Henley on horizon

The final entry list for Henley Royal Regatta, which begins on Wednesday week, shows a relatively big Irish entry, with the NUIG eight in the Temple Challenge Cup and Neptune's Albert Maher in the Diamond Sculls perhaps holding our biggest realistic hopes.

An Irish link between the regatta and this weekend's Women's Henley is Neptune sculler Susan O'Brien, who competes in the new Princess Royal Challenge Cup at HRR and in the open single sculls at Women's Henley - she must be the first Irishwoman to compete at both. O'Brien and Maher have been based in South Africa in recent months.

The Irish team at Women's Henley looks strong: the Queen's University eight which have impressed this year are joined by UCD in the College Eight, and Eimear Moran competes in the junior single sculls. Carlow compete in both college and schools' fours and in the schools' eight.

Back in Ireland tomorrow the NUIG men's eight which is bound for Henley takes on Neptune, Tribesmen and Trinity in a straight final at the Athlone regatta.

Neptune will also be monitoring their form - they are the sole Irish entrants in the Thames Cup at Henley. Garda's season seemed to go downhill after the new rules ruled Tommy Colsh out of the reckoning for Henley - something he discovered and passed on to the club.

At international level virtually the entire elite squad have been training in Enniskillen.