Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) is preparing to start our 2026 international racing season as Canadian crews begin competition at the opening World Rowing Cup of the year in Seville, Spain. The season will provide important opportunities for athletes and coaches to test new combinations, gain international racing experience, and continue building toward long-term success on the world stage.

The 2026 campaign will see Canadian crews compete across the World Rowing Cup circuit and World Championships, with a continued focus on LA 2028 qualification strategy, benchmarking the Canadian athlete pool against international standards, and evaluating boat combinations to identify the strongest pathways to Olympic success.

“This early-season racing is about gaining clarity. We want to understand where we stand in the international field, in specific boats and with specific athletes, and use that information to make smart decisions about our path to Los Angeles,” shares RCA High Performance Director, Adam Parfitt. “The World Cup regattas give us the real data we need to move our program forward for the rest of the summer. There are a number of athletes joining the program in June, and these WC performances will benchmark the standards for the program and what our performance options will be for the World Champs.”

This season’s roster features a blend of experienced senior national team athletes and emerging talent, including several new crew combinations that will gain valuable racing exposure throughout the international season.

RCA’s coaching staff will use the early World Cup events to benchmark progress against international competition and continue evaluating combinations ahead of the 2026 World Rowing Championships.

“Opening the season in Spain brings a lot of excitement,” says Senior Women’s National Team athlete, Kristen Siermachesky, “It’s an incredible environment to race and a great opportunity to measure ourselves against top international competition. We’re ready to test our speed, keep pushing our performance forward, and use every race as a step toward our ultimate goal of being on the podium at LA 2028.”

Canadian crews opening the international season in Seville include the men’s coxless four, women’s quadruple sculls, and women’s double sculls. Several athletes return following a strong winter of training, with physical and technical progress set to be tested in race conditions. 

HOW TO FOLLOW WORLD CUP RACING

Competition Dates:

• World Rowing Cup I – Seville, Spain: May 29–31, 2026 
• World Rowing Cup II – Plovdiv, Bulgaria: June 12-14, 2026  

• Seville
• Bulgaria 

• Results and Live Stream
• Streaming on CBC
• CBC Steaming Schedule