Light four skip Amsterdam

ROWING:Ireland will have a big team of 25 athletes at next weekend's second World Cup in Amsterdam, but a major talking point will be about the men who will not be there, the lightweight men's four.

The crew of Paul Griffin, Richard Archibald, Eugene Coakley and Cathal Moynihan travelled to a training camp in Cork after the last World Cup in Linz two weeks' ago, where they finished 12th, and Ireland coach Harald Jahrling has decided to rest them. "They're going okay. We just thought they needed a bit more training rather than going to the World Cup."

Richard Archibald, the reserve for the lightweight four, will also not travel. Sean Jacob, in the men's heavyweight single, is also not entered, while Caroline Ryan reverts to the single scull in the absence of her doubles partner, Helen Walshe, who was pulled out of Linz with an injury.

There will be an Ireland lightweight men's four in Amsterdam, but it will be the under-23 crew, using the regatta as a preparation for their World Championships in Strathclyde in Scotland next month. A number of crews are taking this course, including the very promising lightweight double scull of Liam Molloy of NUIG and Commercial's Ger Ward.

Ireland's men's heavyweight four know for certain they will not face the world champions in Amsterdam, as Britain coach Jürgen Grobler has decided on a different course for the crew who recorded their 27th win on the trot in taking gold at Linz. Grobler, who has emphasised the need for winning crews to stay "fresh", has drafted Alex Partridge, Peter Reed, Andy Hodge and Steve Williams into a second Britain eight at Amsterdam.

Another crew not featuring will be the Canada lightweight women's double scull of Lindsay Jennerich and Tracy Cameron.

Tomorrow's Athlone Regatta at Coosan Point has a big entry, with over 300 crews, many of them juniors, and a day's racing set to start at 7am and finish over 13 hours later.

The highlight of the event may be the men's senior coxed four, with crews from NUIG, St Michael's, Cork BC, Shannon, Neptune and a St Michael's/Shannon composite. NUIG and St Michael's/Shannon are the only two entries for the men's senior eight.

Women's Henley is next weekend and Henley Royal a week later. The National Championships are in mid July, but closing date is on July 4th.

IRELAND TEAM (for World Cup Regatta, Amsterdam, June 22nd-24th): Men Four, heavyweight (two crews):S O'Neill, C Folan, S Casey, A Martin; M Walsh, N Kenny, A Kelly, D Walsh. Lightweight four:D Murphy, K Clarke, B Clarke, V Ruane. Quadruple scull:J Wall, C Collis, P O'Brien, P Murray. Single scull:R O'Connor Lightweight Double Scull:L Molloy, G Ward. Women single scull:C Ryan Lightweight Double Scull: S Jennings, N Ni Cheilleachair. Lightweight single scull (Three Crews):O Duddy; S McCrohan; O Hayes.