Invictus Australia Australia and Rowing Australia formalise partnership
Media Release
August 2nd, 2021: Invictus Australia (formally known as Veteran Sport Australia) and Rowing Australia (RA) have formalised their partnership through the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
The two organisations will work closely together to partner on events and promote opportunities that support veterans and their families to engage with rowing. While this partnership will look at opportunities across the sport, there will be a particular focus on indoor rowing which has proved popular among the veteran community, thanks to its inclusion in the Invictus Games.
One of the first initiatives under this new partnership IA and RA will collaborate on is the roll out of the ‘Introductory Indoor Rowing Coaching Accreditation course’.
Invictus Australia CEO, Michael Hartung, said the partnership is a natural progression for the two organisations and the team is eager to launch their first initiative.
“Invictus Australia is thrilled to be partnering with Rowing Australia to deliver more opportunities for veterans and their families to harness the power of sport. The Invictus Games highlighted the popularity of indoor rowing within the veteran community and it has only continued to grow since then,” said Michael.
“This new partnership is off to a great start with our ability to support 250 veterans nationally to undertake coaching accreditations, thanks to support from the Department of Veteran Affairs. The Riggers Course is one suited to those who are looking to progress their knowledge of indoor rowing and support others who take up the sport.”
Both parties will work in together on initiatives and events across Australia, such as the Anzac Day Indoor Rowing Challenge – one of the most anticipated annual events on the national rowing calendar – and the roll out of Rowing Australia’s GRow program.
A direct benefit from these initiatives is the positive health impact that can be achieved by individuals with their recovery and rehabilitation goals. A goal shared by both organisations, as well as providing a pathway for veterans and their families who are looking for a fun activity, to improve their fitness or simply join a new community and expand their social circles.
By harnessing the power of sport and promoting rowing within the veteran community, the partnership will support participants from a grassroots and community level through to Adaptive Sports Programs featuring at international competitions such as the Invictus Games.
Rowing Australia CEO, Ian Robson concurred with Hartung stating, ‘We are delighted to partner with Invictus Australia. This partnership offers great opportunities for our military personnel to enjoy all the healthy and fun benefits of indoor rowing and also help grow the sport of rowing.’
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About Rowing Australia
Rowing Australia (RA) is the national governing body for the sport of rowing. The vision of RA and its members is “To be the number one rowing nation in the world”, from sustained international success, to its vibrant and inclusive community, its high-quality events, right through to the safe, fun and healthy participation opportunities for all Australians.
Rowing is a sport for life, accessible to people of all ages, genders, fitness and skill levels, and currently enjoyed by over 60,000 participants and 25,000 active members ranging from young rowers at school through to those at universities and in the wider community right through to masters rowing.
Rowing Australia member associations operate in seven states with over 185 schools and 156 clubs offering rowing programs on and off the water.
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