NUIG carry Irish hopes

Rowing: Today's qualifying races for Henley Royal Regatta begin what are the busiest four weeks of the year for top rowers. Successive weekends bring Henley - where the first round proper begins on Wednesday - the final World Cup regatta at Lucerne and the National Championships.

College crews from Ireland have had a good record at Henley in recent years, but this time out the crop is thinner than usual.

Queen's University are entirely absent while University of Limerick (who will row as Athlunkard) and Trinity must pre-qualify today in the men's student coxed fours, as must UCD in the Remenham (women's eight) and the Temple (college eight).

NUIG, big hitters at Henley in recent years, have crews in the Men's Student Coxed Fours and the Visitors for coxless fours.

Their absence from the Temple is noteworthy, but it is hard not to see them as victims of their own success, with so many of their top oarsmen involved in international squads.

Irish clubs can rest assured that their international stars will be available for the National Championships, however. "They have to row at the Championships," says national coach Harald Jahrling. "I want international athletes to represent their clubs."

Jahrling's attitude to Henley is also more inclusive than in previous regimes. One of Ireland's best hopes of glory at the English event this year will come through the Tara eight, which is made up of the lightweight men in the Ireland squad who did not represent the country at the Munich World Cup.

Jahrling confirmed that Ireland will carry a lightweight eight on to Lucerne, where the lightweight four and open four, which took medals at Munich, will be joined by the women's lightweight double and lightweight single sculler Sinead Jennings.

Performance at Lucerne will be the key determinant of whether a crew travels on to the World Championships in Japan in August/September.

Back in Ireland tomorrow, Monkstown Regatta in Cork has an impressive entry, particularly of juniors.

Some Irish crews, including the winner of the elite single scull at Women's Henley, Caroline Ryan, travel to Amsterdam this weekend for the prestigious Holland Beker regatta.