Rowing WA annually recognise the outstanding achievements and contributions of West Australian rowers, coaches, officials and volunteers at the Rower of the Year Awards held within a few weeks of the Rowing WA State Championships. This event is an opportunity to celebrate the successes that we have collectively achieved as a state both on and off the water.

Previous Award Recipients

Below are the recipients of the awards from previous years:

2023 2022 2021 2019 2018 2017

Rowing Australia Rower of the Year Awards

Congratulations to the following winners:

Club of the Year - Fremantle Rowing Club

Female Crew of the Year - Women's Pair (Annabelle McIntyre - FRC)

Male Crew of the Year - Men's Eight (Josh Hicks - SRRC)

And the finalists...

Official of the Year - KG Dassanayake (CLBC)

Volunteer of the Year - Pete Holliday (FRC)

Award Selection Criteria

The Selection Committee is made up of the WAIS Head Coach (except in the Coach of the Year award), the Rowing WA High Performance Director, and the Rowing WA CEO.

The Selection Criteria and/or Selection Process for each award is outlined below:

ROWING PENNANTS

Novice Sculling Award

This award sees the combination of points from all Novice grade sculling and All School’s sculling events and rewards those clubs that are actively recruiting new novice members and developing their rowing ability.

Head Race Pennant

The Head Race Pennant is calculated on the total club points won across the three RWA Head Race events contested throughout the previous regatta season.

Masters Pennant

The Masters Pennant is calculated on the total club points won across master’s events throughout the previous regatta season.

A - D Grade Pennant

These pennants (A, B, C and D Grade) goes to club with the greatest number of points scored in events for that particular grade across all regattas throughout the season.

OVERALL AWARDS

Overall Premiership Pennant

As well as points from the grade pennants, the Overall Premiership Pennant winner also includes points attributed to clubs for assisting schools that participate within the All Schools season as well. Hence the overall Premiership Pennant rewards the club with the most consistent results across all grades and regattas throughout the season.

Champion Club of the Year

This award is selected by compiling extensive data on all affiliated clubs. Clubs are ranked and points awarded for:

the number of new competitive rowers each club has in the relevant year;
the retention of competitive rowers from the previous season to the current season; and
the total overall participation at RWA regattas.

VOLUNTEER AWARDS

Club Volunteer of the Year

Eligibility:

The Club Volunteer of the Year Award recognises the outstanding efforts of an individual who, in the period from the day following State Championships the year prior to the end of this year’s State Championships, has contributed significantly to the benefit of a Rowing Club in Western Australia.

Selection Criteria

Nominee must have made a noteworthy contribution to Rowing at Club level. Criteria will be judged against:

Generosity of time, resources and energy
Making a difference to the rowing community
Making the needs of others a priority
Going ‘above and beyond’
Fun and enjoyment

Nominations:

Nominations will be accepted from Clubs and affiliated members within the rowing community.
Selection: Rowing WA ROTY Selection Panel (off-water awards)

Rowing WA Volunteer of the Year

Eligibility:

The Rowing WA Volunteer of the Year Award recognises the outstanding efforts of an individual who, in the period from the day following State Championships the year prior to the end of this year’s State Championships, has contributed above and beyond to Rowing WA.

Selection Criteria:

Nominee must have made a noteworthy contribution to Rowing at Association/State level. Criteria will be judged against:

Generosity of time, resources and energy
Making a difference to the rowing community
Making the needs of others a priority
Going ‘above and beyond’
Fun and enjoyment

Nominations:

Put forward by Selection Committee

COACHING AND OFFICIATING AWARDS

Club Coach of the Year

Eligibility:

Any person not engaged in a full time or substantial part-time basis as a rowing coach and directly involved in coaching in Western Australia from the day following State Championships the year prior to the end of this year’s State Championships.

Selection Criteria:

A coach who in the opinion of the Selection Committee has the most outstanding performance demonstrated by the success of his/her crews and his/her contribution to rowing coaching at club level.

