Rowing Ireland has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that governance within the organisation and within our clubs is of the highest level. As a National Governing Body for the sport of rowing in Ireland, Rowing Ireland is designated as a Type C organisation under the Sport Ireland, governance Code for Sport. 

Rowing Ireland the organisation

The main characteristics of a type C organisation are that the people who sit on the board focus solely on their governance/oversight role, delegating management and operational duties to staff. There is a clear division between the governance role of the board and the management role of staff.

The board of Rowing Ireland is currently engaged in reviewing, updating, and drafting governance documents to ensure our policy, procedures and guidance documents all meet the required standards to continue to effectively steer our very successful organisation in the right direction. To achieve this, the board are guided by the five principles of the governance code for sport:

Principle 1 – Leading the organisation 

Principle 2 – Exercising control over the organisation 

Principle 3 – Being transparent and accountable 

Principle 4 – Working effectively 

Principle 5 – Behaving with integrity

The findings and recommendations of the review undertaken by the Board of Rowing Ireland will be presented to all clubs in the coming weeks.

Rowing Ireland our Clubs

Rowing Ireland clubs fall under Type A and Type B organisation within the governance code for sport. 

Type A – being clubs that are mainly run by volunteers with no paid staff, 

Type B – clubs are clubs that are limited companies and may have 1 or a small number of staff members. 

Rowing Ireland staff members engage daily with our clubs supporting them to ensure the highest level of safeguarding and governance is maintained. On the Rowing Ireland website, you can download templates of governance policies prepared by our staff to ensure your club can safely and effectively operate within the code.

For clubs to be a safe place for your members, a place where children and adults can train, compete and be successful, our clubs must continue to strive to have an environment that has the highest standards of safeguarding and governance. The recent Child Safeguarding Audit was completed by over 96% of Rowing Ireland clubs with an exceptional level of compliance within the safeguarding governance by our clubs. Rowing Ireland staff continue to work with and support clubs to maintain and grow this level of compliance.

To continuously develop a successful race plan you must evolve, review, implement required changes and be open to new ideas. To continue to grow and to be a sustainable and successful sport we must evolve, review, implement required changes and drive and support each other on to achieve higher standards.

The staff of Rowing Ireland are here to support and to help our organisation and our clubs to enjoy a sustainable and successful future.

Please use the link below for further information on the Sport Ireland Governance code www.sportireland.ie/GovernanceCode.

Pat Kiely

Club Support Officer