Australian star to row with NUIG

ROWING NEWS:OUTSTANDING AUSTRALIAN international Marguerite Houston will move to Ireland this day week. She will join boyfriend Alan Martin in Galway, where she has already landed a job as a physiotherapist.

Houston and her team-mate in the lightweight double scull, Amber Halliday, were Australia's crew of the year last year. They won gold at the World Championships of 2007 and silver in 2006, but faltered in the semi-final in Beijing and ended up eighth.

Houston also has world championship gold (2002) and bronze (2003) medals from the lightweight quadruple scull.

Martin is an Ireland international, and the two met last year when they were at training camps in St Moritz. The Galway man helped qualify the Ireland four for the Olympics, but was dropped by coach Harald Jahrling and was a reserve in Beijing.

"Things could have been done differently," Martin said yesterday. "But I look forward, not back."

Houston refused to be drawn on whether she would enter the Ireland system, but Martin and Houston will row for NUIG next year, which should greatly strengthen a club which had a disappointing 2008.

A number of other clubs are also revamping. Mick Desmond is taking over the men's coaching role at Commercial.

Desmond was Niall O'Toole's coach when he won his World Championship gold in 1991, and while O'Toole is now studying at UCD, the college club may not be able to call on the longtime Commercial clubman.

However, James Wall is expected to row with UCD for at least some of the season, and international junior Finbarr Manning has also joined the ambitious club.

Change is also in the air in the Irish Amateur Rowing Union. The agm tomorrow week will welcome a new president. Carlow's Tony Dooley snr is set to be elected unopposed, filling the post being vacated by Frank Durkin of Offaly.

There will be an election for honorary treasurer. The incumbent, John McGeehan of Athlone, will be opposed by Galway's Michael R Hughes. The honorary secretary, Gordon Reid, who was elected last year, is unopposed this time.

The World Masters Regatta, a huge event for rowers aged 27 and (sometimes very far) above, began in Lithuania yesterday. Participants can mix and match in crews, and over 1,500 boats are entered.