London first on Trinity's travels

Rowing ColumnTrinity send two crews to the huge Head of the River Fours in London tomorrow, beginning a season where virtually all the club's serious action until the season-ending National Championships will be overseas.

Club coach Mark Pattison charts out a programme for his top crews which includes a training camp in Spain at the turn of the year; the Eights Head of the River, also in London, in March; the KRSG regatta in Ghent in Belgium in May and Henley Royal Regatta in July.

"We are basically going abroad for all our competition this season," says Pattison, who has long been a critic of the Irish domestic season and its failure to provide structured competition among contenders for top honours. Last season Pattison's senior eight was third in the National Championships behind a combination crew formed for the event and NUIG, who keep their powder dry by minimal involvement for their top eight in domestic regattas.

"The top-quality athletes are (competing) abroad and we have to raise our game if we are ever going to break through at Henley and even at the champs level," adds Pattison.

If the domestic structure provided serious competition he would jump at the chance. "Absolutely - it would make much more sense. Even if there was one regatta on a monthly basis through April, May, June, July. Four big regattas would be ideal. They would have to be multi-lane, obviously."

Trinity have followed the trend of limiting crews to small boats early in the season. A quadruple and coxless four compete tomorrow. They will be up against it in a huge event which gives members of the British elite team a chance to compete on home waters.

The Trinity quadruple of Rob Swift, Eoghan Kerlin, Peter Heverin and Gavin Doherty go off sixth.

There is a strong Irish feel to the London Rowing Club entries set to go off in sixth and 15th, with James Lindsay-Fynn in the first boat and Diarmaid Mac Colgain, Herbie Griffin and Ciarán Hayes in the second. Trinity's second crew is a coxless four of Joe Calnan, Henry Tindall, Eoghan Mac Domhnaill and Sean Osborne who go off 31st.

Back in Ireland, regional time trials are set for Limerick, Cork, Newry and Galway tomorrow.