Free 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medallist in the men’s pair, Duncan Free, features as RA News’ profiled athlete. Free has returned to competitive rowing in 2010 as he commences his campaign for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

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