What a croc: Rocky-based rowing club defends river’s Olympic status

The local rowing club where the 2032 Olympics will be held has hit back at claims the city’s river is unsafe after suggestions it’s ‘crocodile infested’. See what they said.

Rockhampton Fitzroy Rowing Club's shed caption Kim Byrne and club member Calli McRae at the national rowing championships at Lake Barrington on Friday. Picture: Jon Tuxworth

Rockhampton Fitzroy Rowing Club insists the city’s river chosen to host Olympic rowing events is safe and fair, while effectively dismissing concerns crocodiles are a legitimate danger as a crock of you-know-what.

Some club members are at Tasmania’s Lake Barrington course for the national championships this week, and they harbour few concerns the course they train on day in, day out, is suitable for the world’s biggest regatta.

The venue has been used by Australia squads for training camps, but to be used in competition it will need to pass a technical feasibility study which takes into account fairness and safety.

After the Queensland government announced the central Queensland city as its preferred venue to host Olympic rowing, Rowing Australia released a statement confirming “any river current that could impact results or favour certain lanes not permissible under the rules. Water quality and weed management are also factors to be considered by the International Federation.”

Rockhampton Fitzroy shed captain Kim Byrne is confident the river can prove why it has been chosen.

“You’ve got to realise we believe Rockhampton has the best natural course in Australia, so we are not surprised the Olympics are coming to Rockhampton,” Byrne said.

“We’ve got a 5km straight and another 5km, and it’s beautiful. Just like this (Lake Barrington), that’s what we’ve got but in central Queensland.

“We’re looking around here at the nationals and seeing what (facilities) they’ve got.

“LA (2028 Games host) is 500 metres short and is tidal, we’ve got a full length course. Also July is not a wet season, and 90 per cent of the time we have glass water people caw row on.

“We’ve got an area there they want to build athlete accommodation for the athletes that will be used for low socio-economic communities (after the Olympics). It’s a real benefit for the region, not just the sport.”

Rowing Australia has used the Fitzroy River to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and have plans to continue that partnership before 2028 and 2032.

Chief executive Sarah Cook said the course must past strict guidelines to be given the Games green light.

“Rockhampton has been an enjoyable destination for our Rowsellas on the road to major events. We have always been made to feel at home by the rowing community in Central Queensland and look positively at any proposal that creates rowing infrastructure for regional Australia,” Cook said in Rowing Australia’s statement.

“However, any rowing course used for international racing must pass the strict technical requirements of World Rowing and that assessment has not yet taken place.

“Athletes dedicate their lives and sacrifice an enormous amount to make their country proud on the biggest stage, so it is paramount that they be given the opportunity to perform in the best possible racing conditions.”

Byrne rubbished media speculation the river is ‘crocodile infested’ and could endanger athletes.

(Rockhampton-based crocodile farm owner) John Lever (ensured) there’s now nowhere for them to nest, and it’s not the nesting season in July anyway.

“Parks and Wildlife do regular surveys to make sure there’s none there.”

Club member Calli McRae, 17, said the central Queensland rowing community were rapt by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their backyard.

“We’re really excited for it to be on our home river. We think it’s one of the most natural and best rivers in Australia, and Lake Barrington is a nice natural river as well,” she said.

“I have been rowing on the Fitzroy River for around six years now and I haven’t seen a crocodile at all. We feel really safe.”

Tassie schools use home nationals to showcase talent

Tasmania’s thriving school rowing ranks are using a national championships in their own backyard to showcase the talent their systems are producing at Lake Barrington this week.

Launceston’s Scotch Oakburn College’s senior girls crews scooped the pool at last month’s Sports Association of Tasmanian Independent Schools, and also triumphed at the Head of the River.

May Wain, 17, was part of the school’s under-19 coxless four crew which claimed silver behind Adelaide Composite in the women’s coxless four at the national championships.

She said the appointment of a regular director of rowing, Brendan Long, for the past season had helped the squad find consistency.

“There’s tassie crews going really well, all week there’s been people on the podium,” Wain said.

“At Scotch we’ve just had new a director of rowing start last season, you can see the effect he’s had on the school.

“It’s really good (competing at home). We’re used to racing in the windy conditions so I really enjoyed that, some other crews aren’t used to racing in the head or tail winds.”

Long said the fact the event is in Tasmania has allowed far more students to compete.

Scotch Oakburn College students May Wain and Ollie Dowling at the national championships at Lake Barrington this week. Picture: Jon Tuxworth

“There’s heaps more rowers here than we would normally take to a national championships, simply because it’s more accessible being down here,” he said.

“It’s incredibly invaluable for these kids to get that experience.

