BLADES of BLUE AUTUMN EDITION 2025

View from the coaches speedboat

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of our new members and families to the club. It has been great to see the increase in interest in the club and the various opportunities we provide our members and programs that we run.

Since the last Blades of Blue, we have had a successful National Championships, seen members compete at the Interstate Regatta, and finished the 2025 Masters regatta season.

We have also had several members competing for their PSA schools in last terms Head of the River, whilst another group of our female athletes are mid way through the IGSSA regatta season. Its always great to see club athletes excelling in the sport and representing their schools at these events.

The club has also had members attending Australian Team trials, with Johnson Daubney and Jacqueline Swick being selected to represent the Australian Senior Team at the first two World Cup events in Europe.

On the Masters front we had Bri Murray and George Xerous picking up some hardware at the recently completed Australian Masters Championships in Sydney.

There is a lot of activity at the club, and the coaching team are consistently working to provide athletes with the opportunity to develop as rowers on the water and in the gym, as well as good people off the water. We value the hard work that our coaches, administrators and members put in to make the club an exciting environment and community.

Enjoy the latest edition of Blades of Blue, and if you have any questions or suggestions about the club, please get in touch.

Mark Beer - Head Coach

Neville Kempton OAM

Neville is named in the 2025 Kings Honours list

SRRC are delighted to hear that Neville Kempton has been awarded the prestigious Order of Australia in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to Swan River Rowing Club, rowing and the wider rowing community.

Neville’s decades of service as a rower, coach, competitor, mentor, and volunteer exemplify his unparalleled commitment to the sport of rowing and the development of its athletes. His coaching has shaped generations of rowers who have excelled at State, National, and international levels, and his dedication to fostering teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership has created a lasting legacy.

Beyond his work with athletes, Neville has played a vital role in the upkeep of the Club’s equipment and infrastructure, ensuring that our rowers have access to safe and high-quality resources. His contributions have not only reduced costs for the Club but have also enabled it to grow and provide more opportunities to its members.

Neville’s impact extends far beyond competitive success; his ability to cultivate well-rounded individuals and future leaders has enriched both the Club and the broader rowing community. His selfless dedication has made SRRC a place of pride, perseverance, and camaraderie for all.

This recognition is a testament to Neville’s tireless efforts and enduring passion for rowing. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Club members and the broader rowing community whose support helped make this well-deserved honour possible.

Please join us in celebrating Neville Kempton’s remarkable achievement and his exceptional legacy.

Make sure you congratulate Neville on his latest honour and recognition when you see him next at the club. You may also wish to contribute to our EOFY fundraising drive, which has a replacement hull and speed boat for Neville as the main item to be purchased.

https://asf.org.au/campaigns/swan-river-rowing-club/new-oars-and-a-coaching-dinghy-for-swan-river-rowing-club-s-champion-men-s-eight

National Championships

Assault on Lake Barrington

In March we had a contingent of 30 rowers travel to Tasmania to represent the club, (for some their school) and the State at the National Championships.

We were fortunate enough to have a support team of parents that helped in towing trailers across the country (and back) as well as assist with the transport of athletes to and from the racing venue throughout the week.

In what was the biggest National Championships to date, several of our athletes managed to make A finals and get on the podium.

Swans Medalists

GOLD

Jacqui Swick - OW4-

Johnson Daubney - OM4x-

Greta Spencer / Lyla Fievez - U21 W2-

Greta Spencer / Lyla Fievez - U21 W8+

Lara Connolly - U19 W4-

Greta Spencer, Lyla Fievez, Bri Murray, Jacqui Swick, Rei Poon - OW Sprint 8+

Fergus McNamara, Johnson Daubney, Riley Rees-Turner Elinor Scott - OM Sprint 8+

SILVER

Jacqui Swick - OW2-

Michael Orton - OLM4-

James Young / Quinton Marketos - U21 M2-

Harry Salfinger, Harper Davies, James Young, Helena Hurworth - U21 M8+

BRONZE

Harper Davies - U23 M2-

Elsie Griffith - U23 LW4x-

Emma Pittman, Emma O'Neill (FRC) - u21 W2x

Isabella Edinger, E.O'Neill (FRC), Emma Pittman - U21 W4x-

Greta Spencer, Lyla Fievez - U21 W4+

Isabella Edinger, Emma Pittman, Lara Connolly, Kelsi Brennan, Cox: Helena Hurworth - U21 W8+

