News

Posted: May 4, 2016

Are you ready for Rio?

That’s the question Scottish Rowing is asking its affiliated clubs in order to maximise the interest in rowing around this summer’s Rio Games and get more people on the water.

The London 2012 Games had a dramatic effect on rowing in Scotland.  Clubs the length and breadth of the country reported being “inundated” with newcomers.

Some, like Stirling and Castle Semple Rowing Clubs, have only just worked through the waiting list generated by London 2012.  But across the board memberships expanded as a direct result.

This time around, rowing clubs will be better prepared and through Scottish Rowing’s Project Rio, they will have better resources and support than ever before.

So far, 19* of Scottish Rowing’s 28 clubs have signed up to the Project Rio campaign, launched today (4 May 2016) by two of Scotland’s future Olympic hopefuls, Junior World Rowing Champion, Gavin Horsburgh and 2014 Commonwealth Regatta gold medallist Emma McDonald.

Both from Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, the pair began their rowing lives at Castle Semple RC.

Today they were at the Scottish Rowing Centre in Strathclyde Park introducing the S1-S3 pupils from Dalziel High School, Motherwell to the sport.

Funded by Awards for All, Project Rio will support clubs with coaching and marketing resources and feature the following:

• National Come and Try Week (18-26 June) A Scotland wide event where Scottish Rowing will encourage people to head along to their local club to try the sport
• Learn2Row (27 June-24 September) Scottish Rowing will provide clubs with easy to use session plans, which will instruct and support club members on how to run safe, effective and fun sessions.  The Project Rio Learn2Row Courses come with limited edition awards for participants to earn over the six sessions.
• Rio Regatta (24 September) A fun-filled festival of rowing and conclusion to Project Rio at Strathclyde Park

Twenty one year old Emma McDonald is acutely aware of the potential the Olympic Games has on popularising rowing, having started her degree at Glasgow University a month after London 2012.

“There were so many people joining the university at the same time who wanted to take up rowing,” said Emma, who last weekend won the British Universities and Colleges Sport Regatta (BUCS) Women’s Lightweight Single Sculling title.

“That year was the university’s biggest intake of rowers, at least double the number of any previous year, and it was the result of the Games.

“Project Rio is a great idea and I would encourage clubs to be ready, super enthusiastic, welcoming and supportive to everyone who comes along because that’s what gets people to stay.

“Rowing is a really friendly sport and there’s a family atmosphere at clubs so I’m sure they will get behind the campaign and make it a success.”  

*Clubs so far signed up to Project Rio are:

Aberdeen Boat Club
Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association
Aberdeen University Boat Club
Castle Semple Rowing Club
Clyde Amateur Rowing Club
Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club
Dundee University Boat Club
Eastern Amateur Coastal Rowing Club
George Heriot's School Rowing Club
Glasgow Rowing Club
Glasgow Schools Rowing Club
Heriot Watt University Boat Club
Inverness Rowing Club
Loch Lomond Rowing Club
Stirling Rowing Club
Stirling University Boat Club
Strathclyde Park Rowing Club
Tay Rowing Club
University of St Andrews Boat Club

Pictures from today’s launch by Duncan Gray are available on request: office@scottish-rowing.org.uk

For more information on Project Rio visit:  Our Project Rio Overview webpage

To read case studies of how our clubs are getting prepared through Project Rio visit: www.scottish-rowing.org.uk/index.php/news