Trials to find Cup crews

This weekend gives an illustration of the breadth of Irish rowing: the cream of the sport here will be competing in national trials at Blessington, yet nine different clubs are sending crews to the London Docklands regatta.

The trials - weather permitting - will decide which crews will compete for Ireland at the middle leg of the World Cup at Hazewinkel in two weeks' time. The programme schedules single sculls and pairs for today, different combinations of doubles and fours tomorrow and quadruple sculls for Sunday. National coach Thor Nilsen travels from Sweden to oversee the trials.

However, the relevance of the single sculls stage at this time of the year in determining the composition of the quad is questioned by Mick Desmond, coach of the Commercial quad that won silver at the first leg of the World Cup in Munich last weekend. The fact that Munich bronze medallist Gearoid Towey is not travelling from Britain - he has already pinned down his place for Hazewinkel - weakens this stage further as a useful test, Desmond contends.

Interestingly, only Donal Mc Guinness of that quad will actually be taking part today, with Emmet O'Brien, Niall O'Toole, Neal Byrne and Owen Byrne (who competed in the single sculls and heavyweight quad in Munich) all citing work commitments for their absence on the first day.

Tony O'Connor's rib injury has ruled him out of the sweep rowing trials. The prognosis at present is that he will be fit for Hazewinkel, but it may be a close-run thing. This weekend will also play a part in determining any women's participation at Hazewinkel, although the premier lightweight quad has been chosen as Audrey Phelan, Maedbh Terry, Helen Dixon and Ailish Houlihan (all Commercial).

The huge Docklands regatta - 742 crews are entered for the two separate days of competition - has drawn crews from clubs in the North (three) and South (six). Garda, who are competing in nine races, hope to reproduce the good results of last year when they won two medals, and the Neptune eight would also have justified hopes of another good showing.