Banjo Morris-Luck (ANA), Jeremy Flavel (SRRC) - U17 M4x+

Jodi Priest, Juelliett Bird, Kelsi Brennan, Emma Pittman, Olivia Youngson, Jonti Campbell - U21 W8+

2025 Corporate Rowing

Help SRRC in our biggest fundraising initiative yet, as we look to grow the 2025 Corporate Program

The Corporate Rowing Program has been a key part of SRRC fundraising for over 16 years. With a hiatus over the Covid years, in 2023, the club worked with Roy Hill and Bellevue Gold to bring back the program, and grew the event to include 10 crews out of SRRC in 2024. We are again looking to grow the program offered through Swans. The program culminates in the Corporate Challenge Regatta to be held in early October on our home waters at Canning Bridge.

The Club has set an ambitious target of recruiting 12+ crews to take part in this year's SRRC corporate program.

This is a significant undertaking, but we are well-positioned with our coaching and volunteer team to make this event a huge success. With club Life Member Alan Stewart and Nick Flavel taking a lead on the organising team, we are looking forward to our best corporate year yet.

However, to make this a success, we NEED YOUR HELP!

We are asking members to help by making contact with prospective corporate crews, coaching, and daily hospitality (crew breakfasts, boating and training logistics). If you can help in any way, please get in contact Nick Flavel in the first instance (projects@srrc.com.au or 0437 141 020). Training will commence the week beginning Monday, 22nd September and culminate with a big festival and regatta on Saturday, 11th October.

Regatta Hosting

15 June All Schools - Regatta 1 - THIS WEEKEND!

On Sunday the 15th of June, Swans are hosting the first All Schools Regatta of the season. Many of our school-based athletes will be representing the navy blue and white at these races. The club is looking for volunteers to help run this regatta.

Where: Champion Lakes

When: Sunday 15th June

Volunteers required:

5 boat drivers

On-water first aid officer

1-2 parking attendants

1-2 bow number distributors

5 cake, raffle and BBQ volunteers

If you are able to assist, please sign up on the following link

Welcome - David Butt

SRRC Welcome new volunteer coach, David Butt.

David will be assisting with some of our Learn to Row / Novice rowers and looking to work with some para rowers in the future.

David has moved to WA from Canberra, where he headed up ACT BROs for several years and was ACT RA president, and was on the RA board. David has also been the Canberra Rowing Club president and helped set up Capital Lakes RC. In addition to these roles, David has coached and taken an RA adaptive crew to Germany to try to qualify for Beijing (where they placed 4th, just missing out on qualification), and has coached national junior champions and medalists, interstate para-athlete champs, and ergo champions to national and world level and Invictus Games gold.

We are excited that David has decided to join the club and coaching team and hope the Swans community can make him feel welcome!

Number Plate Fundraiser

To assist with these significant expenses the club is looking at a number of fund raising opportunities from within and outside the club.

One of these initiatives is to adopt a SRRC vehicle license plate series. In addition to fund raising this will also help promote the club. The Department of Transport have approved our design which will be manufactured in high quality acrylic material. Image below.

The cost to the club for each plate is $327. The intent is to sell the plates for a minimum of $550 (excluding transfer fee of $103.80 payable by the buyer) and to auction more desirable number sequences to hopefully achieve greater fund raising potential. As an example, we will auction ‘1885’ (the clubs founding year). The 4 digit number sequence does not need to be sequential hence buyers are free to select their preferred sequence of 4 digits (ie birth year or any 4 digit sequence).

The club is required to commit to a minimum of 30 plates in the initial year and 10 plates per year thereafter to maintain the sequence live. In the event the annual target cannot be met then all existing plate purchases remain valid. The plates can be transferred to other vehicles/family members subject only to payment of the transfer fee.

Initial feedback has been positive however we remain short of the 30 plate initial commitment. The club is very keen to make this a success and hope additional members, past members and their families are able to support this initiative.

If you would be interested then please contact Stephen Rivers (scrivers56@gmail.com) with your preferred plate number and we will let you know the next steps.

Interstate Regatta

Swans State Team Athletes Shine in Tasmania

With SRRC having the lions share of athletes in the WA team, it was hard to watch an interstate event without a Swans athlete involved.

