ROWING/Weekend preview:The week in which rowing became the most heavily-funded high-performance sport in the country closes with plenty of action on the water.
At club level, the 50th Erne head of the river near Enniskillen tomorrow features five senior eights vying for early-season bragging rights, and the Cork head at Inniscarra Lake on Sunday has a huge entry, particularly of juniors.
However, the main focus of elite athletes over the next two days will be on the national time trials, also at Inniscarra Lake, which will play a part in deciding who travels on Monday to the three-week training camp at St Cassien in France.
Head coach Harald Jahrling may dub it "the first fitness test of the year", but with only two months left before he decides on his squad for the World Cups and World Championships, all those involved will have their eyes on the prize.
This weekend's trials also cover under-23 athletes, so Kevin and Ben Clarke will be taken out of Commercial's boat for the Erne head, with Fionnan Groome and Abdulrahmen Mohammed slotting in.
Commercial had a fine win at the Neptune head, and their battle with Trinity, who won at Lagan head and go off first, may be the key one.
Queen's University and the ever-rising Belfast Rowing Club, who have two senior eights, are also entered.
Another expanding club, University of Limerick, has announced a sponsorship deal with Ulster Bank in the run-up to the opening of their new clubhouse in July.
The club has, unusually, chosen American supplier Vespoli to supply new boats.
