Sports digest
Changes afoot as Holland steps down
ROWING:The changes in Irish rowing continue apace with the lead coach for juniors, Derek Holland, stepping down. Holland, who as an athlete had a long international career and rowed for Ireland in the 1996 Olympics, teaches and coaches at Portora Royal School and held the Ireland coaching post on a part-time basis.
The work of Rowing Ireland to formulate plans to build up domestic rowing will move up a gear in the coming months, culminating in a Rule-Change EGM in January. Rowing Ireland has asked clubs which intend to propose changes to submit them in the next two weeks. There will be a discussion meeting in October.
Ireland will soon be the location for a major international rowing forum, as the World Rowing Conference will be held in Limerick on November 4th.
The Fisa Congress put out a request for countries to apply for the World Coastal Rowing Championships in 2014. Next year’s Championships are set for Helsingborg in Sweden.
LIAM GORMAN
Four Ireland players shortlisted for ICC award
CRICKET:Four Ireland players have been shortlisted for the prestigious ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year award.
Ireland have only once won the award, with skipper William Porterfield earning the honour in 2009.
Dutch all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate saw off Irish rivals among the shortlist to win the award for the last two years.
This time around the odds are heavily stacked in Ireland’s favour, with Kevin O’Brien, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce and Paul Stirling all nominated, along with Afghanistan’s Dawlat Zadran.
The awards will presented at a ceremony in the Sri Lanka capital Colombo on September 15th ahead of the World Twenty20 finals.
EMMET RIORDAN
Power best of the Irish in Burghley
EQUESTRIAN:Elizabeth Power is best-placed of the three Irish riders who completed the dressage phase of the Land Rover Burghley horse trials yesterday, lying 10th on the Good Times Syndicate’s ex-racehorse September Bliss.
The Co Meath rider received a penalty score of 51.5 while the leader, on 45.5, is Britain’s Ruth Edge riding Rogersdale, the combination which finished seventh in the three-star class at Tattersalls in early June.
Louise Lyons (Watership Down) is in 36th place on 65.2 with Mark Kyle, who was on the Olympics team this year finishing 41st of the 43 starters on Step In Time.
The dressage phase of the four-star event continues today when Captain Geoff Curran, riding the Minister for Defence’s Shanaclough Crecora, will be first into the arena at 9.30. Peter Hannigan competes with First Mate at 11.17, immediately followed by Sam Watson and Horseware Bushman. Kyle rides his second horse, Willow Fairgreen Attraction, at 14.30.
MARGIE McLOONE
