Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta 2023

Big season of rowing on the Barwon River to culminate with the Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta- starting tomorrow!

It’s been a big season of schoolgirl rowing on the Barwon River and next week it culminates with Geelong hosting the Head of the Schoolgirls Regatta from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th March. The regatta will attract over 2300 schoolgirls from over 45 schools across the state competing in 40 events over the three-day regatta.

Rowing Geelong President Sam Elliott said he was pleased to see numbers grow once again and is looking forward to having the Barwon River rowing precinct back to 100% after the floods of late last year.

"Whilst numbers have been down across the board for rowing as a sport once again the Head of the Schoolgirls entries have grown. All our regatta’s this season on the Barwon River have attracted more competitors than last. At one stage late last year it was touch and go whether we’d be able to host regattas here in Geelong after the damage left by the floods. However, with the dedication of our volunteers and the kind help of the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and the City of Greater Geelong, we’ve been able to present the area beautifully for the 2023 Head of the Schoolgirls”.

The regatta has been held on the Barwon River since 1987 and injects around $2.5 million into the local economy each year.

“We couldn’t host the regatta without our partners the City of Greater Geelong, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and Rowing Victoria”, Mr Elliott went on to say. “We thank the Head of the Schoolgirls Committee for making the commitment to hold their regatta in Geelong”.

In the main races the Female School Eight Open Division 1 will be hotly contested between Melbourne schools’ Loreto Toorak, St Catherine’s School, and Melbourne Girls Grammar School. Local school Kardinia International College look to be in with a good chance in the Female School Quad Scull Open Division 1 whilst the SEDA College sculler Kfouri is favourite to take out the Female School Single Open Division 1.

Racing will commence at 8am on Friday and conclude with the final of the Female School Coxed Four Open Division 1 at around 3:45pm on Sunday.