World Rowing

After months of preparation, we are proud to release the new brand of World Rowing. This is far more than just a new logo because in its every manifestation, it embodies the philosophy, character and values both of our sport and the people who row.

As a sport, Rowing has developed a very strong set of values and its own personality. To a great extent, these derive from the people who row – whether for their nation or their club, university, school or for fitness and leisure, or as an indoor rower. But the environment in which we row is also very important to us; we need clean water and fresh air, and must do our very best to preserve this life-giving aquatic habitat – for others as much as ourselves

Finding the right way to depict these values and personality in a simple, modern and effective way, is a challenge which has taken our team several months of preparation. We are delighted with the result and very proud to at last be able to share this new image with the World.

World Rowing’s new logo has been designed in an art form which comes from the Far East. Surprisingly, the people who practice this art form, Sumi-e, have many similarities with the sport of rowing. In Sumi-e, the artist, the brush and the ink work in perfect harmony to create the prefect brush stroke and the quality of the brushstroke is said to reveal the depth of enlightenment of the artist.

And, just as it takes a lifetime’s dedication to create the simple but perfect brush stroke, rowing requires the same kind of focus and dedication to develop the skill and feeling through which the body, oar and water combine to produce the perfect stroke. And the “enso”, the circular symbol of Sumi-e, itself also shares the shape and form left from a rower’s perfect stroke, it became obvious to us that our new World Rowing brand should be designed in this art-form with this symbol.

We are fortunate to be at the heart of a sport which can boast many strong values. Teamwork, endurance, closeness to nature, fairness and inclusiveness define who we are, and we aim to keep these values at the centre of everything we do to promote our beautiful sport.

In fact, World Rowing identified these values many years ago, but recent research confirmed to us that, despite the many social, cultural and technological changes which are affecting sport in general, the core values of rowing and rowers remain integral to our sport, and so must be preserved.  They are the very essence of what our sport is about.

The new World Rowing brand does not change who we are. On the contrary, it strengthens our image and better identifies our personality and we strongly believe that rowing, in all its forms, is the truest of sports.

We hope you shall embrace our new image just as we have.

Denis Oswald
President