Commercial travel in force

RowingNeptune Rowing Club were for many years the strongest in the capital and the country, overshadowing Islandbridge neighbours and rivals Commercial. But in one of those ironies which reflects a rebalancing of power, when Neptune run their head of the river tomorrow in Blessington the biggest entry will come from Commercial.

Neptune currently have no senior men's eight, and have yet to form a novice eight for the season ahead. In the first head (11.30), Commercial will battle it out with Lady Elizabeth in the senior eight, and in the second (2.30), Commercial's eight face three other crews: UCD and two composites of Trinity and Lady Elizabeth.

Like many other clubs, Neptune have a problem providing enough coaches for those interested in pursuing the sport, and this has a knock-on effect on their ability to put crews on the water.

The defection of some of Neptune's top scullers to Commercial has been another factor in the rise of the men in green, white and blue.

Ex-Neptune man Seán Jacob should win the senior single scull category in the first head tomorrow, his task made easier by the withdrawal of Skibbereen's Paul O'Sullivan.

Garda, who have entered men's eights at both intermediate and novice level, have the only contender in the women's senior single scull. Caroline Ryan, this year's national champion at intermediate level, is due to receive one of the eight Garda Sportstar awards tonight in Monaghan for her achievement before making her way south for tomorrow's competition.

The starter in Blessington, national assistant coach Tony O'Connor will be hoping for good weather, but no matter how bad it is he knows he will be in sunnier climes come next week. He travels to Spain on Monday for the training camp for elite lightweight men. There will be another camp, backed by the Olympic Council of Ireland, from December 12th to 23rd, which will also cover heavyweight men and lightweight women.

Richard Parr, the high performance director of Irish rowing, says new contenders for places in that camp could emerge over the coming weeks.

Open ergometer (rowing machine) tests started yesterday and run until Thursday and there will be a five-kilometre head race tomorrow week at the National Rowing Centre in Cork, the aim is to identify potential talent for the Athens Olympics next year.