Muckross event attracts top entry

Rowing: There will be a sizeable turnout at the NRC tomorrow for the Muckross Head of the River, with the entry drawn mainly from Cork, Galway and Carlow.

The men's open single scull should provide an interesting contest, with John Wholley of NUIG, Richard Coakley (Skibbereen) and Danny O'Dowd (Galway Rowing Club) all entered.

The NRC is used for a high proportion of Munster events, and there is an emerging consensus within the province that a regatta season of full status events should be built around multi-lane regattas at different venues.

Regattas in Athlone, Castlewellan (Queen's University), Blessington (Metropolitan), Limerick and Inniscarra Lake could become the only full status events of the year. The move would free athletes to compete in smaller regattas without worrying that a win there might bump them up a grade.

Such a revamp might also facilitate the return to a league system, mirroring the World Cup series internationally, where the top crews would face each other regularly before the National Championships. As with other far-reaching reforms, the final decision should come in six weeks time, at the extraordinary general meeting of the IARU. So far the committee working to coordinate motions for the e.g.m. has been dealing with a huge number. Delegates might be advised to prepare for a long day!