Membership FAQs

Frequently asked questions about British Rowing Membership

General | Digital cards | Day tickets

Community | Race | Row | Coach | Umpire

General Questions

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Which membership type is right for me?

If you are not sure of the most relevant membership type for you, then check out the New Members table here.

Can I change my username?

Please contact [email protected] to get your username changed. Your new username can’t be one already in use by another member.

Do I need to provide a new photo for my membership card?

Yes if you wish to use your digital membership card as proof of ID at competitions. When you renew your membership you will be asked to upload a recent photo of yourself, as this will be displayed directly on your digital membership card.

The photo must:

  • Be a close-up showing your full head, centred in the middle of the photo, facing forward
  • Be clear and in focus
  • Not contain other people
  • Be in clear contrast to the background.

Will my membership number remain the same?

Yes. Your unique seven-digit membership number will always be the same and will not change each time that you renew.

Does every user have to input an email address?

Yes. All users are required to enter an email address when signing up. Your default username is then the same as your email address, but can be changed.

You can then login and if you have opted into our bespoke communications, you will benefit from receiving our emails.

How can I manage my email opt-ins?

You can manage these by logging into your account and clicking on the ’email comms’ tab.

From here you will able to review the opt-ins you have selected.

I have put my date of birth into my profile incorrectly. How do I change it?

When taking out a membership, take care to put all of your personal information in correctly.

If you have entered your date of birth incorrectly, please send us an email to [email protected] with a photo of your passport, showing the correct date of birth, along with your membership number. We can then update this for you on our system.

When can I renew my membership?

You can renew your membership up to two months before it is due to expire.

What are my payment options?

You are able to pay for your membership by card, by bank by entering your account details or by setting up a direct debit payment through your online account.

I’m under 16, why can't I create an online account?

As you are under 16, we require parental consent from a parent or guardian for approval to set up an account.

I am 18 on 1 January, what membership do I choose?

If you are purchasing your membership before you turn 18, you can select RACE – Junior.

As a Junior member, you receive a 50% discount.

What do I pay if I need more than one membership type?

You pay for the highest priced memebrship only. e.g. if you have Race – Adult and Coach memberships, you just pay for the Race membership, and your Coach membership is added at no extra cost.

Is there still the discount for over 80s?

Yes. Over 80s still receive a £3 discount off any membership type. This will automatically be deducted when you go to pay online.

When I try to log in, it says 'User not active'. What should I do?

This often happens due to too many failed log-in attempts. Please email [email protected] and ask us to reactivate your account.

I've recently left school and used to row for my school club. I don't know what my British Rowing membership number was then. What should I do?

Contact [email protected] with your full name and date of birth and we will update the login for your existing account so you can access it. Please DO NOT create a new account from the British Rowing Membership Portal login page because this won’t be associated with your previous racing history.

Where within the login area do I access JustGo Rewards?

To sign up for JustGo Rewards, log in to the British Rowing membership system and click the Menu icon in the top left hand corner. then click the green Rewards tile.

Digital cards

How do I get a Digital membership card?

You will receive a link to download your digital membership card in your membership purchase confirmation email, if you don’t receive this please check your spam and then contact us at [email protected] and we can resend this to you.

Alternatively you can download your membership card directly from the British Rowing Membership system by going to Membership, clicking on the membership type you have, and then clicking the green phone icon in the bottom right hand corner of the tile, as shown in the image below.
Digital membership card download screenshot
In this area you will also be able to download a PDF version of your card.

Whichever way you chose to do find your membership card you should follow these links from a phone in order to save it to your Apple or Google Wallet.

Is my current physical membership card still valid at British Rowing affiliated competitions until the expiry date shown?

Yes your current in-date physical card is still valid as is your new digital membership card for showing your membership status at British Rowing affiliated competitions.

How do I download my Digital Membership card so that it appears within my Apple or Google Wallet?

You will receive a link to download your digital membership card in your membership purchase confirmation email, if you don’t receive this please check your spam and then contact us at [email protected] and we can resend this to you.

