Porirua Rowing Club has come a long way since its establishment in 1967. The club began with just two fours and one eight, with boats stored wherever space could be found. Despite these modest beginnings, the club quickly became active in the rowing community, hosting its first Goodwill Regatta in 1967, an event that remains on the Wellington rowing calendar today.

In the club’s early years, members used a relocated hospital building as a clubhouse at Onepoto. By the early 1990s, the club had outgrown these facilities and began construction of the current clubhouse. Through years of fundraising, volunteer labour, and community support, members raised the funds needed to purchase and build the facility that continues to serve the club today.

Our facilities now provide boat storage, gym equipment, training areas, and direct access to Porirua Harbour. They support all aspects of club life, from Learn to Row programmes and secondary school rowing through to competitive, recreational, masters, and coastal rowing. The facilities are a lasting testament to the hard work and dedication of generations of club members.

The continued improvement of our facilities would not be possible without the dedication of our volunteers. Our training facilities were renovated during the winter of 2022. What was once an underutilised committee room was renovated by a dedicated team of volunteers, who contributed around 200 hours of labour over three months to create a modern and functional training space for all members.

By reusing materials where possible and carrying out much of the work ourselves, we were able to keep costs down while significantly improving the club’s facilities. The project included repairing walls, replacing damaged linings, painting, and creating additional space for training equipment and rowing ergs. Today, members have access to a dedicated training room that supports rowing throughout the year. 

In recent years, committee members successfully secured approximately $130,000 in grant funding to undertake a major reroofing and recladding project for the boathouse, along with security lights and cameras. This significant investment has modernised and protected the building, helping to ensure it remains safe, weather-tight, and fit for purpose for many years to come. By investing in the long-term future of the clubhouse today, we have helped secure a home for rowing in Porirua for the next generation of members and beyond.

Porirua Rowing Club offers a range of facilities to support rowers of all ages, abilities, and rowing interests, including:

• Large boat storage bays for singles, doubles, quads, and larger boats
• Dedicated indoor training room
• Rowing ergometers (rowing machines)
• Rowing Simulator
• Gym equipment for strength and conditioning training
• Kitchen facilities (basic)
• Changing rooms, showers and toilets
• Boat maintenance and workshop area
• Coaching and safety equipment
• Coastal rowing equipment
• Direct access to Porirua Harbour 

Our facilities continue to evolve through ongoing investment and volunteer effort, ensuring members have access to quality training and rowing opportunities throughout the year.