Only masters rowers. Focus on the masters.

How do you create the most popular social media page that is dedicated solely to masters rowers? For Rebecca Caroe it was when she saw a gaping hole in the social media world.

“I’m a masters rower and I was aware there were others out there but there was no place for masters to talk about masters rowing. Where can masters go to talk to other masters?

Caroe knew of some Reddit discussions and a British-focused group called Rex Sport Rowing, but that was about it in the social media landscape.

So about eight years ago that Caroe established Masters Rowing International. She set it up as a private group that you must join to see the content.  She says at the start it was slow and steady and quiet. Then it got to 10,000 and Rebecca has a hunch that the Facebook algorithm must have picked it up. The page now has over 26,000 members with 10 – 30 requests every day.

“I manually approve every one of them,” says Caroe who checks that they are genuinely rowers.

To join the group the criterion is simple. You must post about rowing.

“Members get a place filled with rowers (not spammers), dedicated to masters rowing,” says Caroe. “They can find inspiration (ideas of places to go on rowing holidays, new product ideas) and advice about everything from grazed knuckles to recovering from a stroke.”

The most common posts are photographs. “People love looking at photos and it’s really important for rowers to see photos of people just like them,” says Caroe. “It’s reassuring to see an eight with people of mixed ages and physiques. And having a good time and racing hard.”

The majority of members sit in the 40 – 75-year-old age range, and Caroe says it’s very clear they’re not using Instagram or TikTok.

Caroe recognises that masters rowing continues to grow especially among those over 40 years old and rowing for the first time.

“They’re new to the sport. They often have no athletic history and arrive at rowing because, say, a friend suggested it or maybe because their kids are now rowing.”

Indoor rowing comes up in conversation and Caroe is planning to talk about the 2025 World Rowing Indoor Championships as the time comes closer.

Caroe’s Facebook page Masters Rowing International: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mastersrowing