Alternatively you can download your membership card directly from the British Rowing Membership system by going to Membership, clicking on the membership type you have, and then clicking the green phone icon in the bottom right hand corner of the tile, as shown in the image below.
Digital membership card download screenshot
In this area you will also be able to download a PDF version of your card.

Whichever way you chose to do find your membership card you should follow these links from a phone in order to save it to your Apple or Google Wallet.

I don't have either Apple or Google phones, how do I download my Digital Membership card as a PDF?

You can download a pdf of your membership card directly from the British Rowing Membership system by going to Membership, clicking on the membership type you have, and then clicking the green download icon in the bottom right hand corner of the tile, as shown in the image below.
Digital membership card download screenshot

Why did British Rowing switch to digital membership cards?

We recognise the importance of improving our sustainability and impact on the environment, especially as a sport that’s so closely linked to nature. Sending out plastic cards every year didn’t fit with this. Many sports and membership bodies before us have made the move to digital already and we’re now in the position to join them in taking a greener approach.

This change will also reduce our costs, which has helped to keep membership fees flat in the year we switch to digital cards.

Going digital also means you’ll always have easy access to your membership card on your phone to identify yourself at competitions.

As a school coach, what is the best way for me to prove that all my pupils have an active RACE membership?

Schools or school coaches can log in to ClubHub at the competition and show the pupils racing from the list of active members in their school boat club. This process was established following consultation with the Junior Rowing Committee and Kitchin Society in January 2023. We welcome any feedback on this which you can share by contacting us at [email protected].

Day tickets

How do I buy a day ticket?

Day tickets can be purchased in the British Rowing Membership system. You do not need to be a British Rowing member to buy a day ticket, but you do need to register for an account in the system. We recommend that anyone buying a day ticket who does not hold Row membership should check that their club or other insurance suits their requirements for training for races.

How much does a day ticket cost?

£15 for the first one and £10 for subsequent purchases (including for subsequent purchases after buying day tickets at a different price).

British Rowing reserves the right as part of the pilot to change or amend this offer at any time until 31 March 2024.

What insurance do I get with a day ticket?

Day tickets include public liability insurance for members for the day of the race. Please note that day tickets do not include personal accident cover, from which Race members benefit.

I have a Race/Scottish & Overseas membership, do I also need to buy a day ticket?

No. Race members and Scottish & Overseas members do not need to and cannot buy day tickets with their membership type as they have unlimited race licences included in their membership.

Which competitions are in the day ticket pilot?

An up to date list of the competitions in the pilot that will accept day tickets can be found here.

What is the refund policy if crews withdraw or scratch, have no opposition, I'm substituted or the event is cancelled etc?

During the pilot of day tickets, a simple refund policy has been established; a day ticket will only be refunded if the purchaser requests to cancel it within seven days of purchasing, provided the competition hasn’t taken place.

After that, no refunds will be given irrespective of a competition running/not getting entry in etc. We will learn from this process in the pilot to understand more about the scenarios that a permanent refund policy should reflect.

Are day tickets available for coxes?

Yes.

How do I show membership details e.g. when collecting prizes?

You can add your day tickets to your smartphone digital wallet or download it as a PDF to show at competitions.

How long will the pilot last?

The pilot has now been extended to the end of September 2024.

How do I share feedback on day tickets?

Day ticket purchasers will be contacted at the end of the pilot (around March 2024) to be asked for their feedback on day tickets. If you want to give feedback before this, please contact us on [email protected].

How do I activate my day ticket with the competition that I wish to use it for?

Your day ticket will be valid for the date of the competition you select when you purchase it, which will be displayed as valid on your digital day ticket card. When entering competitions via BROE2, provided you have bought a day ticket for the date of the competition you are looking to enter, you will be tracked through the system as a valid member to compete for that day.

I'm an Entries Admin. How do I enter someone on BROE with a day ticket?

