Eights highlights for Trinity Regatta

ROWING:IRELAND HEAD coach Harald Jahrling will run the rule over his heavyweight men's crews at a regatta in Klagenfurt, Austria, this weekend, while at home there is no shortage of action on the water and controversy off it.

The organisers of tomorrow's Trinity Regatta at Islandbridge will be hopeful of avoiding the inclement weather which laid waste to the Queen's and University Regattas last weekend.

Trinity's attractive programme boasts two highlights at senior eight. The host club take on an Oxford University selection in an exhibition race in the afternoon, and the last race of the day, the senior eights final, could feature another Trinity-UCD shoot-out, should Trinity defeat Commercial in their semi-final.

There will be much interest in the composition of the Trinity eights, particularly as the line-ups were unavailable last evening.

Last week's cancellations have set off a domino trail of consequences. Queen's University's rowing club calculate that their losses could run to £5,500 for the day, which would be a huge hit for a club already in debt. They initially planned to not refund all entry fees, but this was greeted with dismay in some quarters.

The executive of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union may have a part to play in what happens next.

The story with the University Championships seems clearer. The Wylie and Bank of Ireland cups for university crews will now almost certainly be completed at Blessington on the Friday night before Metropolitan regatta at the end of next month.

On the international front, Sinead Jennings and Caroline Ryan have been told that they will go to the first World Cup regatta, at Munich, in a heavyweight double scull.

The situation for the heavyweight men's crews will be clearer after this weekend's regatta in Klagenfurt.

James Wall is injured, and Jahrling has chosen two pairs of Seán O'Neill and Cormac Folan and Seán Casey and Jonno Devlin. Alan Martin will row in the single scull tomorrow morning.

There will also be a chance to see different combinations in the four in action. Single sculler Seán Jacob, who has been ill, may compete on Sunday.

The entry has been disappointing, and the pairs will row against double sculls.

Jahrling said he had spoken to the Austrian federation to make sure his crews got some competition.

An Ireland four is already qualified for Beijing, but Jahrling said that it was his ambition to have a pair going on to the Olympic Qualifier in Poznan in June.

The heavyweights are due to return to Ireland on Tuesday.