Roger Barrow retires as head coach of Rowing South Africa

CN&CO helps manage the Rand Merchant Bank partnership with Rowing South Africa and has had the privilege of working closely with Roger Barrow for the past five years.

We would like to wish Roger all the best for his next chapter. Read the official press release below.

Roger Barrow – Rowing South Africa head coach – announces his retirement from competitive rowing

Effective 31 December 2021, this is a decision that has not been taken lightly, originally communicated to RowSA’s IC leadership in confidence and in advance in September 2019. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were to be his last regatta. With the delays caused by Covid, Roger agreed to postpone his departure for an extra year, qualifying a second boat for Tokyo in the process.

Roger became one of the Rowing world’s youngest National Head Coaches upon taking the reins shortly after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Over three successive Olympiads Roger has achieved world titles in Under 23 and Senior Elite categories, numerous World Cup medals as well as World Championship medals in Juniors (strongly supported here by the Junior IC). The most celebrated achievements under his leadership would be winning Silver and Gold at the Olympic Games (Rio and London respectively).

Whilst success is understandably measured by international medal achievements, these are not the highlights of this relatively short career. Not even his selection as World Head Coach of the Year in 2016, FISA’s highest accolade for a Head Coach. Beyond winning medals, Roger has played a leading role in developing a system that offers our athletes in all categories from Junior to Senior, a real and credible chance to medal at the highest level, consistently. This is priceless.

The enhanced reputation of SA Rowing during Roger’s watch assisted in securing the invaluable support of Rand Merchant Bank and the Millennium Trust, to the benefit of the broader Rowing community.

Unlike many of our international competitors, the role of Head Coach reaches far beyond ‘’moving bow-ball’’, presenting challenges unique to our local situation. The role requires initiative, resourcefulness, ingenuity and determination. It is here too, that Roger excelled. The respect that he commanded outside of the SA Rowing community made it possible for our well-equipped National Squad homes at Roodeplaat Dam and at the TUKS High Performance Centre in Pretoria. Roger’s abilities were also appreciated and recognised by our national Olympic Committee (SASCOC) ensuring their ongoing financial support for our crews and international ambitions, despite their challenging circumstances.

His commitment to our sport and our country is well known, having turned down repeated approaches from formidable competing countries.

Roger left no stone unturned to find that extra edge for medals, amongst others, desperately searching for waters for our crews beyond Roodeplaat, leading to his discovery of the high-altitude Khatse Dam in Lesotho.

An obsessive focus on performance, a strong networker and organiser, these are difficult shoes to fill. Roger will be the first to acknowledge however, that our community boasts a wealth of talent and the search for his successor will begin immediately under the new IC head, Warren Bolttler. We have the required time for a thorough hand-over as our next cycle begins on October 1st 2021 for Paris 2024 and all the World events in-between.

When all is said and done, Roger’s contribution to our sport has ensured that our crews have become highly respected competitors on international waters the world over.

His success is in large part a consequence of the strong support he has received from his Family, spouse Sarah and their three young children – we extend our heartfelt thanks to them for their support of Roger during his time as National Coach.

We wish them all, the very best into the future as Roger moves towards the next chapter of his professional career.

Sean Kerr

President – RowSA