Rowing Club Management Blog

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 in 2026

A fair comparison of the rowing club software options available in 2026. What each tool does well, where they differ, and how to choose without falling into the common evaluation traps.

Row HQ Team 10 min read

Regattas May 17, 2026

NZ masters rowing: Ruataniwha, Karapiro, Trans-Tasman and the road to Henley

The NZ masters year from Ruataniwha to Karapiro, the Trans-Tasman step, and what a Henley Masters campaign really takes.

Row HQ Team 7 min read

Starting a Club May 17, 2026

Starting a rowing club in Aotearoa: the founding playbook

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

Row HQ Team 14 min read

Training May 17, 2026

Erg workout library for Aotearoa crews

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

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: a first-time coxswain handbook for Aotearoa crews

What the cox actually does - steering, safety, running the session and race calls - in a handbook for first-timers.

Row HQ Team 11 min read

Junior Rowing May 17, 2026

Junior rowing in Aotearoa: a parent briefing for the Maadi pathway

Training hours on the Maadi pathway, realistic costs, the safeguarding questions to ask, and where the pathway leads after school.

Row HQ Team 12 min read

Getting Started May 17, 2026

Your first learn to row session in Aotearoa: a walk-through

A walk-through of your first learn-to-row session, why you need no fitness baseline, and what comes after the first outing.

Row HQ Team 9 min read

Inclusion May 17, 2026

Adaptive rowing in Aotearoa: building a programme from zero

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

Row HQ Team 14 min read

Equipment Management May 17, 2026

Coastal rowing boats for Aotearoa clubs: hulls, use cases and pricing

The three World Rowing coastal classes, the two race formats, and landed NZD pricing for a club starting out in 2026.

Row HQ Team 14 min read

Sport May 17, 2026

Beach sprint rowing in Aotearoa: the LA 2028 discipline explained

The run-row-run knockout format heading to LA 2028, and why Aotearoa's coastline suits it better than most.

Row HQ Team 9 min read

Equipment Management May 6, 2026

Concept2, WaterRower or Hydrow? The erg buyer's guide for Kiwi clubs

Why Kiwi clubs should buy Concept2 RowErgs, where WaterRower and Hydrow fit, and the NZD pricing behind the verdict.

Row HQ Team 12 min read

Operations April 29, 2026

Rowing club spreadsheet alternatives - what actually works

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

Row HQ Team 8 min read

Operations April 29, 2026

The WhatsApp rowing club problem and how to fix it

Most NZ rowing clubs run on WhatsApp groups that have grown beyond what messaging is 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

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.

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. What to document, what to transfer, and how to leave the club in a stronger position than you found it. Relevant for clubs working through Incorporated Societies Act 2022 re-registration.

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 a rowing club. What to record, how to make confirmations stick, 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.

Row HQ Team 5 min read

Performance January 5, 2026

Using ergo data to track progress

From 2K times to watts and splits, erg testing gives coaches and athletes objective numbers to work with. Here's how to track them properly and put them to use.

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.

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 clubs are cutting the admin and getting sessions 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 can help coaches 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. 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