Club Affiliation

Clubs are at the heart of rowing and British Rowing is committed to supporting all those involved in developing the sport

Clubs affiliated to British Rowing have demonstrated that they are well run, safe and follow good governance and procedures. Through affiliation, clubs are able to enjoy a range of benefits that allow them and all of their members to enjoy the sport and help achieve their aims and ambitions. This includes recognition with Sport England and other national bodies.

Affiliation Benefits

Affiliated clubs have access to a range of key benefits and services, have a say in the running of the sport at a national and regional level, voting rights, competition rights, staff and volunteer support, plus much more. This applies to all types of clubs including School, University, College and Alumni.

From 1 April 2024, there are two affiliation products available to clubs: standard Affiliation, and Affiliation Plus, which includes bespoke liability insurance cover and enhanced fundraising application support as well as all of the benefits of standard Affiliation.

To learn about what you can receive through affiliation, visit our benefits section here.

New Affiliations

If you are looking to start a new club, are interested in affiliating for the first time or want to re-affiliate to British Rowing, then please email [email protected] for more information about the affiliation process.

A Club whose principal location is in England may affiliate to British Rowing to develop, gain access to funding, compete or to be recognised as a British Rowing member. As part of the application process to become an Affiliated Member, and as per section 6 of the British Rowing Regulations, a Club must:

  1. Complete the application form made available by British Rowing from time to time.
  2. Pay the relevant subscription fee.
  3. Have a designated boating base, or permission from a host Club to use their facilities and/or equipment.
  4. Complete the British Rowing Safety Audit which must be approved by the relevant Regional Rowing Safety Advisor. More information regarding the Safety Audit process can be found here.
  5. Review all British Rowing welfare policies, and appoint a Club Welfare Officer.
  6. Provide a copy of its constitution, which must contain an equal opportunities clause, confirm that the club will implement British Rowing’s policies on safeguarding and protecting children and young people and adults at risk and confirm that the Club will abide by the Regulations and adhere to the safety requirements of the British Rowing RowSafe Guide. You can download a copy of the British Rowing model constitution here and find more information on the legal structure of clubs here.
  7. Be adequately insured and take responsibility for all of their equipment and liability for the actions for the Club. Visit our insurance page for more information.
  8. Obtain approval from the relevant Regional Rowing Council for the application.

British Rowing encourages the establishment of new clubs in areas where rowing is not currently offered.

We would like to mention that a new club has to have been affiliated for a year and individuals need to be registered with their club before they are able to compete at Henley Royal Regatta; and Henley Women’s Regatta requires affiliation for at least six months prior to their closing date for entries.

Affiliation Form

Once you’re ready to start the affiliation process you’ll need to fill in an application form. This needs to be completed by your Club Chair/Head of Rowing and requires details of your club committee members, members and host club (if applicable).

The affiliation form can be found here.

Affiliation Renewal

Affiliation is the annual process in which rowing clubs and organisations formally associate to British Rowing.

To renew affiliation each year clubs must review their safety procedures, equipment and risk assessments via an online Safety Audit (Oct – Nov each year) and provide a membership declaration and confirmation of committee contacts (Feb – Mar each year). We will communicate all information to the club secretaries and school administrators  with reminders throughout the year, so make sure you keep your key club contacts appointed, named and up-to-date on your club profile within ClubHub – British Rowing’s Club Management system. If you have any questions regarding this process please email [email protected].

Fees

Affiliation requires an annual fee and from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Standard Club Affiliation costs £110 for 10 members or fewer, plus £10 for each additional member.

Club Affiliation Plus costs £600 for 10 members or fewer, plus £10 for each additional member.

Fees for each year are confirmed in February.

Other Organisations

There are a number of organisations who are recognised by British Rowing, either as ‘Associated Organisations’, ‘Other Rowing Associations’ or ‘Watersport Centres’. These Organisations support the aims and objectives of British Rowing but sit outside the governance structure of British Rowing and are not Affiliated Members.

For a list of these organisations and their responsibilities, click here.

If you are a club under the umbrella of another Organisation and want to also become an Affiliated Member of British Rowing, then you need to affiliate in the same way as all other clubs.

Affiliation FAQs

Is insurance included as part of affiliation?

Affiliated clubs are required to take out liability cover appropriate for the club as an entity and its activities. Appropriate cover is provided to clubs who take out Club Affiliation Plus (introduced from 1 April 2024). Standard Club Affiliation does not provide any form of liability or other insurance.

