Rowing/University Championships: The winners of the Wyley Cup for senior men and Bank of Ireland Cup for senior women at tomorrow's University Championships at Castlewellan will have to imagine what the trophies look like, as both are missing.
Investigations by the Irish Amateur Rowing Union reveal that the Wyley Cup was presented to NUIG for the prize-giving in 2002, then taken back into safekeeping. However, its movements from then on are unclear.
The cup was originally presented in the 1920s by a judge, Mr Justice Evelyn Wyley, who played a part in sentencing those involved in the 1916 Easter Rising but continued to serve the new Free State when it was set up.
The title, if not the cup, could go west again this year: NUIG, winners in the last two years, have shown that they are real contenders for strongest club in the country.
Their clash with Trinity in the senior eights will be of interest, as both are going well, but NUIG should win.
The Wyley is decided on the best results in the men's senior, intermediate and novice eights. If the three categories are won by different institutions the senior winner prevails. For women the Bank of Ireland Cup is awarded on a similar system, but for fours.
Although it is the biggest university, UCD are effectively not contenders in the men's competition this year. They were thrashed by Trinity in the Gannon Cup colours race and have no entry in the men's senior eight tomorrow, where Queen's University and UCC provide the opposition for NUIG and Trinity.
UCD have two crews in the women's senior fours but no novice four. Trinity are the only women's club represented in the three fours categories.
The emergence of Helen Walshe from UCD as a senior sculler to watch has been one of the trends of the year so far - she won everything she entered at Neptune and Commercial regattas - and that story may be further strengthened over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the IARU's search for a new chief executive has moved up a gear, with the post now being advertised.
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