Getting out of international rowing can be just as hard as getting in

WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE McARTHUR

As Martin Cross wrote in his article Crossing the Line in Issue 014 of Row360, rowers moving on from their careers in high performance programs are often faced with a large hole to fill in their lives. With elite teams prioritising performances over people, it can make for a challenging transition back to regular civilian life when that journey ends.

In 2017 German international oarsman Bjoern Birkner and colleagues formed the Exit8, to help fill this void. Birkner says that rowing with other former elite rowers, without the pressure of his national team experiences, has been vital for his own mental health. Rowing in the Exit8, says Birkner, has “helped a lot, which is exactly the point of it.”

Unbeknownst to each other, and half way round the world in New Zealand, another group was embarking on a similar plan to provide an outlet for former elite rowers to row together and compete. What started with a few outcasts (“Bad Boys” as they were nicknamed) from the New Zealand elite rowing squad, has now evolved into the more serious Barbarians Rowing Club.