If you're having trouble viewing this in your Email app, head here to read it online.

Our rowing community have had a busy few weeks, catch up here. 

This edition of Oar Talk...

• World Cup 1 Recap
• IGSSA Head of the River
• Perth to Fremantle
• Welcome Stacey
• Different Kind of Worlds
• Wedding Vibes
• Club Corner - Bunbury New Head Coach
• Volunteer Thanks

Get Involved with Oar Talk:

• Do you have a rowing photo you want to feature as the cover photo? Send it through to memberservices@rowingwa.asn.au!
• Do you want to write a Guest Article for the newsletter? It could be an opinion piece or a story from the community. Pick a topic & let us know you're keen - memberservices@rowingwa.asn.au. We want to highlight the stories and perspectives of the community!!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

WA Rowers Shine on the World Stage at World Cup 1 in Varese, Italy

Rowing WA proudly congratulates the five Western Australian athletes who represented Australia at World Cup 1 in Varese, Italy — a significant milestone on the international rowing calendar and a true showcase of elite talent and resilience.

Our WA athletes, Alex Baroni, Alex Rossi, Jack Cleary, Jacqui Swick and Johnson Daubney, form part of the Australian National Rowing Team, competing against the best in the world with determination, precision, and heart. Their journey to Varese is a reflection of years of early mornings, tireless training, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Each of these athletes embodies the spirit of high-performance rowing — blending skill, stamina, and mental toughness in one of the most demanding sports in the world. Their achievements on the water are not just a testament to personal ambition but a reflection of the strength of the WA rowing community, its coaches, clubs, and support networks.

Rowing WA CEO Daniel Tackenberg commented:
“We are incredibly proud of our WA athletes who competed in Varese. They continue to raise the bar and represent our state and country with pride. Their performance inspires the next generation of rowers.”

As Australia looks ahead to the remainder of the World Rowing Cup series and upcoming international regattas, our WA athletes continue to play a vital role in shaping the future of Australian rowing on the world stage.

Congratulations once again to the entire Australian team for their efforts and achievements in Varese. And to our WA rowers — we salute your passion, grit, and relentless pursuit of greatness. 

For detailed news on the full team, head to Rowing Australia's news page.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

All Eyes on the IGSSA Head of the River – June 21

The countdown is on for one of the most anticipated events in the school rowing calendar — the IGSSA Head of the River, set to take place on Saturday, 21 June.

This grand finale marks the culmination of a hard-fought season, where determination, teamwork and resilience have been on full display across four fiercely contested regattas. Each race has built toward this moment, and the energy and anticipation are now at their peak.

We extend our congratulations to all the girls for their outstanding efforts throughout the season. Their commitment to training, their support for one another, and their unwavering competitive spirit have been nothing short of inspiring.

As the crews prepare to take to the water one final time, we wish them every success in this final challenge. Race hard, row proud, and know that your community is behind you all the way

Please click HERE for live stream or scan the QR Code                   

Good luck to all crews for the 2024 IGSSA Head of the River.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The Draw is out!

The Perth to Freo challenge is upon us... Just a few more sleeps to go! 

The longest and toughest Heads race in the Southern Hemisphere, all 15km of it! 

Steering the best line, the weather, and passing leisure craft, are some of the technical challenges of this race. You'll be guided by experienced marshals on the course. 

Please remember to login to the Teams meeting for your athlete / volunteer briefing on Thursday arvo. Volunteers at 6-6:45pm & Athletes at 6:45-7:30pm

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Rowing WA is delighted to announce the appointment of Stacey Francis-Bayman to the team, taking on the role of General Manager – Operations, following the recent departure of Nick Wakeford.

Stacey is no stranger to the sporting landscape, having been involved as an elite athlete and administrator since 2005. Stacey played at the highest level of netball for nearly 2 decades, representing England from 2005-2022 and WA’s own West Coast Fever from 2016-2022. 

Stacey’s breadth of leadership, programming and pathway experience, both as an athlete and sport administrator will be a huge asset to rowing in Western Australia as the sport builds upon the successful growth in participation over the past few years.

Click here for more insight into Stacey's background

Stacey will commence in her new role on Monday 7 July.       

________________________________________________________________________________________

Small team of rowers from Perth represents Australia on world skiffie stage

As dawn breaks in Perth, a small group of rowers launch their boats into the Swan River at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club.

These aren't typical competitive rowing boats. They are 155 kilogram wooden, hand-built coastal rowing boats called St Ayle's skiffs, also known as skiffies.

They can be traced back to the 19th century mining communities of the famous Scottish town of Fife.

"We're now taking 16 rowers over to to Scotland. We are all over 50 and the age range goes up to 79," said Mark Endersby, the club's skiff race director.

What an interesting story. Click here for the full article!

And the rowers aren't your run-of-the-mill athletes — they are Australia's representatives at the World Championships taking part on Scotland's south-west coast in July.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Did you hear wedding bells?

One of our new Board of Directors, Bourby Webster, tied the knot last month!

Bourby has a rowing background having taken up the sport at Oxford University where she captained the Somerville College first VIII. She switched to coxing in her final year and won Gold at Women’s Henley coxing a crew containing the British Women’s VIII members that year. She was National Champion in the Men’s IV+ in 1997 and won numerous open men’s VIII races across the UK and internationally coxing  crews from London Rowing Club, The Lea and Thames Rowing Club. She was the first cox in 106 years for the WA men’s Kings Cup in 2002, winning silver against Victoria. She is currently the cox of the Black Swans rowing crew at Curtin University Boat Club and won the men’s masters VIII in a new record time in May 2026. 

Bourby comments "The Black Swans crew from CUBC were kind enough to do a Guard of Honour at the end of the ceremony, so we got to walk through a tunnel of blades as we finished the ceremony. It was wonderful"

On behalf of the Rowing community, we wish to congratulate you and wish you all the best for the future!

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We are excited to welcome Chris to WA, the new Head Coach at Bunbury!

Christopher Iredale brings over a decade of hands-on coaching experience and a deep commitment to athlete development. Having begun his rowing journey as a coxswain at Sydney Grammar School coxing the SGS Championship 1st 8 in 2011, he went on to represent NSW in the 2012 Youth Cup and was elected 2013 Captain of Boats. He gained Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of NSW  representation in 2011 and 2013. Chris has also worked with the Australian Lightweight Men's 8+, and the Kings Cup 8+ in 2012. Since then he has built a respected coaching career marked by technical precision and a holistic approach to athlete wellbeing.

In 2023-2024, Chris served as Acting Director and 1st VIII Coach at Sydney Grammar School, where his senior crew achieved the school's best placement in a decade. He has also coached and collaborated at multiple schools and clubs including Sydney University, Glebe Rowing Club, Sydney Rowing Club, and Pymble Ladies’ College, fostering environments that balance competitive excellence with values-driven culture.  Currently completing a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Sport Psychology), Chris combines modern sporting methods with lived rowing experience to motivate his athletes both on and off the water. His coaching style emphasises personal responsibility, crew cohesion, and continuous improvement.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

As we navigate this busy period of the rowing season, Rowing WA would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our incredible club volunteers and Boat Race Officials (BROs). Your dedication, time, and effort are essential to the smooth running of our regattas, and we truly couldn’t do it without you. Your continued support not only keeps our events on track but also helps foster the strong and vibrant community that makes rowing in WA so special. Thank you for everything you do!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________