“A big part of this week is having their families here to support, it’s really exciting for the kids to be able to do it on their home course. And being a Tasmanian myself, bringing all these people here and hearing them say how much they love it is fantastic.”

“We’ve had a really good season, especially with our girls group. We managed to win every single senior girls event at the All Schools Championship and the Head of the River was our big goal.”

In other results as of late Saturday, Tamar (Tasmania University composite) won gold in the under-17 men’s coxed quadruple scull, while Tasmania Uni/Tamar claimed silver in the under-17 men’s double scull.

Buckingham won 2.125 total medals after wins in the open lightweight women's single scull, the open lightweight women's coxed eight (composite), under-21 women’s double scull (with Tas Uni) and under-21 women’s quadruple scull (with Tas Uni).

North Esk had won 5.625 medals after wins in the PR3 mixed coxed four (Tas Uni composite), the under-17 men’s coxed quadruple scull (Tas Uni composite) and under-23 lightweight men’s double scull (North Esk/Fremantle).

The text which sparked Olympian back into action

Olympic rower Georgie Rowe was suffering from pre-training lethargy, but it took just one straight-between-the-eyes text to snap out of it.

One of the star attractions at this week’s Australian Rowing Championships at Tasmania’s Lake Barrington, Rowe was part of the women’s eight crew which finished fourth at Paris, the best ever by an Australian crew in the discipline.

The 32-year-old was also part of the eights boat which finished fifth at Tokyo, so it’s no surprise the text from crewmate Jacqui Swick got the desired result.

“The other day I really wanted to miss a session, and I texted one of the girls (Swick) and said ‘I don’t feel like doing this today’,” Rowe said.

“She sent me a picture of a bronze medal and she wrote ‘minus 1.2 seconds’ (time finished behind bronze medallists Great Britain).

“That really hit home, and of course I got my arse off the couch and went to training. It’s fair to say it stings a little bit.

“The Australian team as a whole maybe didn’t perform so great, but the women’s eight had a cracking race. It’s the best performance an Aussie women's’s eight has ever done, so we’re really proud of that. Even to be in the fight was really special.”

Rowers Alexandra Viney, Georgie Rowe and Fergus Hamilton give Tasmania sports Nick Duigan a rowing lesson at the national championships at Lake Barrington on Monday. Picture: Rowing Australia

Traditionally a rowing heavyweight, bronze in the women’s coxless pair was Australia’s only medal won at Paris.

Rowe said a leadership shake up, including the appointment of new head coach James Harris who coached Great Britain’s women’s fours crew to silver at Paris, can spark a resurgence.

“We’re in good hands now. There’s been some really positive change at the national training centre,” she said.

“We’ve got a new head coach and (French Sydney gold medallist) Xavier Dorfman as our assistant.

“These guys know how to get medals and that’s what we’re striving for. I really like the energy they bring and the positive attitudes.

“They’re pretty fierce too and I like how they go about their business, but they’re also kind and nurturing.”

Fergus Hamilton (second from front) in action in the men's fours. Picture: Rowing Australia

Rowe will race the pairs with Emmie Frederico at the national championships, as well as the fours and the blue riband state race for NSW on Sunday.

Victorian Ferguson Hamilton finished sixth in his maiden Games in men’s four at Paris, and the 25-year-old is targeting the top of the dais in Los Angeles.

“It was my first Olympics so that’s always special to get to that point of your career,” he said. “I was a bit disappointed with the final result. Everyone would have liked to have done a bit better but that’s sport, sometimes it doesn’t go your way.

“It’s motivation to really go to an Olympics again to get it right and walk away with a gold medal.

“My main race (at nationals) is the King’s Cup (traditional state versus state eights race) at the end of the regatta. We won it last year, and want to go back to back.

The nationals were last held at Lake Barrington in 2021 and over 2100 rowers, the biggest number in the event’s history, will compete this week starting Monday.

Dual Paralympian Alexandra Viney, who finished fourth and fifth at Tokyo and Paris respectively in the PR3 mixed coxed four, will also feature at her home course.

The former Launceston Grammar student competes for is hoping the familiar surroundings will help the strong Tasmanian cohort.

“There’s plenty of Tasmanians here hoping for a hometown advantage and we’re all really going after the same thing, that Tasmanians can compete on the big stage,” she said.

“I’ll be training through until Friday when I’ll be competing in the PR3 women’s pair (with Paralympics crewmate Susannah Lutze). I’m representing Barwon Rowing Club and she’s Banks, both in Victoria.

“It’s the closest uniform I can get to being back in my Grammar uniform, navy and white.

“The muscle memory of driving to the lake this morning, I’ve done it a hundred times and it means so much coming back here.”

Originally published as What a croc: Rocky-based rowing club defends river’s Olympic status