News

Posted: 01 December 2025

Sport in Scotland is at breaking point.

Despite a pledge in 2021 to double annual funding for sport to £100m, that commitment remains unmet with less than six months of this Parliament left.

Through the Running on Empty campaign, Scottish Governing Bodies - including Scottish Rowing - have called on the First Minister to deliver on this promise in the upcoming Budget. A real-terms funding cut of nearly 25% since 2021 has left many sports struggling to maintain programmes, retain staff and support athletes.

For rowing, this means increasing pressure on clubs and volunteers, reduced capacity for grassroots development and athletes facing growing costs to compete internationally. These challenges threaten the progress we’ve made in widening participation and ensuring rowing is accessible to all.

Sport is not a luxury - it is a vital contributor to physical and mental health, community cohesion and Scotland’s reputation on the global stage. With Glasgow 2026 and other major events ahead, now is the time to invest, not retreat.

We urge action now to secure the future of Scottish sport.

Learn more about the campaign by reading the open letter sent to First Minister John Swinney here.