The regatta sub-committee have asked the Rowing ACT Management Committee to introduce Rower Scores into local regattas to replace the former status rules. While acknowledging that this will be a big experiment for all concerned, the experience in Victoria of this scheme is very positive. Why did the Victorians introduce the Rower Score?

Rowing Victoria found that 48% of new rowers are aged 23+ years, that 33% of rowers are 35 years +, BUT that 80% of newcomers leave every year. They felt the drop out rate from newcomers is due to inflexibility of competition rules, and that training commitments are too great to mix family, job and rowing. This high drop out rate is very wasteful of coaching resources and leads to the same numbers of people competing over the years. This is a problem for ACT Rowing. Our numbers have been the same for many years. The high drop out rate leads to stagnation of numbers despite large volunteer coaching efforts. The Sport is funded by the number of competitors and therefore has limits placed on funding support. The Victorians have reported increased participation following on from adopting Rower Scores.

h4. How will Rowing ACT run its Rowers Score Regattas?

Group A: 0.00 – 1.50 (1800m) Elite rower, National representative

Group B: 1.51 – 2.50 (1800m) Experienced rower, eg competed at Nationals, 1st 8+

Group C: 2.51 – 3.00 (1500m) Intermediate rower, experienced masters, good school rowers with competition experience

Group D: 3.01 – 3.50 (1000m) Amateur rower, eg less experienced masters

Group E: 3.51 – 4.00 (1000m) Novice rower, usually 1st season of racing, recreational rower with limited competition experience

h4. How the system will operate.

The Rower Score is a representation of your rowing ability so rowers compete at their appropriate level. It operates similar to a golf handicap – the more talented you are, the closer your score will go to 0. Inexperienced or novice rowers will have a high Rower Score (closer to 4).

All ACT rowers are currently registered within ROMS (Rowing On-line Management System). Their recommended Rower Score (RS) will be attached to their name by the beginning of October.

A delegated representative from each club will enter the entries into ROMS by 6pm on the Sunday prior to racing. Draft draw will be available on Monday morning for review before the Draw night on the Tuesday. No new entries are allowed after this time. Seat fees will still apply if scratchings are made after this time.

Should you wish to enter a crew that has members across different Groups, ROMS will automatically work out the average for the crew and assign the crew to the appropriate Group.

Results are imported into ROMS which makes the appropriate changes to the score based on the days racing.

Your RS will be calculated by 3 variables – your age, the distance you raced over, and the win multiplier.

The win multiplier is a set value (0.15) that if you are racing consistently, you should win 1 in every 7 races.

The age value is a number from 0 – 1, depending on your age. The number increases from 0.0 – 1.0 from 11years old to 23 years old, stays the same for 23 – 27 year olds, and decreases from 27 years old onwards. Eg a 13 yo would have a score of 0.25, a 19yo would have a score of 0.86, a 25yo would have a score of 1, a 43yo would have a score of 0.63, a 75yo would have a score of 0.002

The distance value is based on the value over 2000m. Eg 2000m = 1, 1800m = 0.9, 1500m = 0.75, 1000m = 0.5.

A win equals 1st place, a loss is 2nd – 6th. The formula works as follows:

IF YOU WIN:

New RS = old RS – (old RS x 0.15 x distance x age)

IF YOU LOSE:

New RS = old RS + ((old RS x 0.15 x distance x age) x 0.15)

h4. Examples:

IF YOU WIN:

If current RS = 3.3

Win value = 0.15

Distance (1000m) = 0.5

Age (35) = 0.86

New RS = 3.3 – (3.3 x 0.15 x 0.5 x 0.86)

= 3.3 – 0.2128

= 3.087

IF YOU LOSE (i.e. 2nd or any other place):

If current RS = 3.3

Win value = 0.15

Distance (1000m) = 0.5

Age (35) = 0.86

New RS = 3.3 + ((3.3 x 0.15 x 0.5 x 0.86) x 0.15)

= 3.3 + 0.0319

= 3.3319

h4. Benefits:

• Increased competition – all crews will be competing against rowers of a similar capability.

• Participants in different age groups, and other combinations (eg father/son) become part of the normal program.

• Increased opportunity to win races.

• Ability to move between Groups depending on how your skills progress/regress throughout the season.

• Experienced rowers can mix and match with novice members, and compete in crews at a less intense standard than they would under current rules.

• Option to race above your Group, but not below (eg if you wanted to have two 4x races in a day, you could enter in Group D and Group C).

• Ability to join crews with rowers above or below your standard and compete at the Group of your crew average.

• Entries will be made online – save time!

• Ability to view your Rower Score online as you wish.

• We would be in line with other major states (VIC, QLD, SA).

• Events would be run with full races (i.e., 6 lanes).

• Make it attractive for the many former School and club rowers to return to the sport without having to compete against the best of elite crews in their age group. Other sports can accept fun runs, mixed sex touch footy etc. If we are a sport for life those training twice a week should be encouraged to compete among appropriate competition, just as much as those training every day.