CSSRA pulls plug on high school regatta
The waters will be still the first weekend of June on Henley Island.
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the 2020 Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association Regatta, slated for June 5-7.
The announcement was released on the regatta’s web site and Facebook page Thursday.
“In the present circumstances and based on the information provided to date, the Board of Directors of the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association has decided that the 75th Annual Championship Regatta which was to be held June 5-7, 2020, and all associated 75th anniversary events planned to be a celebration of high school rowing, are hereby cancelled,” the statement read. “This Championship Regatta will not be held at a future date this year.”
The 75th Annual Championship Regatta will be held June 4-6, 2021.
“This decision was made following extensive review and as part of the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association role in society’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Coronavirus. We have not taken this decision lightly. However, our decision to cancel the 2020 Championship Regatta was made to safeguard the health and safety of the athletes, coaches, school administrators, umpires, families in our rowing community, and all our hundreds of valued volunteers involved in the staging and running of our Championship Regatta.”
CSSRA first vice-president Mike Purcer was naturally disappointed.
“I really feel for the athletes,” Purcer said. “They’ve been training so hard all winter and not getting a chance to compete, that’s the biggest part of the fun for them.
“It’s the senior athletes that won’t be coming back that I really feel for. The CSSRA medal is so prestigious in high school rowing and they’ll never get that chance back.”
Purcer felt it was prudent to make the call early.
“There are other people we work with that have to put things in place for that to happen, let alone our own registrations and commitments,” he said. “People travelling have to make commitments by a certain date so they are the ones that really wanted to know.”
Purcer said the events planned for the 75th anniversary will be held next year.
“We were planning a big sort of reunion and welcome back,” he said. “Along with the St. Catharines Rowing Alumni Association, we were going to have it on the Friday night and the Saturday night during the regatta.
“I know we were having pins made for all the participants. There are a number of interesting things happening.”
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