There was some exceptional racing from the WA State Team, with both the OW1x - Silver, MY8+ Silver, LW4x- Bronze and Queens Cup Bronze.

Well done to all the WA athletes that competed for the State at the 2025 Interstate Regatta. We look forward to more club members in future state teams, and mare podiums from the men and women of the West.

Safety Update

Safety Officer Notes

Member Protection Update – Creating a Safe & Supportive Club Environment

As your Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO), I’m here to support a safe, inclusive, and respectful culture at Swan River Rowing Club.

Our club is proud of its strong community spirit, and it’s important we continue to look out for each other – whether on the water, in the shed, or at club events. Everyone deserves to feel safe, heard, and valued.

If you ever experience or observe behaviour that doesn’t align with our club’s values – including bullying, harassment, discrimination, or anything that makes you or someone else feel uncomfortable – please know that I’m available for a confidential chat and can help guide you on the next steps.

You can contact me directly at mpio@srrc.com.au or 0437 141 020, or reach out in person.

Let’s keep Swan River Rowing Club a welcoming and respectful space for all.

All the best for your rowing season, Nick Flavel

Making Reporting Easy

As outlined above, Safety is the clubs number one priority, on and off the water. If you see somthing, are involved in a near miss on the water etc, we now have QR codes around the club to make reporting easy. Keep an eye out for the QR codes, and if you need them, use them!

Australian Rowing Team Selections

Following on from a successful National Championships, we have five SRRC members attend various Australian Team Selection events. All Junior, U23 and Senior selections were held in April at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.

Athletes that attended the selections events were required to compete in initial 2km races before being invited to further seat trails, where various combinations would be tested over 1250/1500m pieces, and selections would try to select various boat classes for the World Cups and World Champs.

We are always proud of our SRRC members that gain invitation to selections and put everything on the line to battle for a spot on the National Rowing Team.

SRRC trialists were: Lara Connolly & Hannah Bergersen (Jnr Sweep), Harper Davis (U23 Sweep), Johnson Daubney (Snr Sculling), Jacqui Swick (Snr Sweep).

Congratulations go to Jacqui woh has been selected to represent the Senior team at World Cup I and II in the Women's 4- & 8+, and Johnson Daubney that will be wearing the green and gold in the mens 4x- at the senior World Cup I & II.

Big Boat Fridays are Back

70+ Rowers Every Friday

Big boat Fridays (and Wednesdays) are back! It been impressive to see six SRRC 8+'s out training alongside each other the past few weeks, and we have plans to expand on this once the IGSSA season is finished and we welcome more school aged athletes into the club programs. Please get in touch with our men's and women's captains if you are keen to get involved!

Comms Update

With Club racing season underway, we have set up a couple of WhatsApp group chats that allow for faster communications relating to training and racing information.

We will continue to email important information, however the WhatsApp groups allow for instant information sharing. Please scan the following QR codes to join the relevant group.

For all WhatsApp groups, common courtesy and common sense rules apply - please keep any messages relevant for the whole group and direct any individual questions to the relevant coaches or committee members.

Junior Members - WhatsApp

This group is for parents of athletes under 18, who participate in any of our Junior rowing programs.

Senior Squad – WhatsApp

This group is for all rowers racing club and pennant races with the senior squad (if under 18, please have a parent also join the group).

With good communication, great things can be achieved....

EOFY - Opportunity to Support Swans and our Athletes

With the end of the financial year only days away, now is a great time to make a tax deductible donation to support our cub, athletes and coaches. Big thank you to those that have already made contributions!

We are aiming to raise $20,000 to purchase a new set of Concept2 sweep oars for our Men’s A Eight and a new coaching dinghy and engine for long-time member and coach Neville Kempton. Any additional funds will contribute to other rowing equipment.

Every donation, big or small, plays a vital part in keeping Swans — and especially our flagship men’s & women's crews — at the forefront of rowing in Western Australia.

Our Legacy, Our Crew, Our Coach

For nearly 140 years, Swan River Rowing Club has been a powerhouse of rowing in WA and the club was recently named Rowing Australia's Club of the Year. As we approach our 140th anniversary, there’s no better time to invest in the equipment that supports our continued success.

