Ireland’s top eights defeated on opening day of Henley Regatta

The opening day of Henley Royal Regatta brought no joy for Ireland. The two top eights in the country were drawn against tough competition and both exited.

Rowing into a headwind and choppy water, UCD's challenge in the Temple Cup for student eights was ended by Drexel University from Philadelphia. The two crews swapped the lead early on, but Drexel took a commanding lead in the second half of the race.

Commercial also fell to a young crew in the Thames Cup. A Dutch composite with an international contingent jumped into the lead from the start.

Commercial pushed up the rate in the middle stages, but at the three-quarter mile mark they were one-and-a- third lengths down.

Lady Elizabeth lost in the first round of the Wyfold. They hit the booms early on, missing a number of strokes. Three Irish crews go into action in the next two days.