We’ve set up this pilot scheme so that it doesn’t impact how competitions operate. Once a competitor has bought a day ticket for the specific day of a competition, the day ticket will have a pending state leading up to competition to ensure that entries can be made in the same way as if you had a Race membership, then the day ticket will turn to active on the day of competition.

Is there a maximum number of day tickets that I can buy?

No.

Why has British Rowing decided to reintroduce a form of day ticket?

The previous paper-based day ticket system was withdrawn when entries went online.

However, for a number of years we have received feedback from the rowing community and suggestions from existing British Rowing members who don’t have Race membership that they would like the option to purchase one-off day tickets that would permit them to race at singular competitions without the need to buy a full Race membership. We welcome any feedback on this – just contact us at [email protected].

We are piloting day tickets with a select number of competitions to see whether the rowing community can benefit from this option.

Does British Rowing have any insight on the potential uplift on entries for events as a result of allowing day tickets?

No; the pilot is designed to inform us more about racing behaviour to enable us to gather this kind of information

COMMUNITY Membership

Why has British Rowing decided to make changes to my current Volunteer/Friend of British Rowing/Digital membership?

Your Volunteer/Friend of British Rowing/Digital membership included public liability insurance, which you did not need under your membership so this is why we changed this aspect of your membership. Friend of British Rowing and Digital members did not require any public liability insurance for their involvement in rowing. With regards to Volunteers, we have been working hard with insurers recently to learn more and to understand scenarios in which members, participants, volunteers, and people generally in our sport require insurance. When volunteering in any capacity, the body for whom you are volunteering will be the one to provide cover for volunteers and where you will get the relevant insurance for the event/activity you are volunteering at. We have learnt that providing a British Rowing Volunteer membership was not required because our public liability insurance would not have been the insurance policy to respond to an incident or claim if it was not one of our events.

For example, if it was a club event, the club insurance policy should cover club activity/events/etc and those individuals administering the club event/activity be they club committees or volunteers or helpers etc. If it was a private event, the event organiser’s policy would do the same for those running the event.

Our British Rowing policy would not be able to respond to non-British Rowing events as they are not events we could risk-assess or manage the insurance risks around, as such the insurance within Volunteer membership became redundant. Our general insurance policy will cover anyone volunteering or supporting us to run a British Rowing event so we do not even require people to hold a British Rowing Volunteer Membership to volunteer with us.

As such we saw an opportunity consolidate our membership offering to make it less confusing and provide a more encompassing membership type; Community Membership, that we can now offer at cheaper annual price which is more suitable to the involvement of these types of members.

Why has the existing public liability insurance been removed from my membership?

We did not include Public Liability insurance from the new Community membership because this membership does not require insurance. If you previously held a Support-Volunteer membership, you should be covered under club insurance when you’re volunteering for your club, and you’ll be covered by our insurance when you’re volunteering for a British Rowing event, whether you are a member or not.

If you held Digital or Friend of British Rowing membership we have effectively removed Public Liability insurance from your membership in transferring you to Community membership as it was not relevant to your involvement in rowing.

Removing this unnecessary feature has helped us to reduce the cost to you (Community Membership is £20/year; Volunteer, Digital and Friend of British Rowing Memberships were all £32.50).

I don't want my membership to transition from my current membership to the Community membership, how do I get my pro rata refund ?

Please send your with your Member ID number to [email protected] from 12 April 2023 onwards to request this and we will process this for you.

RACE Membership

Do I need to take my membership card/Race Licence with me when I race?

Yes. You should always take your membership card/Race Licence with you when you compete.

It is in our Rules of Racing (7.2.3), and not having your card could result in disqualification.

I am racing for a club that is not on my card. Is this allowed?

Yes. As long as the club you are racing for is one of the three listed on your online account, you are entitled to race.

I am at a race and have forgotten/lost my membership card. What should I do?

You should take your Race Licence with you to all races, however, if you have forgotten yours, don’t panic as you can now show or download your digital membership card from your phone.

You can download your membership card directly from the British Rowing Membership system by going to Membership, clicking on the membership type you have, and then clicking the green phone icon in the bottom right hand corner of the tile, as shown in the image below.
Digital membership card download screenshot
In this area you will also be able to download a PDF version of your card by clicking the green download icon.

