Full steam ahead for all levels of rowers

ROWING: Good Irish rowers certainly do not lack chances to travel, both at home and abroad.

While the elite lightweights continue to train in Stromstad, Sweden, the domestic rowing caravan rolls on to Athlone and Galway this weekend, the national under-23 trials are taking place in Cork, with those chosen to represent Ireland heading off to the World Championships in Belgrade in five weeks time, and there will be two ambitious Irish senior eights taking part in Women's Henley this weekend.

Earlier on in the domestic season the women's eights of Trinity and UCD looked as if they would spark off each other through the year after meeting early on in both the colours race, the Corcoran Cup, won by Trinity and Neptune regatta, won by UCD.

The crews have gone different directions as the season progressed. Tom Sullivan, who was a coach of perhaps the best Irish club crew of all - the UCD men's eight which won the Ladies' Plate at Henley Royal Regatta in 1974 - has taken this year's women's eight to Britain to hone them, and indeed has entered the crew in the Remenham Cup at next month's Henley Royal Regatta.

Trinity's Tim Levy has stayed more focused on the domestic scene, but would dearly love to go one better than last year, when Trinity were beaten in the final of the College Eights at Women's Henley. His view is that either Trinity or UCD have a great chance of going one better this time out.

Henley Royal Regatta will also have a Trinity men's eight entered this year, in the Temple for college eights, but club captain Stuart King will not be part of it, due to the somewhat nebulous rules as to who is eligible.

The huge Standard Life Athlone regatta tomorrow will give a good number of domestic oarsmen and oarswomen their last big test before next month's National Championships.

With 255 crews entered, the organisers start Athlone's regatta at 8.30 a.m. and schedule the finish for 7.40 p.m. - with no break. Galway's regatta on Sunday has a stronger focus on junior competitors.