Championship-level rowing is returning to the famous Nepean River next weekend, with hundreds of competitors set to row, row, row their boats for gold.
With the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC) out of action indefinitely due to a significant outbreak in weed and toxic Blue Green Algae, the decision was made by Rowing NSW to hold the 2021 NSW Masters Championships Regatta on Penrith’s original rowing course.
It’s estimated close to 500 male and female athletes will take part in next weekend’s races, which will be contested over 1000m and end at the Victoria Bridge near the Nepean Rowing Club.
“They used to hold events on the Nepean many years ago and we actually held one there last month called the Edward Trickett NSW Grade Championships – that would’ve been the first Regatta we staged on the Nepean for quite some time,” Rowing NSW Membership Engagement Coordinator, Thea Thompson said.
“The Masters Championships Regatta will be our second event on the Nepean in recent weeks because of the situation at SIRC. We’re excited to be hosting it there.”
Spectators are encouraged to come down and watch some of the state’s most experienced rowers in action, with competitors from all over NSW descending on the local watering hole next Saturday morning.
“In total, including athletes and coaches, there will be 750 people at the Nepean over the course of two days,” Thompson said.
“Athletes will come from all over including Lake Macquarie, Lower Clarence, Manning River, Newcastle, Shoalhaven, Shellharbour and metropolitan clubs like Mosman, St George, North Shore and Glebe.”
Several rowers from Nepean Rowing Club will also take to the course, competing in one of the 114 events set to be contested over the two days of action.
From Single scull to Coxless four and Eight – next weekend’s Regatta, May 22-23, in Penrith will certainly have it all.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Australian Masters Rowing Championships (AMRC), which was set to be held in Penrith later this month, has been relocated to West Lakes, Adelaide due to the indefinite closure of SIRC.
AMRC will return to Penrith in 2023.
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.