We are heading toward the heart of the season with Navy Sponsorship money being finalized, of which we have already committed 130% of this money back to the States for their roles in putting together State based series, and State by State sponsorship for teams and travel. The ASRL committee would like to acknowledge and thank the enormous time and effort put in by the State bodies and their Navy representatives.

We as a committee knew going into this season that the money committed in budget would be greater than that received from the Navy, due to the deal structure which depreciates each year as the infrastructure for the series is covered, as a result once again Peter Hickey has worked his magic and brought in a number of small sponsorships to bridge the gap. Including Banana Boat and Staminade.

What we are now chasing is memberships and entries for the Open, time is ticking and we must have all entries in to finalize insurance for the event. Wollongong SLSC have completed the bulk of the planning and are waiting for the numbers from the ASRL for the final considerations for parking, boat areas, tent areas, food vans, catering, etc…

Navy involvement in Surf Boats in Australia, and the ASRL has given us the ability to significantly lift the profile of rowing, we would love to continue this deal for years to come for the benefit of all rowers, so having the membership up to scratch is critical to their future with us.

Once again we are going down to the line with budgets, if the States want the Navy deal and their support to continue, we must ensure that memberships are in and completed on time. Alan Gibbon, Bert Hunt and myself can be contacted if you have any queries as entries close this Friday.

SLSA is calling for nominations from any member of the Surf Boat fraternity wishing to be part of the Surf Boat Panel at the 2010 Whereis® Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, to be held at Kurrawa, Queensland on 16-21 March 2010.

The Panel will consist of 12 members who will advise the Australian Championship Committee, Carnival Referee and Boat Area Referee on matters when asked. A rotation roster will be devised from panel members selected for all days that Surf Boat Rowing is being carried out.

Nominations for the ASRL Novice Sweep of the Year award - 2008/09 closed on 30 November, 2009.

State bodies/clubs were invited to prepare a nomination for the award.  All nominations have been passed on to a select sub-committee of the ASRL for final determination.  Please note that the award shall apply to the first full season's commitment of the nominated sweep, thereby allowing for some limited involvement in preceding years. 

Nominations received:

Any further enquiries to Olly at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

ASRL 2009/10 Official Merchandise is now available to purchase online.  Click here or on the banner below to go to the new shop! 

Commodore David Letts of the RAN officially opens the 2009-10 Navy ASRL National League

The 2009-10 Navy Australian Surf Rowers League Series was officially launched on Saturday, 24th October at Brisbane’s South Bank by the Head of Navy People and Reputation Commodore David Letts.

Commodore Letts said the sport of surf rowing requires effective team work and a high level of fitness, two attributes of the Royal Australian Navy

“This sport is an ideal means to promote the healthy ideals of the Royal Australian Navy,” Commodore Letts said.

“Navy is proud to be naming rights sponsor of this iconic Australian sport. In surf rowing and in the Royal Australian Navy, teamwork and fitness are very important.

“But it’s not only about supporting this popular iconic sport,” he said. “This alliance aims to increase public understanding of Navy and the importance of the Navy values – Honour, Honesty, Courage, Integrity and Loyalty.

“This alliance will help Navy reach fit and capable young men and women who understand the importance of being part of and assisting the community, and want to embark on an adventurous, fulfilling and worthwhile career.

“It is also worth noting that the ASRL members provide an important community service by conducting Surf Lifesaving duties on many Australian beaches.

“The men and women engaged in this effort are to be applauded for their commitment to safety of their fellow Australians,” Commodore Letts said.

The ASRL Committee and Members would like to express their sincere thanks to the Royal Australian Navy for their continued support and involvement in the Navy Australian Surf Rowers League Series and surf rowing in general.

For information about a job in the Navy, log on to defencejobs.gov.au or call 13 19 01.

Click on the "Read More" button below for a few more images of the day

The Concept for ASRL Novice Sweep of the Year

The ASRL have introduced a new concept of recognizing our new Sweep Hands. Many experienced Sweeps around the country are only too happy to assist in the development of new sweeps and this award is recognition of that development.

To achieve what the three selected Sweeps have done in the first year of real competition is outstanding and as long as we continue to encourage and develop we can all only benefit with increased competent crew numbers.

Every State was invited to nominate a Novice Sweep into this new competition conducted to select the “ASRL Novice Sweep of the Year”.

And the winner for the 2007-08 season is: (click on the "Read More" button to view the rest of the article)

The 2009 ASRL Annual General Meeting was held at Currumbin Surf Club on the Gold Coast on Saturday, 25th July, 2009.  Many thanks to those members who took the time to utilize the Electronic Vote and especially those who attended the AGM in person. These meetings are never high on the hit parade in any organisation but they are an important part of the democratic process in that they provide the opportunity to have your say and to listen first hand to the direction the ship is being steered.
 
Thanks to all who put their hand up for a committee position and well done to the elected committee, your task is now about to begin as we launch into another season.  Your 2009-2010 Committee is:

In other AGM business, the Notice of Motion regarding the change of name received a 68% "In Favour" vote, short of the 75% required for the motion to be adopted by the ASRL. 

You can download a copy of the Minutes of the AGM by clicking here and Minutes of the Forum that followed the AGM by clicking here

These and other ASRL documents are always available to be viewed/downloaded via the "ASRL Documents" link in the Member's Menu of the site.