Wendouree-Ballarat rowers encourage masters

A BASIC sandwich board out the front of the rowing shed, strategically placed by Grada Richards, enticed a small band of women to try rowing.Now, Wendouree-Ballarat Rowing Club is making a strong push to encourage more masters rowers to join its crews.Ballarat will host the Australian Masters Rowing Championships in May, with the world championships to hit Lake Wendouree in 2014.Wendouree-Ballarat plans to sport a strong contingent of all abilities on its home course.WBRC’s Neville Collins said with the lake full of water and ready for rowing, it was a great chance for people to learn or reintroduce themselves to the sport.“Masters is big in Melbourne but it’s also great for those who want to try a social row,” Collins said.“The club’s been in limbo the past few years with the drought but we’ve created a website, we’re putting more info out there and are hoping to rebuild club rowing.”Wendouree-Ballarat will host an open day on October 16 for those interested in club, elite and masters rowing.Masters rowing is for competitors aged 27 and older, but the club also encourages school rowing graduates to keep up the sport with the club.For more information, visit www.wbrc.com.au, or pop into the club sheds on a Sunday morning.