World Rowing and Concept2 embark on a joint mission to take Indoor, ‘Connected’ Rowing to new frontiers

World Rowing, the international governing body of the Olympic sport of Rowing, and Concept2, renowned pioneers in Rowing equipment and creators of the modern Indoor Rowing machine, are thrilled to announce a significant extension of their longstanding partnership to support the growth of Indoor, ‘Connected’ Rowing globally.

Fully embracing the modern trends of Healthy Living and Connected Fitness, Indoor Rowing is enjoying worldwide, exponential growth. No longer just a training tool for Classic Rowing enthusiasts, the humble ergometer has become the “go-to” machine for a global movement of activity, wellness and Sport Gamification. Indoor Rowing was one of just a handful of sports chosen to exhibit at the recent IOC Esports week in Singapore and aspires to become a cornerstone of the future Olympic Esports Games recently announced by the International Olympic Committee, with a first edition now confirmed to take place in the fourth quarter of 2025. The continuous development of the discipline could see its global reach and scale redefine the contours of Rowing and home fitness as we know it.

World Rowing and Concept2 have formed an equally ambitious and transformative alliance to thrive the rapidly expanding discipline of Indoor Rowing. Fuelled by the shared desire for excellence and innovation that unites both entities, the expansion of this partnership is designed to enhance the global Indoor and Connected Rowing ecosystem through a number of key initiatives, driving community engagement and the further expansion of this trending movement.

This common journey will see the forming of a comprehensive year-round calendar of different types of Indoor Rowing events, the optimisation of existing, as well as the development and establishment of new competition formats, and the evolution of data generation and display. The spotlight will also be on the introduction of community-building tools and platforms, and the delivery of a cutting-edge gamified offering to the Esports realm.

Click here to learn more about Indoor, ‘Connected’ Rowing.

Peter Dreissigacker, Co-founder of Concept2 and one of the founding fathers of Indoor Rowing, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with World Rowing in the coming years. Today, the new digital area with its connectivity, immersivity and artificial intelligence makes us once more standing on the edge of a new frontier of unchartered areas of innovation and compelling opportunities. We can’t wait to explore the possibilities together!”

Jean-Christophe Rolland, President of World Rowing, adds: “We couldn’t have found a better partner for this transformative journey ahead of us. In our sport, Dick and Peter are true pioneers, and have what it takes to help us all reach new heights with this emerging discipline. We feel privileged having the opportunity of working with them and their top-notch team. This is a very exciting day for us and the global Rowing community”.

As part of the new agreement, Concept2 will become a Global Partner of World Rowing and serve as the presenting sponsor of the World Rowing and European Rowing Indoor Championships until 2028. Additionally, Concept2 will enjoy enhanced promotional visibility across various World Rowing events in the Classic Rowing discipline.

World Rowing recently announced the official 2025 World Rowing Indoor Championships (WRICH) presented by Concept2, set to take place over two action-packed weekends in February 2025, as well as the launch of a brand-new Virtual Series and plans for an in-person Versa Challenge Finals event in a location to be announced in the near future.

More WRICH event information can be found here.

Entries for the WRICH open 15 November. Enter here.

About World Rowing:

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, World Rowing (previously named FISA – from the French “Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron) is the international governing body of the sport of Rowing. Empowered by its 159 National Rowing Federation members, World Rowing sets the rules and regulations for the practice of the sport in all its forms, including but not limited to the disciplines of Classic Rowing, Coastal Rowing, and Indoor/Connected Rowing. World Rowing also oversees Para-Rowing, sanctions events and works on coaching education and other matters relating to the sport of Rowing and its development.

About Concept2:

Concept2 began in 1976 in the back of a bread truck when Dick and Peter Dreissigacker, fresh from Olympic training, started making composite racing oars. Concept2 oars have since gone on to become the oar of choice among the world’s rowers. In 1981, Dick and Pete created the Concept2 Indoor Rower, which swiftly became the best-selling Rowing machine in the world. Now, several models later, it’s used every day by Olympic athletes, cardiac rehab patients, individuals at home and every caliber of rower in-between all around the world. Concept2’s product line now includes oars, RowErgs, the SkiErg and the BikeErg.