Rowing New Zealand is launching a national series of Masters Training Camps in 2026. They are now inviting clubs to express interest in hosting one of these weekend camps. Camp Overview Each camp will include: • Four on-water sessions in big boats (more where possible) • Erg and technical video analysis • Education seminars • Individual feedback for participants (videos) Camps will cater for 16–24 masters rowers, grouped by ability. These initial camps are not designed for ra

An athlete asked this question Anyone familiar with imposter syndrome in middle aged athletes and how to get past it? I mean, not me, obviously, just asking generally. It is surprisingly common to find masters rowers thinking that they are less skilled, less deserving of being in good crew lineups and generally “talk themselves down”. […]

Looking for the right training recipe to boost your results this year? Race pace workouts are a key ingredient for boat speed. Your conditioning is going to improve through the season. In the early weeks develop a solid base of fitness and technique where you stick to lower intensity workouts until you feel your technique […]

Following our plan to offer regular masters rowing camps, The Legion is hosting a camp on 5-6th April 2025 hosted by Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club. Lead coach is Chris Jones who also coached on our August camp last year. He’s both a masters rower and has coached crews to Henley Royal Regatta wins in the […]

Picking your crew lineups for regatta is a delicate task for Masters group organisers and coaches. There are so many potentially “touchy” topics. Rather than present a vanilla approach, I thought it would give insight if I share the process I use for my club group. We are a mixed club of racing and non-racing members […]

Stroking out of your comfort zone is a must to reach higher limits as an athlete and there is no better place to execute than on the race course. Until you have tried something beyond your competence or skill, you won’t know you can’t do it. And the converse could happen, you find that you […]

A coach’s eye on your blade keeps technical crabs at bay during an outing. But if you’re out alone you need a way to self-coach. As a part of your daily warm-up choose a drill that gives you clear feedback and sets the tone for your row. Two essential drills Here are a couple of […]

When you are in the groove and the boat is in stealth mode, you dial into your mission and rise to the challenge. Whether in practice or on the race course if you are “on” thoughts of failure get no airtime. However, there will be days when you feel like toast. Athletes need enough rest […]

Converting those erg watts to more boat meters per second demands a plan. Get more out of your stroke without more time on the water. Today we are going to show you how to sync your technical focus with your fitness and mental training. One Year Rowing Plan Based on one peak per year, divide […]

Quiet refined bladework is the signature of a skilled oarsman. Turbulence and splashing at the tip of your oar sends a big hit of drag to your boat speed. The standard of your feathering motion may not be at the top of your technical to-do list but, how you change the position of the blade […]

I spend a lot of my time coaching. During the school season that’s mostly school crews but off season and when time allows I like coaching masters. What do Masters bring that makes coaching them so rewarding? Increasingly the masters I coach are taking it up after their own children have taken up the sport. […]

Missing buoys, steering off course, falling out of your boat, being late to the start, rushing the slide, or stopping too soon before the finish line are only a few of those rookie mistakes common to the new competitive sculler. The skills of racing a single scull take time to develop because it is a […]

A coach’s eye on your blade keeps technical crabs at bay during a practice. But if you’re out alone you need a way to self-coach. As a part of your daily warm-up choose a drill that gives you clear feedback and sets the tone for your row. Two essential drills Here are a couple of […]

Just as pushing your bow across the line for the first time in the 50+ age category signifies entering a mature phase of your rowing career it may also mark new adventures in maintaining equilibrium in your training schedule. Masters athletes need to include the same intensities of work in their race preparation as their […]

When coaching masters, I often find that they over-think the coaching instructions they receive. This can be tested by asking the athletes to “think about nothing” for ten strokes and then to take 10 strokes thinking about a technical point. Most row better when thinking about nothing! In our debriefs after practice many tell me […]

Masters rowers fundamentally are no different from any other age group. However, regular competitors know that your strength and flexibility changes as you age and so it is helpful to re-assess rigging and boat set up regularly for masters training groups. Comfort in the Boat The goal of rowing and sculling boat rigging for masters […]

The Legion of Rowers hosted two coaching clinics during July 2021 for masters rowers who are not coaches. There are not enough coaches available for masters groups to get regular coaching. One way to get effective coaching for masters is to enable self-coaching and group feedback. This has never been tried before. During 2020 we […]

MASTERS PEER-TO-PEER COACHING CLINIC The Legion of Rowers, in conjunction with Rowing NZ, are now inviting registrations for the first Peer-to-Peer Coaching Clinic to be held at the Auckland Rowing Club from Friday 18th June–Sunday 20th June. Registrations must be lodged and paid by 12th June 2021. The Auckland event is a “Trial” for the concept; […]