If you have ever driven past Aquatic Park at dawn and wondered who is out on the water in the half light, North Shore Rowing Club would like a word. The Longueville club is on the hunt for coxswains ahead of a season that starts at the end of August, and it is open to absolutely anyone willing to give it a go.
No experience is necessary. All coaching is provided. And for local students, it comes with a rare bonus: the chance to earn a bit of money before the school day has even started.
So what actually is a coxswain?
The cox is the person sitting at the end of the boat facing the wrong way, which is to say the right way, because they are the only one who can see where the crew is going. They steer, they set the rhythm, they call the race, and they keep everyone safe on a working waterway. Rowers will tell you a good cox is the difference between a crew that moves and a crew that merely splashes.
North Shore Rowing Club describes coxswains as highly prized and always in demand, and a vital part of any crew who can be the difference between winning and losing. The club runs a dedicated Coxswain Member category for people who devote their time to steering rather than rowing. It is a genuine role in the sport, not a passenger seat.
Notably, while the club’s active rowing membership is for people aged 18 and over, the coxswain category carries no such condition, which is what opens the door to younger locals.
A paid start to the day for students
The club is particularly keen to hear from students looking to make a little extra money.
For a teenager, it is a fairly unusual proposition. You are on the Lane Cove River at sunrise, learning a skill, and part of a squad, and you are home in time for school.
A club with rather a lot of history
Plenty of locals walk past the shed without realising what it is. North Shore Rowing Club was established in 1879, making it the oldest sporting club on Sydney’s north shore, and it has been on the calm water at Longueville since 1933.
Its members have competed at state, national and international level, including several Olympics. Spencer Grace OAM rowed the coxless pair at the 1948 London Games and later served the club as captain and president for decades. Maurice Grace and Peter Raper placed fourth in the coxless pair at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Today it is Sydney’s pre-eminent masters rowing club, with membership split evenly between men and women and between competitive and recreational rowers. The shed is also home to the Roseville College and Barker College rowing programs. The group looking for coxswains is the Masters squad, and all ages are welcome.
How to get involved
Whether you coxed years ago and have been quietly missing it, or you have never set foot in a boat, the club says past experience or simply a keen attitude is enough.
North Shore Rowing Club
Aquatic Park, 2A Mary Street, Longueville
Contact Nikki on 0431 598 642
Or email the New Member Coordinator at [email protected]
northshorerowing.org.au
The club also runs Learn to Row courses for anyone who would rather pull an oar than steer. Those run over six consecutive Sundays from around 8.30am to 10.30am, and you do not need to be a member to join.
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