Corporate Crews Pull Together at 2026 Corporate Regatta

The spirit of teamwork was on full display at Canning Bridge on Saturday 10 October, as corporate crews swapped the workplace for the water at the 2026 Rowing WA Corporate Regatta.

The Corporate Regatta is the culmination of four weeks of training delivered by participating rowing clubs, who connect with corporate organisations and take their crews from their first introduction to rowing for some, through to race day.

Across the program, colleagues learn to row while experiencing first-hand the trust, communication, accountability and shared purpose required to make a crew work. The corporate rowing experience is designed to strengthen workplace relationships, improve communication under pressure, develop collaboration and build resilience, with teams working towards a common goal together. 

This year, the corporate crews represented were: PBC Contractors, SLB, Hancock Iron Ore, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Hancock Prospecting, Big Yellow, Deloitte and WesTrac.

A huge amount of work happens before crews arrive at Canning Bridge for the regatta. Swan River Rowing Club, University of Western Australia Boat Club and West Australian Rowing Club each took on the challenge of finding and developing corporate crews, with their coaches and volunteers dedicating four weeks to preparing participants for their 500m racing challenge.

Race day began with three heats before all crews progressed to a semi-final, keeping alive their opportunity to qualify for either the Corporate Cup (aka - Best of the Best) or Challenge Plate (Best of the Rest), with the remaining crews contesting the C Final. 

2026 Corporate Regatta Results

Corporate Cup

🥇 Gold – PBC Contractors (1:34.89)
🥈 Silver – Deloitte (1:36.57)
🥉 Bronze – Hancock Prospecting (1:47.13)

Challenge Plate

🥇 Gold – Hancock Iron Ore 
🥈 Silver – WesTrac 
🥉 Bronze – Big Yellow

Rowing WA CEO Daniel Tackenberg said the atmosphere around the regatta highlighted what makes the corporate rowing experience so valuable.

“There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the regatta, and it was great to see how much the corporate crews embraced the entire experience. Rowing relies on trust, communication and everyone working together towards the same goal, and you could really see that camaraderie across the crews. The engagement from the corporate community has been fantastic, and we hope this experience encourages many of them to stay connected with our sport.”

Off the water, a jazz band added to the atmosphere, while crews and supporters enjoyed hospitality from the Swan River Rowing Club. Thank you also to S.Kidman & Co and Bannister Downs Dairy for their support of the event.

Rowing Australia’s Sarah Cook and Will Beedham were also in Perth to support the regatta and experience corporate rowing in Western Australia.

Congratulations to every crew and club that participated in this year’s Corporate Regatta, and thank you to the coaches, volunteers, supporters and officials who helped make the day possible. We hope to see you all back on the water next year!