If my club membership has not been approved, can I be entered into competitions through the British Rowing online entry system (BROE2)?

Yes. Providing you have a current British Rowing membership, you can be entered into competitions

As I will be competing in British Rowing and British Rowing affiliated competitions, will I be subject to doping control?

Yes. All British Rowing members are subject to the Anti-Doping Rules of UK Anti-Doping. Athletes who compete at British Rowing or British Rowing affiliated competitions may be requested to provide a sample to UK Anti-Doping or any other National Anti-Doping Organisation with authority.

ROW Membership

Can I race with a ROW membership?

No. If you want to race in British Rowing affiliated competitions, you need a RACE membership as it includes a Race Licence. If you wish to race in primary events then you can do so under this membership.

I have signed up for a ROW membership. Will I receive a card?

Yes. As with all of our membership types, you will receive a digital membership card by email.

As a ROW member, am I covered by insurance?

Yes. With your ROW membership, you receive specialist rowing liability and personal accident insurance.

How much does it cost to upgrade from ROW to RACE membership?

To upgrade to RACE membership it costs the difference between the two membership types. This can be done at any point in the year for the same cost.

Will I receive more communications about the Gig or coastal community?

We would love to hear more stories from the Gig and coastal community so please fill out the #YourStories form in order for us to share your news more widely across the sport.

Do I need to familiarise myself with the requirements of Clean Sport, even though I do not compete?

Yes. All British Rowing members, regardless of their role in rowing, are subject to the Anti-Doping Rules of UK Anti-Doping. In order to familiarise yourself to these rules, you can use your membership to access RowHow. RowHow contains free online learning materials for all members regarding the requirements of Clean Sport and Anti-Doping. You can access the resources here.

COACH Membership

I am not a qualified coach, which membership should I choose?

Coaches with a lot of experience who don’t have a formal qualification can obtain a Coach membership by getting a club endorsement for their coaching status. To endorse a coach, clubs must fill out this form. Once this has been completed and approved by the British Rowing Learning, Education and Development team, they will add a club endorsement to the coach’s profile that will allow the coach to purchase a coach membership. The British Rowing Learning, Education and Development team will also notify the club official who filled out the form that this has been approved so they can inform the coach that they can purchase coach membership.

Please note that this is an annual endorsement and it is expected coaches undertake a coaching qualification in their first year of endorsement.

I have an old qualification, can I still purchase COACH membership?

Yes. We still recognise qualifications from the ARA coaching award scheme.

Who verifies the coaching qualifications and how long does this take? Will this affect when I will receive my membership card?

Our Learning, Education and Development team will verify the coaching qualifications. This usually takes 7 to 10 working days.

Once your qualifications have been verified, you will be able to download your Coach pass confirming your coach status.

My First Aid and Safeguarding have expired, can I still take out COACH membership?

Yes. However, your Coach pass will not display these credentials until they have been renewed.

Why is my qualification set to 99 years?

Your qualification does not have an expiry date, but we need to set a date in the system so the default is set as 99 years to show that it will not expire.

Can I use my membership card as proof of my coaching qualifications?

No, your qualifications are now displayed separately on a digital Coach Pass. Your Coach Pass now records your coach status and all your coaching credentials as opposed to them being displayed on your membership card as they were previously.

It is therefore mandatory for members to upload a photo, as it can then be used as proof of your coaching qualifications and any relevant training via your Coach Pass.

You will receive a link to download your digital membership card and your Coach Pass when you purchase or renew a Coach membership. If you don’t receive this please check your spam and then contact us at [email protected] and we can resend this to you.

Alternatively you can download your Coach Pass directly from the British Rowing Membership system to use as proof of your coaching qualifications.

