Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) has undertaken a review of having a lightweight rowing category in the Under 19 age group. In 2022, RCA launched an Under 19 Lightweight Working Group to carry out this mandate, with the aim of providing the RCA Board of Directors recommendations for consideration to inform a safe, fair, and inclusive way forward to address the risks and concerns raised about weight restricted rowing categories for rowers under the age of 19 years old.
 
The Working Group conducted a consultation, which included an online survey. The Working Group has provided the RCA Board of Directors with a final report, including seven (7) recommendations.
 
The Full Report can be accessed here.
 
The Recommendations are:

Recommendation 1: Collect data to inform future health and safety initiatives based on risk.
Recommendation 2: Develop, fund and require mandatory education for all coaches regarding the safe management of lightweights; nutrition; athlete mental health; and the prevention and identification of disordered eating.
Recommendation 3: Create an environment where Canadian lightweight athletes feel equitably supported, included, and valued.
Recommendation 4: Create a guideline, specific to the sport of rowing, regarding the prevention, identification, and management of disordered eating, eating disorders and REDs. 
Recommendation 5: Develop and launch an educational, body-positive campaign, targeted at all athletes.
Recommendation 6: Provide access to health practitioners and experts in nutrition, eating disorders, sport psychology.
Recommendation 7: In the Under19 age group, adopt height categories to support inclusion, fairness, and health while providing a meaningful race experience for athletes.
 
We encourage everyone interested in this important topic to review the entire report as it contains information and context that informs the above recommendations.
 
After careful consideration of the information gathered by the Working Group and review of the recommendations put forward, the RCA Board of Directors has accepted recommendations one-six (1-6).
 
With regards to recommendation seven (7), the RCA Board of Directors agrees with the intention of adopting alternative categories in lieu of weight restricted categories for Under 19 participants and wishes to explore all options that will support inclusion, fairness, and health while providing a meaningful race experience for athletes. Accordingly, the RCA Board of Directors has passed a motion to discontinue U19 Lightweight rowing and replace it with alternatives at a date still to be determined. This will not take effect during the current 2024 competitive season.
 
The work done to establish the approaches (e.g. categories) and corresponding implementation processes and timelines will be overseen by a new Working Group: The RCA Under 19 Fair and Meaningful Competition Working Group. We anticipate releasing an expression of interest call out before the end of June 2024.  
 
Lightweight rowing, including at the U19 level, has a profound place in our history and culture and we appreciate that this change will have a deep impact on individuals, organizations, programming, pathways and our structures. We are committed to having a balanced approach, to moving away from the risks identified, meanwhile implementing alternatives with the aim of limiting disruption to the community.
 
Next Steps
 
As we prepare to release information about how to join the ‘RCA Under 19 Fair and Meaningful Competition Working Group’ we encourage community members to start considering if this work may be of interest to them.