Neptune return to senior eight action at Dublin Head

ROWING WEEKEND NEWS: ROWING FANS, starved of meaningful action for months, have a choice of action in Dublin and Belfast tomorrow.

The Dublin Head of the River (start time 2pm on the Liffey in central Dublin) has a whopping entry of 36 crews, with four senior men’s eights, while Lagan Head has two events, at 10.30am and 2pm, but an entry of only one senior men’s eight.

It is refreshing to see Neptune back competing at senior eight level, and the entry pits them against two Commercial crews and UCD, who go off first. Trinity’s seniors have been training in small boats, but their senior eight may compete in Erne head in a couple of weeks.

In Belfast tomorrow, Queen’s University provide the one senior eight, which goes off first in the second head.

International rowing is going through a nervous time just now. Comments around the launch of the Beijing Review for the Irish Sports Council fuelled speculation that rowing would not be a “focus sport” for the new Olympic Cycle.

The comments are bemusing, because rowing has just put in place a top-class performance director – under the aegis of the Sports Council. The review states, on page 63 (point 7.10) focus sports are “those in which Ireland has a track record of international success, where the nation has traditional, cultural or geographical strengths, and there is currently a critical mass of talented athletes at senior, development and junior levels. In each of these sports there should be an expectation that a domestic high performance system/structure will be built . . .”

Martin McElroy has identified the paucity of structures at underage level as a priority, and yesterday he spoke of his remit as being to build a system “from bottom to top, culminating in Olympic success”. Asked if he would consider his position if he does not get the coaches he has advertised for, McElroy said there would be no point in having a performance director if he had nothing to work with. He will not go forward if he is deeply unhappy with the resourcing.

On the domestic scene, the second egm of the IARU is set for March 8th, and the proposed rule changes are on the web.