Nominations:

Nominations will be accepted from Clubs and affiliated members within the rowing community.

Rowing WA Coach of the Year

The Coach of the Year will be an individual who has attained a level of excellence in the field of coaching within the sport of rowing and whose performance is outstanding.

Eligibility:

The nominee’s achievements for the period from the day following State Championships the year prior to the end of this year’s State Championships must have been of a standard of excellence to warrant their receipt of this award.

Selection Criteria:

The following criteria shall apply for coaches to be considered for the Coach of the Year Award.

Achievements over the period in relation to International, National and State level rowing;
Demonstrate education, encouragement and support of fellow coaches of rowing;
Contribution to the sport of rowing;
Shall be a registered member of Rowing WA

Nominations:

Put forward by the Selection Committee

Rowing WA Official of the Year

The Official of the Year shall be an individual who has attained a level of excellence in the field of technical officiating and whose performance is outstanding.

Eligibility:

Selection Criteria:

The following criteria shall apply:

Level of officiating and/or participating at club, regional, state, national and international events;
Demonstrate encouragement and support of fellow technical officials;
Contribution to the sport of Rowing; and
Shall be a registered member of Rowing WA.

Nominations:

Collected via Boat race Officials

ROWING AWARDS

Oarsman & Oarswoman of the Year

Eligibility:

The WA Oarsman and Oarswoman of the Year shall be an athlete who has attained a level of excellence within the sport. The nominee’s achievements for the period from the day following State Championships the year prior to the end of this year’s State Championships must have been of a standard of excellence to warrant their receipt of this award.

Selection Criteria:

An eligible athlete who in the opinion of the Selection Committee has the most outstanding performances as indicated by achievement in one of the following (in order of ranking) in an Olympic Event:

International
National
State

Achievement – Individual above Team

Record: World, National, State
Medal: Gold, Silver, Bronze
Final
Place in team

In separating two athletes of equal standing under the above Criteria, the Selection Committee shall then have regard first, to whether the event is an Olympic event and secondly, the athletes’ contributions to the sport generally.

Nominations:

Put forward by the Selection Committee

Age Oarsman & Oarswoman of the Year

Eligibility:

The WA Age Oarsman and Oarswoman of the Year shall be an athlete who has attained a level of excellence within the sport at an U23 level or below. The nominee’s achievements for the period from the day following State Championships the year prior to the end of this year’s State Championships must have been of a standard of excellence to warrant their receipt of this award.

Selection Criteria:

To be considered for the WA Age Oarsman & Oarswomen of the Year Award must compete have competed at U23 level or below;

An eligible athlete who in the opinion of the Selection Committee has the most outstanding performances as indicated by achievement in one of the following (in order of ranking):

Outstanding performances at an international, national state or club level,
Nominees must compete have competed at U23 level or below;
Shall be a registered member of Rowing WA.

Nominations:

Put forward by the Selection Committee

Masters Oarsman & Oarswoman of the Year

Rowing WA is this year introducing a Masters Rower of the Year Award which will be awarded at the RWA Rower of the Year Awards.

Eligibility:

The Award will be made to the WA male and female masters rowers who have accumulated the highest number of placings based points across the Rowing WA Masters and Pennant Regatta seasons.

Selection Criteria:

Points will be awarded based off placings (1-3) in each event (1st = 3, 2nd =2, 3rd =1)
The categorisation of athletes made within the regatta i.e. A-D and subsequent race placings within this categorisation will be utilised when awarding points
Events where points can be gained must be specified as Masters Races within the Regatta Program
Only Masters events held within the Rowing WA Pennant Regatta season will be counted towards the award. The Rowing WA Pennant Regattas are defined as:
- Masters Regattas;
- Head Races;
- Masters State Championships and;
- Pennant Regattas with Masters events.

Nominations:

Determined by Rowing WA.

Award Review:

The Masters Rowing of the Year Award criteria has the capacity to be reviewed.