Our Men’s A Eight has won an incredible 24 consecutive WA State Championships — a record unmatched in modern sporting club in Australia. They compete in the renowned Nick Garrett (Empacher), a boat that continues to deliver outstanding results. But their oars — now over 10 years old — need replacing to maintain peak performance.

This crew has been more than a winning boat — it’s a symbol of aspiration for our young rowing men and source of pride for all club members new and old.

This campaign also honours Neville Kempton OAM, a stalwart of Swan River Rowing Club and a guiding force behind those 24 titles. Neville’s quiet, dedicated leadership has shaped generations of rowers, and a dinghy will allow him to continue coaching safely and effectively into the future.

Join Us — Be Part of the Next Chapter. With your help, we’ll:

Purchase a new set of Concept2 sweep oars for the Men’s A Eight

Acquire a new coaching dinghy and outboard engine for Coach Neville

Celebrate 140 years of Swan River Rowing Club with a gift that honours the past and powers the future

Your tax-deductible donation through the Australian Sports Foundation will make a tangible impact — whether it’s $50, $150, $500 or more, every gift gets us closer to our goal.

National Integrity Framework - Info & Updates

At Swan River Rowing Club, safety is our number 1 priority. We pride ourselves on following strong safety processes for on and off water activities. We have also recently signed up to the National Integrity Framework (NIF) through Sport Integrity Australia.

The National Integrity Framework is essentially a set of rules that all members of a sport need to follow when it comes to their behaviour and conduct in sport.

As a Club (along with other rowing Clubs and over 80 other sports) we are taking a great step towards building a national system working to keep sport clean, fair and safe for all.

Over the coming weeks and months we will be offering opportunities for Club members to find out more about the policies and procedures we have in place that cover:

Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy

Member Protection Policy

Improper Use of Drugs and Medicine Policy

Competition Manipulation and Sport Gambling Policy

Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy

Colin Beckett is the Club's board member responsible for Safety, and has been helping make sure the Club is meeting all of the NIF requirements. Colin can be contacted at: safety@srrc.org.au

You will also see more resources being made available in and around the club. If you want to read more about the NIF, follow the link below:

BOW LIGHTS

If your reading this newsletter, its time to replace the batteries in your bow light. Please ensure you have a functioning bow light at every morning session. You CANNOT boat without a functioning bow light.

High Tides & Moving Buoys

We have seen some very high tides over the past few weeks, and as such a lot of the skiing buoys have been moving. We do try to move them back where possible, but they can be out of position for a few days at times. Please be vigilant when out on the water. Please also note the flashing on the far post indicating the last 500m of the course is currently not working.

Heel Ties & Suitable Training Kit

Capsizing is only a bad stroke or a loose gate away. Make sure you stay safe on the water.

Capsizing is part of the sport, and it can happen to the best of us. It's essential that you make sure that you check your heel ties (and check that they are attached to the footplate and shoes). They may be a form of annoyance, but they can save a life, as they allow for your feet to pull out of the shoes, should you find yourself upside down in the river or out on Champion Lakes. Please report any boat with faulty shoes, heel ties and or gates/riggers to the coaches and do not use until they have been fixed.

When it comes to cold weather, it's best to wear appropriate layers, base layers and leggings are good. No baggy hoodies. it needs to be easy to remove and not too heavy should it get wet.

Capsizing - What to do?

A reminder that if you capsize, your first priority is to get your feet out of the boat and head above water. STAY WITH THE BOAT - never try to swim to shore. Stay with the boat, it will continue to float (even if upside down) and you can hang on it, or in extreme cold weather climb on top of the upside-down hull to get your body out of the water. In most cases, staying with the boat and following your coach's instructions is best.

Towels

In the event you do go for a swim, or cop a bit of back splash, or even if you just want to follow good hygiene practices post-rowing, you will need to shower. This means bringing a towel to each training session (and taking it home with you). Wet, damp towels left in cold change rooms are a breeding ground for all sorts of germs and smells. Bring a towel, use it, take it home and wash or dry it there!

Rowing Alone - Sign In & Out

If you are over 18 and you are not training with a coached squad or masters group, you need to fill out the white board at the front of bay 1&2 before getting on the water. If you boat at a later time than the rest of the group please do the same. Sign in before row, and remove your name upon return. We then can leave trestles out, and know you are safe!