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- row@rowsa.co.za
- 4 Northumberland Ave, Craighall Park, 2196
South African National Indoor Rowing Championships 2025 & EXPO
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, Eastern Cape
Rowing South Africa (RowSA) extends its sincere appreciation to all partners, stakeholders, athletes, educators, and communities who contributed to the outstanding success of the South African National Indoor Rowing Championships 2025, hosted in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
This year’s Championships were a powerful celebration of sport, inclusion, culture, and national unity. The Opening Ceremony was particularly memorable, celebrated in a vibrant cultural manner that honoured the diversity of our nation and the rowing community. Through traditional performances and provincial representation, the ceremony reflected the spirit of unity in diversity reinforcing that rowing in South Africa belongs to all communities, languages, and backgrounds.
We were especially proud of the meaningful participation of Buffalo City local schools during the Expo Day 1 and Day 2 programme. The involvement of mainstream schools alongside special schools including schools for the Deaf reflects our unwavering commitment to inclusive sport and equal access opportunities. The energy and competitive spirit displayed by learners embody the transformative power of sport as a tool for education, empowerment, and social cohesion.
The Championships brought together athletes representing eight provinces: Limpopo, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape. This national representation highlights the growing footprint of indoor rowing across South Africa and demonstrates the strength of interprovincial collaboration in advancing sport development.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to:
for their invaluable funding support, which made this event possible.
We further acknowledge and sincerely thank our key local partners:
Your collaboration and commitment ensured the successful delivery of a championship that not only showcased elite performance but also advanced grassroots participation and school sport development.
We further recognise and appreciate the strong collaboration with all Provincial Rowing Associations across the country. As we forge ahead toward the 12th edition of the South African National Indoor Rowing Championships in 2026, this collective partnership will remain central to expanding structured development programmes, strengthening provincial pathways, and deepening grassroots participation in every province.
The event was strategically aligned with national and provincial Sport and Recreation objectives, particularly in promoting mass participation, school sport revitalisation, inclusion of persons with disabilities, youth development, social cohesion, and sustainable sport pathways. Through this championship, we strengthened the impact of the growing movement #TeachingtheNationtoRow which seeks to expand access to rowing, build inclusive community programmes, and position indoor rowing as a catalyst for holistic development nationwide.
The 2025 Championships reaffirm that when government, federations, municipalities, provincial structures, schools, and communities work together, sport becomes more than competition it becomes a vehicle for transformation, cultural celebration, and national pride.
We look forward to building on this momentum as we continue growing the #TeachingtheNationtoRow movement across South Africa and preparing for an even stronger 12th edition in 2026.
With sincere appreciation,
Virginia Mabaso
Development Coordinator
Rowing South Africa (RowSA)
South African National Indoor Rowing Championships 2025 Organising Committee
