ROWING: The vexed question of when the domestic season finishes will be given another airing tomorrow, at an e.g.m. of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union (IARU) in Dublin. The meeting, at noon in the Ashling Hotel, precedes the union's a.g.m. at the same venue.

The National Championships, which bring down the curtain on the Irish season, were split in two last year, with the novice and junior and senior and intermediate championships fixed for different weekends.

The arrangement was to continue this year, but a push against it led to an e.g.m. in December at which a Commercial motion to reunite the championships on the weekend of July 19th and 20th was passed with 19 votes for and eight against.

There is no IARU rule preventing multiple e.g.m.s on the same issue, and 10 Munster clubs have now proposed that the junior and novice championships be held in July and the senior and intermediate championships in August.

Debate on this issue is liable to split the union on predictable lines, with some hardline views on both sides. The season is too short, say some clubs; their opponents claim it is really about giving certain clubs access to athletes who may be involved in the World Under-23 Championships in July. Dublin and Ulster clubs would be expected to back a unified championships, Munster and some Connacht clubs to come down on the other side.

The a.g.m. might be expected to be something of an anticlimax after this, but has its own built-in interest, with an election for the post of honorary secretary. Terry McEvoy of Neptune takes on Denis "Chopper" O'Regan of Monkstown and Cork Harbour - his nickname actually appears on the official documents - for the post long held by Jimmy Bermingham.

Bermingham ends his term with some characteristic plain speaking. In his annual report, he suggests a revamp that would involve members of the executive committee spending more time on the business of their branches, saying the attendance records at committee meetings "do not make for pleasant reading".

On-the-water action tomorrow will be concentrated in London, where the Head of the River has a strong Irish component. UCD, given a slot of 22, Lady Elizabeth (33), NUIG (50) and Queen's University I (56) will all have ambitions of making a mark.