As the island of Ireland continues high-level Covid -19 restrictions, the NI Executive Restrictions from 11 December 2020 are further updated. The NI Working Group have put together a list of questions and answers to continue to assist clubs in NI.
We are in continuous communication with Sport Northern Ireland for the latest updates and clarification to ensure we as a sport continue to operate within the guidelines laid down by the relevant authorities.
At Rowing Ireland, our number one priority at this time is the health and safety of all our members. We ask all our Affiliated Clubs and registered members to continue to observe the guidelines during these unprecedented times.
We must play our part in reducing the R number throughout the island.
We are all Rowing Ireland.
Rowing Ireland Covid-19 protocols (NI) Frequently asked questions
| FAQ’s | Question | Answer | Reasoning (Information Resource) |
| 1 | Can rowers train in crew boats? | Yes | Elite and ‘outdoor contact training’ is allowed. This includes crew rowing, where rowers are moving together. PPE for coxes is required. |
| 2 | Can rowers travel to clubs? | Yes. | Rowers can travel where this is necessary for their physical and mental wellbeing. |
| 3 | Can individual rowers go out in sculls from the club/ school/ university? | Yes | Individual training is allowed in groups of up to 15 people including any people coaching. More people can attend where a gathering has been organised or operated for recreational and sporting purposes subject to a risk assessment and measures being in place to limit the risk of virus transmission. |
| 4 | Can club/ school/ university boathouses remain open? | Yes | To allow for outdoor exercise. Changing rooms (or any related “touch” points) remain closed. |
| 5 | Can Gyms with plenty of room and ventilation be used while maintaining social distancing and apply strict sterilization protocols? | Yes | Club/ school/ university gyms may remain open for up to 15 in non-contact indoor exercise that does not cause individuals to get out of breath. |
| 6 | Can more than one group of 15 train outdoors at the same time? | Yes | A clear and obvious separation must be maintained at all times. Coaches should not interact between groups. |
| 7 | Must attendees at allowed training sessions wear a face covering? | Yes | While it is not mandatory to wear a face covering outdoors, it is highly advised when a 2-metre social distance cannot be maintained at all times. |
| 8 | Can sports events take place? | Yes, but.. | Outdoor sports events may take place if there are no more than 15 participants. More than 15 may attend subject to a risk assessment and measures in place. Inter-school competitive sporting events are not permitted. |
| 9 | In terms of outdoor events can Elite rowers do more than others? | No | Indoor and outdoor events may be held, but for gatherings of over 15 there is a requirement to carry out a risk assessment and take mitigating measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission. |
| 10 | Does our club need to keep contact details of parents/ carers attending sessions? | Yes | A log of all people attending club sites, with contact information for contact tracing purposes should be recorded to enable contact tracing, should it be required. |
| 11 | Should our club have a COVID-19 Compliance Officer? | Yes | Designating COVID compliance officers is useful to help with coordination of risk mitigation actions. |
Any club or group that is not in a position to apply these measures or enforce them should not hold training sessions.
