Rowing Club Management Blog - Rowing Ireland Clubs

Training August 5, 2026

How to use a rowing machine with proper form

A rowing coach explains the catch, drive, finish and recovery, plus four common faults and what the damper setting really changes.

Row HQ Team 12 min read

Getting Started August 5, 2026

Rowing machine for beginners: your first four weeks

A session-by-session beginner programme with clear durations, effort targets, stroke rates and a useful standard for the end of week four.

Row HQ Team 11 min read

Software April 29, 2026

The best rowing club management software for Irish clubs in 2026

A fair comparison of the rowing club software options available in 2026, assessed from an Irish club perspective. What each tool does well, EUR billing, GDPR compliance, and how to choose without falling into the common evaluation traps.

Row HQ Team 10 min read

Regattas May 17, 2026

Masters rowing in Ireland, plus the Henley Masters hop across the Irish Sea

The Irish masters year from Inniscarra to the Erne Head, and how the Henley Masters trip across the Irish Sea fits in.

Row HQ Team 7 min read

Starting a Club May 17, 2026

Starting a rowing club in Ireland: the honest founder playbook

Starting a club hinges on four hard problems in order: water access, boat storage, a founding committee and Rowing Ireland affiliation.

Row HQ Team 14 min read

Training May 17, 2026

Erg workout library for rowing clubs

Thirty erg sessions organised by training zone, each with a purpose, a target pace off your 2k, and options for a full squad.

Row HQ Team 18 min read

Erg Testing May 17, 2026

2k erg test pacing strategy

Set a split you can hold for the full seven minutes, ride the J-pattern, and stop losing your 2k test at the 1500m mark.

Row HQ Team 9 min read

Coxing & Coaching May 17, 2026

Coxing 101 for Irish boathouses: a first-outing guide for new coxswains

What the cox actually does - steering, safety, running the session and race calls - in a first-outing guide for new coxswains.

Row HQ Team 11 min read

Junior Rowing May 17, 2026

Junior rowing in Ireland: a parent's brief on hours, fees, safety and the pathway

Training hours by age, realistic fees, the safeguarding questions to ask, and where the Irish junior pathway actually leads.

Row HQ Team 12 min read

Getting Started May 17, 2026

Learn to row: what actually happens on your first day

What your first learn-to-row session actually involves, why you need no fitness baseline, and what happens after the first outing.

Row HQ Team 9 min read

Inclusion May 17, 2026

Setting up an adaptive rowing programme at an Irish club

What a working adaptive programme needs - trained coaches, a stable boat, accessible slipway routes - plus realistic first-year costs.

Row HQ Team 14 min read

Equipment Management May 17, 2026

Coastal rowing boats for Irish clubs: heritage hulls, modern carbon, and what to buy

Heritage hulls, modern carbon and the World Rowing coastal classes - what an Irish club should actually buy in 2026.

Row HQ Team 14 min read

Sport May 17, 2026

Beach sprint rowing in Ireland: West Cork, Dublin Bay and the road to LA 2028

The run-row-run knockout format heading to LA 2028, and where it could take hold from West Cork to Dublin Bay.

Row HQ Team 9 min read

Equipment Management May 6, 2026

Concept2 vs WaterRower vs Hydrow: which erg should an Irish boathouse buy?

Why an Irish boathouse should buy Concept2 RowErgs, where WaterRower and Hydrow fit, and the EUR pricing behind the verdict.

Row HQ Team 12 min read

Operations April 29, 2026

Rowing club spreadsheet alternatives - what actually works for Irish clubs

Spreadsheets break under the load of running a real Irish rowing club. A practical guide to what to replace, what to keep, and how to migrate without losing the data your committee has built up over the years.

Row HQ Team 8 min read

Operations April 29, 2026

The WhatsApp rowing club problem - and how to fix it

Most Irish rowing clubs run on WhatsApp groups that have grown far beyond what messaging was built for. Here is what breaks, what to keep, and how to move communication into something that actually works.

Row HQ Team 7 min read

Coaching April 29, 2026

How to organise rowing crews - a practical guide for Irish coaches

A step-by-step method for selecting crews, assigning boats, and confirming lineups in under fifteen minutes per session. The repeatable pattern that scales from eight rowers to two hundred across any Rowing Ireland-affiliated club.

Row HQ Team 9 min read

Committee April 29, 2026

The rowing club committee handover toolkit

A practical handover process for outgoing and incoming rowing club committees in Ireland. What to document, what to transfer, and how to leave the club in a stronger position than you found it.

Row HQ Team 8 min read

Operations April 29, 2026

Rowing club attendance tracking - the complete guide

A practical guide to tracking session attendance at an Irish rowing club. What to record, how to make confirmations sticky, and what good attendance data tells you about your members.

Row HQ Team 7 min read

Member Experience January 20, 2026

Letting members do it themselves

Row HQ's self-service portal lets members book sessions, update availability, and check schedules without waiting on the committee. Less admin for volunteers, more control for rowers at every Rowing Ireland club.

Row HQ Team 5 min read

Performance January 5, 2026

Using ergo data to track progress

From 2K times to watts and splits, ergo testing gives coaches and members objective numbers to work with. Here's how to track them properly and put them to use at your club.

Row HQ Team 6 min read

Equipment Management December 15, 2025

Tracking boat maintenance properly

Boats are expensive. Sticky notes and paper logbooks are not good enough. Digital maintenance tracking catches problems early and keeps your fleet on the water longer - whether you row on the Lee, the Shannon or the Liffey.

Row HQ Team 5 min read

Club Management December 1, 2025

Getting training sessions sorted

Last-minute WhatsApp messages and spreadsheet chaos eat hours every week. Here's how Irish clubs are cutting the admin and getting outings organised properly.

Row HQ Team 7 min read

Coaching Tips November 15, 2025

Crew selection tips for rowing coaches

Crew selection takes longer than it should. Digital tools help coaches at Irish clubs track combinations, recall what worked, and spend less time on admin.

Row HQ Team 6 min read

Announcements October 1, 2025

Row HQ is live

Row HQ is now accepting clubs across Ireland and the UK. Built with Oundle Town Rowing Club over the past year, it handles sessions, boats, members, and events. Here's what it does and how we got here.

Row HQ Team 5 min read