Australian Rowing Championships 23-29 Mar 2026

The Australian Rowing Championships is the premier regatta in Australia. Races between crews from different regions have taken place since 1833, when colonists from Sydney and Hobart competed in whaling ships. The popularity of the sport grew rapidly enough that by 1906, all 6 states in Australia were sending crews to an annual Interstate Regatta. Decades later, the 1960s saw the first ever national open rowing championships held in the country, and in 1976 this National Regatta was incorporated into the same programme as the Interstate Regatta. Together these events formed the Australian Rowing Championships, held annually ever since.

The National Regatta is now known as the Australian Open, and this part of the Championships features competitions in a huge range of classes. Men's and women's crews race in groups based on age and weight class, as well as competing as representatives of their local rowing clubs. There are also para races and fully open men's and women's events. The Interstate Regatta sets men's and women's crews from each Australian state against each other, and the Schools Rowing Championship allows younger rowers to compete on behalf of their schools.