Rowing

It has elements of Jack and the Beanstalk and Cinderella, but our story is far from a fairytale, and doesn’t take place in a magical far away land. Our story involves one man’s dream, giant pumpkin seeds, a pumpkin boat, and our mighty Murray River.

The calm conditions, openness, and gentle currents of the Clarence River enticed more than 80 budding athletes from TSS on the Gold Coast to return to Grafton ... and dip their oars into the famous waterway once again. Not even the persistent wet weather could dampen their spirits as the boys … rowed upwards of 50km along a 20km section of the river each day in their respective crews…

It was a picture-perfect day for the Copper Coast Battle Dragons’ annual dragon boat racing Wallaroo Marina Challenge on Saturday, November 18. There were 11 clubs participating in this year’s event, including clubs from as far as Mannum and Adelaide, in nine different categories; the challenge day is a favourite for many clubs.

It’s a long way from the Clarence River in Grafton to the Thames in London, but stroke by stroke, a dedicated young crew of talented rowers from Brisbane Boys College (BBC), are continuing to make waves as they determinedly pursue their dreams of representing Australia on the international stage by competing in the prestigious 2023 Henley Royal Regatta.

Affectionately known as Dad’s Army, Peter Mears, Nick Reeve, John Higham, and Ken Maughan, are a familiar sight on the Clarence River each week ... And while they will tell you rowing is physically demanding for any athlete, regardless of their age, it’s also one of the reasons why this enthusiastic group of Clarence Valley octogenarians so readily participate in the sport.

Emma Pritchard. Spectators, supporters, coaches, and team members cheered loudly from the banks of the Clarence River near Memorial Park as more than 50 skilled athletes made a splash on the water when they competed in the 2022 Grafton Rowing Club Regatta on December 11 ... As a number of Queensland based athletes enjoyed plenty of success throughout the program, local rowers from Grafton, South Grafton, and the Lower Clarence also demonstrated their strength, durability, and endurance on the water, winning several races during the day.

Denmark Rowers applied brute force to the sound of ripping in a milestone event on Tuesday, May 17 to turn their first St Ayles Skiff ... It is described as ‘a thing of great beauty’ and with the bow and stern stems as yet untrimmed looks like the Norwegian faerings used by the Vikings and probably earlier Scandinavians.

Alesha Millard. In its 52nd year, one of the world’s longest paddling races, the Massive Murray Paddle, was held last week ... The paddle commenced in Yarrawonga on February 21 and headed to Tocumwal for the first night – a 93km paddle. Paddlers also passed through Picnic Point, Moama, Torrumbarry and Murrabit, before finishing in Swan Hill on the 25th. The five-day event saw paddlers completing a 404km set course.

Emma Pritchard. Local rowers made a splash on the Clarence River last week when the Grafton Rowing Club hosted the 2022 Combined High Schools (CHS) Rowing Championships. Blessed with a mixture of sunshine and light showers during the two-day event, 162 athletes took to the waters of the Clarence River.

Lesley Sutton. Clarence Coast Dragon Boat Club returned to the water after our Christmas break with enthusiasm. The first session was to revisit the very important safety drills to ensure all paddlers are familiar with safety calls, medical issues and possible capsize.

Emma Pritchard. More than 70 competitors will make a splash on the Clarence River during the Grafton Rowing Club 2021 Regatta this weekend. Featuring 47 events including single skulls, double skulls, quads and open skulls, the event is the first Northern Rivers regatta to be held this season and has attracted a pleasing number of entrants from Lismore, Murwillumbah, Tweed Heads, the Lower Clarence and Sydney.

The Massive Murray Paddle holds important significance within the paddling community, and for the charities and local causes the event supports. COVID-19 has taken a terrible toll on events and races over the past two years, and we felt it was very important not to cancel our event for the second time in its 52-year history ... The Massive Murray Paddle 2021 will now take place from 21-25 February, 2022 ... The event generates important funds for communities in the region. Between 2016 and 2019, the event has contributed $800,585 to local community causes ...

The Scenic Rim will shine on the global sporting stage when it hosts the rowing and canoeing events at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games ... Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen: "In 11 years we will have the world's best rowers and canoeists paddling here at Lake Wyaralong, cementing their place in history and making dreams come true."

Emma Pritchard. Blessed with beautiful winter weather and clear skies, more than 80 rowers and paddlers in 31 boats took to the waters of the Clarence River on June 26 to participate in the Grafton Rowing Club’s annual Rowathon to raise funds for the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter ... eager participants traveled from Maclean, Iluka, Coffs Harbour, Murwillumbah, Lismore, Ballina, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Port Macquarie, with Grafton Rowing Club seniors and rowers from Grafton and South Grafton High Schools also joining in.