When you enter a competition, the organisers manage the draw so that crews of similar ability race each other. The measure of ability they use is the Crew Ranking Index (CRI), which is the sum of the Personal Ranking Indices (PRIs) of the individual rowers within the crew, excluding the cox.

Your Personal Ranking Index (PRI) is based on your performances in both head races and regattas. Points are allocated every time you race in both heads and regattas. The number of points you are allocated depends upon how well you do relative to others and how many crews race.

Here are the essentials you need to know about Ranking Points and your Personal Ranking Index (PRI):

• Points awarded reduce automatically over time so you have to keep racing and beating crews to keep your points up. It also means that if you haven’t raced for a while, or you’re returning to rowing, you won’t necessarily have to compete at the same high level you finished at.
• After five years, Ranking Points awarded go down to one point each. This means that your PRI will never reduce below eight points.
• Your PRI is the total of your eight highest point allocations – after they have been reduced over time.
• If you haven’t raced eight competitions a ‘PRI Max’ is calculated. This is calculated based on the Ranking Points for the events that you have entered, with the average multiplied up to the equivalent of eight events.
• Ranking Points have only been awarded for competitions held from September 2015 onwards, so you will only have Ranking Points if you have raced since then.
• All competitions have equal status, however we’ve included in the system the ability to apply a ranking point ‘multiplier’ to certain higher-level if necessary at a later date.
• Coxes gain the same ranking points as the rest of the crew but these will not count towards the crew’s CRI. Coxes who row, and rowers who cox, will have a separate sweep PRI, sculling PRI and coxing PRI.
• You can check your PRI by logging into your account in the British Rowing Membership portal. From here, you can view your race history, current PRI is and how it is calculated.
• If you don’t your British Rowing Membership login, check your emails first as you will have been emailed a login when you first joined. If you still can’t find it your login, then email [email protected] and request one: and include your full name, date of birth, and primary club.

Event Banding

Competitions can divide their entries in a particular boat class (e.g. women’s double sculls) into bands, based on CRI, after entries have closed. The Competition Framework was designed to give competition organisers as much flexibility as possible in how they group competitors together, to help create closer, fairer and more exciting racing for the majority of rowers, and to increase the likelihood of crews getting a race. If you want to race in a higher band to push yourself, you can do so at the discretion of the competition organisers.

Main Classes of Events

Events may be held under the following classes:

• Senior – including Lightweight and U23
• Junior
• Masters.

Events in each of these classes can be Open (regardless of sex), Women or Mixed, and in either discipline (sweep-oared or sculling).

Qualifying Events

A qualifying event is one whose result may affect the Personal Ranking Index of a Competitor (by gaining ranking points).

An event is qualifying when at least one race takes place in which a minimum of two crews have been placed. In general, all competitions are classed as qualifying and the British Rowing Rules of Racing cover this in detail.

Non-qualifying events

The following types of events are non-qualifying:

• Events where special conditions apply and permission has been granted by the National Competition Committee
• A private match arranged solely between the clubs or competitors concerned
• Open only to members of one club, or solely to the clubs of one university or other self-contained body
• Races limited to Adaptive competitors
• A fun event generated on the day among existing competitors
• Events held in recreational boats, or limited to competitors J13 or younger
• A handicap event (other than Masters)
• Relay races
• Primary events as defined by Appendix C of the Rules of Racing
• Bumping races
• Events where competitors are allocated to crews on the day by the organisers.

Senior Class

Senior rowing is open to all registered competitors who are J15 or older, whatever their sex or weight.

Senior events may be banded (see above). Competitions may also set specific entry criteria for events e.g. academic eights.

Scottish/Irish/Coastal/Overseas rowers

British Rowing does its best to provide its affiliated competitions with up-to-date and accurate information.

Competitors who primarily belong to National Rowing Associations other than British Rowing might have a Personal Ranking Index (PRI) that does not fully reflect their ability. This is because PRI relates to British Rowing affiliated competitions and overseas representation for Great Britain. Crews containing such individuals are advised to provide the competition with details of their racing history with the understanding that their governing body may be contacted. This is to ensure that the competitors/crews are entered into an appropriate event for their experience and crew record.

Status points gained in points systems used by other rowing organisations/associations are not converted into PRI for rowers visiting Great Britain to take part in British Rowing affiliated competitions.

Relocation to England or Wales

Rowers who relocate to England or Wales from outside Great Britain and join a rowing club in England or Wales that is affiliated to British Rowing need to disclose their previous experience. This includes Irish rowers and students coming to study at university or college, but not Scottish rowers.

This is so we can allocate these rowers ranking points to reflect their previous experience; when they enter competition they can then be placed in a suitable event with others of similar ability.

To declare your previous experience please fill in this questionnaire AFTER you have joined British Rowing.

Further Information

If you have any general questions on the Competition Framework then please email [email protected].

For queries specifically about your own Ranking Points and PRI, please use the query form within your account in the British Rowing Membership portal.

For the latest version of the Personal Ranking Reference Book, please click here.