Call for fans to work as one

ROWING: Sometimes what seems a weakness can be an opportunity. Rowing lacks money and a joined up supporters network. It seems odd that nobody has succeeded in providing the second in order to fashion a base for the first.

In Athens last year it was noticeable how for some countries supporting the team was fun and easy: the planning had been done, the T-shirts and the maps were available - all the supporters who were on board had to do was turn up, keep in touch and cheer.

For the Irish it looked much more like make it up as you went along. One couple sat outside an expensive hotel and told of how they paid a huge sum to the accredited English company, only to find the promised links from their distant hotel to the venues were not materialising.

Rowing, in particular, can be a difficult sport to follow. For parents or those coming in from outside, the confusing names for events and the early start times are only the beginning. Travel abroad and tickets may have to be pre-purchased and the official hotels often cost an arm and a leg.

The website irishrowing.com has made some inroads, and clubs and enterprising groups of travellers perform their own miracles of organisation. But with such a high profile internationally, there is surely a niche for the interested outsider to be brought into the loop.

By Beijing 2008 the same outsider could be clad in cool Ireland gear cheering on a medal hopeful or two.

The idea of a supporters club is a good one according to Frank Durkin, the president of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union. Durkin said yesterday that he hopes to make moves towards building up such an entity.

If a source of finance is to be found among supporters, there is already a base in Michael Johnston's associate membership scheme, which has 300 contributors. It "should have 3,000" he said yesterday. Perhaps if the big potential base of support is first mobilised it will be easier to make it contribute to the development of the sport, especially if this is tax efficient for those who give money.

Finances are a pressing issue. In their report to the union - which was edited for public consumption - the national coaching team of Harald Jahrling and Debbie Fox put it thus: "I hope that we are all aware that we will not be able to run a full scale high performance programme within the funding levels we are currently working with."

The Home Internationals, which Jahrling and Fox do not feel are worth the time and money invested, could become a pay-to-compete event for Irish athletes.

On the domestic front, the ruling on the eligibility of a crew which competed in the National Championships will be made public next week.

On the international scene, crews from Killorglin and Bantry will represent Ireland at the World Rowing Coastal Challenge in Noli, Italy, next weekend.