ROWING: There are some interesting events in the months ahead of it, but the Tribesmen head of the river has become the head with which the Irish rowing season takes flight in a big way, reports Liam Gorman.
With about 430 crews taking part, virtually anybody who is going to put a boat on the water this year in serious competition will have an interest in tomorrow's action at Galway.
A lightweight men's eight rowing under the name of Tara gives the elite rowers in the Ireland squad an opportunity to show their wares before their departure for a training camp in Seville next week. Should they win the open section they will not be in line for a prize.
The women's open single scull will feature another reigning national champion, Siobhan Jacob, who along with Becky Quinn and Fiola Foley can make a case for national representation. They take on Heather Boyle, who has been partnering Sinead Jennings in the Ireland lightweight double, but performance director Richard Parr yesterday made a point of saying that all the places in national crews are up for grabs.
Sam Lynch of St Michael's is still recovering from injury, but his younger brother Hughie will take part in the open single sculls, as will Niall O'Toole. The 1991 lightweight single sculls world champion is back in the picture in the national squad.
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SCHOOLS' RUGBY: Kilkenny College collected the Fr Godfrey Cup yesterday beating Naas CBS 24-15 at Donnybrook with their captain David Brennan playing a pivotal part in their nine-point victory.
The outhalf orchestrated Kilkenny's first score after 11 minutes when, following several phases of play under the Naas posts, he set up the telling move that sent hooker Desmond Payne over for a score on the left.
Brennan went over for a deserved score with 10 minutes to go which Claxton converted but Naas finished well with Luke Denvir and Micheal Skelton both going over for tries in the final five minutes.
KILKENNY COLLEGE: R Copeland; B Braithwaite, N Jay, I Condell, H Bagnall; D Brennan, G Claxton; D O'Brien, D Payne, K Hanbridge, W Whitford, J Boland, S Boland, W Greene, P Stanley. Replacements: K Murphy for S Boland (52 mins), S Boland for Greene (59 mins), R Hamilton for Payne (60 mins).
NAAS CBS: J Whelan; N Higgins, S Bennett, C Young, P Burke; M Skelton, C O' Brien; R Brosnan, D Ryan, O Moore, A O'Hara, R Murphy, K McDonnell, E Hughes, L Denvir. Replacements: C Rice for Hughes (25 mins), S Bergin for Young (47 mins).
Referee: E O'Dowd (ARLB).
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SNOOKER: Ken Doherty went out in the second round of the European Open at Torquay yesterday, beaten 5-3 by Paul Hunter. John Higgins struggled in his second-round match to overcome Northern Ireland's Gerard Greene 5-4. The Scot trailed on four occasions against Greene, the world number 63 who put out Jimmy White in the first round.
