The Rowing NSW Sprint Eliminator is a fast and exciting new format. You can find all the details on this page.
The Women's Sprint Eliminator will be held during the lunch break of the 2025 Schoolgirl Head of the River on 8 March 2025.
The Men's Sprint Eliminator will be held during the lunch break of the 2025 Schoolboy Head of the River on 9 March 2025.
The Rowing NSW Sprint Eliminator is a set of 250-metre races.
Nine athletes contest the first race, and whoever finishes last is eliminated.
There are five minutes between races - anyone not ready for the next race is eliminated.
Racing continues, with last place being eliminated each time, until two athletes are left.
This means the top two athletes will race a total of eight times, or 2km total.
The winner of the final race wins the Sprint Eliminator.
There are 9 athletes for each gender.
6 Rowing NSW selections - these are marquee, high-performance athletes.
2 qualifiers from the Small Boats Regatta - a 500m qualifying race specifically for the Sprint Eliminator will be held, with the top two finishers for each gender qualifying
1 qualifier from the PLC/Kings/Rowing NSW Regatta - a 500m qualifying race specifically for the Sprint Eliminator will be held, with the top finisher for each gender qualifying
The field of athletes will be updated here as it is announced:
| Women's Race | Men's Race |
| Tara Rigney - SUBC | Marcus Della Marta - SUBC |
| Laura Gourley - UTS | Alex Hill - Adelaide |
| ? | ? |
| ? | ? |
| ? | ? |
| ? | ? |
| ? | ? |
| ? | ? |
| ? | ? |
For each gender, the prizes are as follows:
1st Place - $5000
2nd Place - $3000
3rd Place - $2000
Stay tuned for further announcements about prizes on offer!
I want to enter the Rowing NSW Sprint Eliminator - how can I?
Entries are open now for the 2025 Small Boats Regatta, where you can enter the Open Women's or Open Men's Sprint Eliminator Qualifier. Click here to enter.
Entries are not open yet for the 2025 PLC/Kings/Rowing NSW Regatta, but one more qualifying spot will be available at this regatta.
How can I watch the Rowing NSW Sprint Eliminator live?
The races will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel, and we'll have wall-to-wall coverage on all our socials.
If you have any questions about the Sprint Eliminator, please email office@rowingnsw.asn.au