John XXIII Rowing Club 

Dear Rowing Families

Last weekend, our girls’ squad raced in the Head of the River, the culmination of months of training and racing and for a large group of our rowers, our Year 12’s last Head of the River campaign came to an end. 

The boys’ squad raced in an 8 and two quads on the Swan River in the 6km long-distance Guildford to Garrett Road race on Sunday morning. The Year 8s had their final sessions on the water, and some of them are also racing at the All Schools Regatta this Saturday 27 June. For Rowers in Years 9 to 12, both boys’ and girls’ squads, please sign up for the Mettam’s Regatta by this Saturday 27 June, by midday.  

Regatta Availability

IGSSA Head of the River Regatta

The IGGSA Head of the River on Saturday was the end of two terms' worth of training for our girls’ squad, and they raced their hardest against some blistering competition. All JTC crews that took to the water finished their races with commendable effort and determination. Our results were: 

Congratulations to all crews that raced, with special acknowledgement to our Freshman B Quad scull achieving third place, Camilla Barbi racing to second in the Senior B Single Scull, and Lily Lucas retaining the Senior A Single Scull title.  We hope the girls have a great holiday and come back strong for the final three weeks of the season next Term.

Guildford to Garrett Road Regatta 

On Sunday 20 June, three John XXIII crews ventured onto the Swan River to race in the Guildford to Garrett Road 6km long distance race. Our School Boys' VIII raced to second place and our two quads placed first and second in the School Boys’ Quad Scull. 

Other news

The Mettams long-distance race at Canning Bridge is on the first Sunday of the holidays and sign up is here: Regatta Sign up. 

The event is a fun day out and an easy half-day commitment with no boat loading! 

Training days 

Due to the IGSSA regatta calendar and boat loading, our calendar is mixed up for the Year 9s and 10s and is no longer on alternate weeks for the boys and girls. Please refer to the calendar on STACK in the ‘Documents’ section for your Friday training days.

With all that activity, please stay as healthy as possible. Get as much sleep as possible, stay hydrated, eat well and keep up the hand hygiene. 

Remember, if you can’t make a session, please email Claire.woolfitt@johnxxiii.edu.au, or jimmy.oregan@johnxxiii.edu.au for the Girls Squad or lauren.strong@johnxxiii.edu.au for the Boys Squad. 

2026 Year 8 Learn to Row

The Year 8s have finished their land and water sessions, and as I said to one crew yesterday, I am so impressed with how their rowing technique and timing have progressed over the nine weeks! As a whole, the group has shown determination and flexibility and a willingness to try the small, single sculls. 

Rowing in small boats (single and double sculls), however, has seen the Year 8 rowers progress faster than they would have in quad sculls. Unfortunately, in conjunction with Rowing WA, I have made the decision to cancel the Year 8s racing in the All Schools Regatta on Saturday 27 June. The forecast is deteriorating, and while the Year 8s have learnt quickly, it would be unsafe for them to take to the water in the predicted conditions. 

They do get one more chance to race, though, at the John XXIII House Regatta on Saturday 29 August at Canning Bridge. A signup sheet will be sent to the Stack App and via email to all Year 8s who have signed up. It’s a great day to come down and see our rowing shed, and meet some other parents, and the students have a great time racing with their House.

All Schools Regatta #3

All Schools #3 is scheduled for the Saturday after school returns on Saturday 25 July. Please sign up here if you can attend, and note any time constraints on the sheet. Training will be held during the first week back to school, even though students officially return on Thursday. We will keep you posted on training days in that week via Stack and WhatsApp chats. 

All Schools #3 Regatta Sign up 

Please contact me at: claire.woolfitt@johnxxiii.edu.au if you have any queries. 

Uniforms

The new zootsuit is now in stock at the Uniform Shop. There is also a training top that can be worn under the zootsuit, and a ¼-zip fleece. The only compulsory item is the Zootsuit for racing at regattas.  There is a stock of the old zootsuits that can be worn for training. 

Stack Team App

This App is one of our main avenues for communication with rowers and their parents. Please download the ‘Stack Team App’ on your phone, as this is the central place for training schedules, training updates, access to the rowing handbook, to name a few. It is important that all rowers and parents have access.

To get this app please go to the App Store or Google Play and download the Stack Team App onto your mobile device, then follow these simple steps:

• Sign-up to Stack Team App. You’ll be sent an email to confirm your registration.
• Log-in and search for JTCRC, then request to become a member.

Buses

• Pick up: 5:05am at College Bus shelter
• Return: 7:30am from Boatshed

2026 Rowing Club Registrations are open for Years 9 to 12 

It's never too late to register; the John XXIII Rowing Club welcomes existing and new members for our 2026 season.

Registrations are still open. Please complete the online Registration form by clicking on the link: JTC Rowing Registration for 2026 – Fill out form

Those who have not rowed before, or who would like to be a coxswain and represent the College, are also encouraged to join. 

 2026 (Term 2) Rowing Training Schedule  

Key Rowing Events 2026

Absent from training procedure 

Asthma and Allergies

All rowers with asthma or allergies, please remember to bring your asthma puffers, EpiPens, or required medication to all sessions. 

Claire Woolfitt

John XXIII Rowing Coordinator