The sport of rowing relies on Umpires to make sure racing is safe, fair and an enjoyable experience for everyone. The Northern region currently has 29 umpires, which is rather fewer than ideal, and the Regional Umpiring Committee would be pleased to hear from a few volunteers who would like to give it a try!
The Northern Regional Umpiring Committee (NRUC) carries out training in our region, and will be starting a new course on Monday, January 27th. The first session is just an introduction to umpiring and the training involved, so is an ideal opportunity if you want to find out more. It will take place online using Zoom at 7:30pm. If you are keen or even just curious, please reply to the NRUC Acting Secretary, Dilwyn Jones at nruc-secretary@nerowing.com who will send you the link to join.
The first part of the training proper will follow, with 2-3 evening sessions on Zoom and a face to face class. This focuses on the Rules of Racing, and leads to a short online test which we expect to happen before Easter. Trainees will then practice under supervision at the Northern regattas between April and early July, and hopefully be ready to take and pass a practical exam before the summer holidays. The tutors assess when you are ready for the practical exam, with sufficient confidence, competence and experience of racing incidents (which aren’t all that frequent). This may take anything upwards of 3 days at regattas. Training is free of charge, and regattas usually provide free food to umpires and trainees.
Once qualified, you would need to officiate at 3 or more days of racing each year, taking on several 2 hour shifts in a variety of roles – starter, finish judge, race umpire, etc. It’s usually possible for the shifts to be timetabled around your racing. You can find out more at Umpiring – British Rowing . You don’t need to be an experienced rower or even know anything about the sport before you start the training, so it’s suitable for non-rowing parents, teachers, partners, friends etc.