News

Posted: April 22, 2016

Scotland’s newest rowing club is beginning a membership drive which it believes will give people in Perth and Dundee their first opportunity to row.

Tay Rowing Club began life a year ago, when a group of rowers identified what they believed is the perfect rowing venue on the river Tay.

“A lot of clubs in Scotland are on waters which are very wide and get choppy quickly in the wind, or they are on very narrow rivers,” said the club’s communications officer, Eoin Ryan.

“But we are based on what is the Goldilocks zone for rowing water, not too wide but wide enough.  

“We have got seven to ten kilometres of good water in good weather and a solid two kilometres which is always very good despite the weather.

“It’s a fantastic, stunning stretch of water that hasn’t been utilised in the past.  And it’s perfect for beginners.”

The club’s founding members are a talented group of volunteers: three ex Dundee University rowers, a doctor who rowed at Cambridge, a Dundee University professor, who is a recent convert to the sport, and a former Scottish international rower.

Such is their passion for the sport, they can envisage a time when the river is equipped with lanes and racing is a regular feature.  

But it is early days and, together with his seven strong committee, Eoin is working on the basics of developing the land based side of the operation and recruiting members.

It coincides well with Scottish Rowing’s Project Rio, which was born out of the surge in rowing interest at clubs, following the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The initiative aims to support clubs to maximise the interest around this summer’s Rio Games by being better prepared and taking a more proactive role within their communities.

As well as providing coaching resources and incentives for clubs, Scottish Rowing will be leading a National Come and Try Week (18-26 June), Learn to Row courses through the summer and a Rio Regatta (24 September).  

“We are quite small but we want to expand so the Project Rio campaign fits in beautifully with our own vision for rowing and our Learn to Row programme,” continued Eoin who, along with other club members, is planning to become a qualified coach, which will bring the coaching workforce to four.

He freely admits the club’s dry land facilities are basic but a recent Big Lottery Awards for All grant means they can buy boats and look at building a club hut to progress from using a ‘friendly neighbour’s shed’ as the base.  

Whilst they have decided to target adults for their Project Rio campaign they are also looking to encourage people of all ages this summer.

“We are working hard on getting our facilities into top notch shape,” said Eoin. “And we are looking at solutions in the meantime so that we can be in a position to organise rowing camps for local schools this summer.

“We are occupying a part of Scotland that has very little rowing going on outside of university rowing and I am sure that if we can bring Tay Rowing Club to the attention of people in our area who don’t even know we exist yet, then will get a lot of interest.”

For your club to get the most out of this opportunity for greater media coverage please sign up by 29 April 2016.

For more information on Project Rio visit:  www.scottish-rowing.org.uk/index.php/rio2016/prrio/projectrio

Or contact your Scottish Rowing Regional Development Manager; details at: www.scottish-rowing.org.uk/index.php/about-us/people