To download your coach pass:

  1. Click on Profile
  2. Click Credentials (if you’re on a phone, you’ll need to select More to see the Credentials option)
  3. Select Coaching Pass
  4. Click the orange Add Pass button
  5. Save to GPay wallet (on phone only) or Add to Apple Wallet
  6. Go to your wallet and open the pass
  7. Then either click on the QR code you see, which will show another screen with a QR code that someone can scan and then get a link to view your Credentials, OR click the 3 dots in the top right corner to see your Credentials, which you can show to someone else on your phone.

How do I get my digital Coach Pass?

You will receive an email with a link to download your Coach Pass when you purchase or renew a Coach membership, if you don’t receive this please check your spam and then contact us at [email protected] and we can resend this to you.

Alternatively you can download your Coach Pass directly from the British Rowing Membership system to use as proof of your coaching qualifications.

To download your coach pass:

  1. Click on Profile
  2. Click Credentials (if you’re on a phone, you’ll need to select More to see the Credentials option)
  3. Select Coaching Pass
  4. Click the orange Add Pass button
  5. Save to GPay wallet (on phone only) or Add to Apple Wallet
  6. Go to your wallet and open the pass
  7. Then either click on the QR code you see, which will show another screen with a QR code that someone can scan and then get a link to view your Credentials, OR click the 3 dots in the top right corner to see your Credentials, which you can show to someone else on your phone.

Can I be a COACH member if I have an international coaching qualification?

Yes. British Rowing will need to verify the qualification provider, but as long as this has been approved, you will be able to become a COACH member.

What is Professional Indemnity insurance?

Professional Indemnity insurance provides you with cover for incidents arising from the advice you provide as a coach/coach educator.

For example, if you are coaching someone and they suffer an injury which they believe is due to your poor coaching, the policy will defend a claim brought against you. If it is proven that you have been negligent, the policy will pay the appropriate compensation.

More information about coaching insurance cover is provided here.

Are all club coaches required to have a British Rowing COACH membership?

We would strongly encourage all coaches, voluntary or paid, to make sure they are covered against all eventualities. British Rowing COACH membership is one way of doing that simply and affordably. COACH members get Professional Indemnity insurance against any claims for loss and damage which might occur. Our insurance offering is tailored specifically for rowing coaches, and much cheaper than any comparable market rate.

Coaches coaching or supervising children or adults at risk, are required to have COACH membership.

In addition, being a British Rowing COACH member will also ensure that we are able to communicate important up to date safety information effectively.

What is Professional Indemnity insurance?

Professional Indemnity insurance provides you with cover for incidents arising from the advice you provide as a coach/coach educator.

For example, if you are coaching someone and they suffer an injury which they believe is due to your poor coaching, the policy will defend a claim brought against you. If it is proven that you have been negligent, the policy will pay the appropriate compensation.

Does British Rowing cover the cost of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check?

Yes, British Rowing will cover the cost of a DBS check for those who are in an eligible role (for example, coaching or supervising children) at an affiliated club. For more information about obtaining a DBS check please talk to your Club Welfare Officer.

How much does a DBS check cost?

For paid coaches, an enhanced DBS check normally costs around £50, and around £10 for volunteer coaches.

Can I be a COACH member and still race in British Rowing competitions?

Yes. If you purchase COACH membership and then decide that you want to race in British Rowing competitions, you can also purchase RACE membership via your member account.

What resources do British Rowing offer coaches who want to advise their athletes on the requirements of Clean Sport and Anti-Doping?

British Rowing offers coaches a wide range of resources and tools they can use to advise their athletes. You can recommend your athletes complete British Rowing’s free online Clean Sport Awards, which are a series of interactive online learning modules and can be found here. There is also an abundance of PDFs that can be printed off from RowHow, which can be found here.  Finally, if coaches wish to organise a Clean Sport Workshop for their club, they should click here.

Umpire Membership

Which Umpiring licence will show on my card?

Your highest recognised rowing umpiring licence will show on your membership card. This means if you have a World Rowing umpiring licence, then this would be the one shown.

Can I use my membership card as proof of my Umpiring licence?

Yes. As your digital membership card will show your photo as well as your Umpiring Licence, this can be used as identification (ID) when you attend competitions.

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