How do we get British Rowing approval for affiliation?

Please complete and submit the online application form, you can find that here. Please check that you have completed and attached the required supporting documents as outlined in the online form, including a copy of the Club’s Constitution.  This will be presented to the Board for approval and the Club Chair will be informed when the affiliation has been approved.

We would like to mention that a new club has to have been affiliated for a year before they are able to compete at Henley Royal Regatta; Henley Women’s Regatta require affiliation for at least six months prior to their closing date for entries.

Can our club enter British Rowing competitions if we are not affiliated?

No.

How do we complete the Safety Audit for Club affiliation?

Please contact [email protected] when you are ready to do this so we can set you up on the system. This needs to be approved by your Regional Rowing Safety Adviser before they will sign the application, please contact this person for advice or assistance with the audit.

How much does club affiliation cost?

See the Fees section above.

Our club is not based in England, can we affiliate with British Rowing?

No. British Rowing would not accept an application from any club under the jurisdiction of another governing body. British Rowing affiliated clubs are divided into Regions with their own Regional Rowing Council, clubs based outside of England would not fall into any region.

How do we get regional approval for venue affiliation?

British Rowing will liaise with members of your Regional Rowing Council for application approval. If you need to contact your Regional Rowing Council, please see details for your Regional Chair and your Regional Rowing Safety Adviser.

We do not have a boating base can we still affiliate?

All clubs must have a designated boating base. If you do not have your own boat house then you can request permission from a host club to use their facilities and/or equipment. You may want to consider the practicalities of such an arrangement with your host club, these could include agreements on: boat sharing, any host club membership fees, training times, policies, communication and insurance. The new club should be aware that they need to read, understand and adopt all of the safety procedures of their host club.

There is a section on the application form which must be completed, and your host club must agree, provide a declaration and sign, if this applies.

What are the benefits of affiliating to British Rowing?

Membership of the NGB gives key benefits and services to all affiliated clubs, including a governance structure, national recognition, staff and volunteer support, use of systems to help run your club including ClubHub and RowHow etc. Find out more here.

What are the mandatory committee roles for Alumni clubs who wish to affiliate?

There are three mandatory committee roles for all clubs:

  • Club Chair (Head of Rowing) – for contact about any key club affairs
  • Club Welfare Officer (Head of Pastoral Care) – for contact about key welfare, safeguarding updates or issues.
  • Club Safety Adviser – for contact about any key safety updates or issues.

What’s the difference between standard Club Affiliation and Affiliation Plus?

Affiliation Plus gives clubs all of the benefits as standard Affiliation plus liability insurance cover and enhanced fundraising application support. See the Affiliation Benefits page for details.

What happens if we don’t renew our affiliation on time?

Clubs that haven’t paid their affiliation fee by the payment deadline will not be able to access key British Rowing benefits. This may mean that your club access to BROE2 (the British Rowing Online Entry system) and the ability to enter crews into or race in any affiliated competitions will be revoked. We will also list clubs that we haven’t heard from on our website.

When will we receive a response after completing our online affiliation?

The application is likely to take a minimum of four weeks to process and is dependent on the dates of the British Rowing Board meetings, who meet six times per year. Please allow sufficient time to complete your application and be aware of the Board meeting dates in relation to any competitions your club may want to enter.

If all affiliation criteria have been met your application will be presented to the Board for approval.

Where can I find guidance on club constitutions for club affiliation?

You can find out more here, where you can also download model constitutions.

Is there a checklist for affiliation?

Before submitting your online application, please check you have the following as we will ask you to upload it as part of the application:

  • Your British Rowing region (or Sub-region if Thames based). You will be asked to select this.
  • A word document with the contact information of mandatory committee roles.
  • A consent letter from your host club (if applicable).
  • A Club constitution
  • Insurance confirmation
  • A completed Safety Audit
  • A document with images of your proposed club colours and blade/kit design for approval

More in this section

Affiliation Benefits

As an affiliated British Rowing club, you are recognised as a voting member of the organisation. We will support your clubs development and help you meet national standards of governance which helps to make clubs safe and well-run.

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Other Affiliated Associations and Organisations

These are rowing organisations who support the aims and objectives of British Rowing, as the National Governing Body for rowing.

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Club Governance

Governance covers the organisational structure of the club and how decisions are made and implemented

View Content

Club Guides

Comprehensive guides to various aspects of running a rowing club

View Content

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