Strong Irish line-up for Ghent regatta

ROWING: What may be a good year for Irish rowers on international waters lifts off in earnest this weekend when some of the top club athletes compete in Ghent in Belgium tomorrow and Sunday.

In what is technically two regattas, an international one and the Belgian Championships, the Irish participate in extraordinary numbers: tomorrow in the men's coxless pair, for instance, five of the 16 crews entered are Irish; in the junior women's single scull there are 10 Irish women among the entry of 36.

The Irish have realistic hopes in the junior women's single, particularly through Skibbereen's Orla Hayes. Vicky Stevens of Tribesmen is young but has also impressed this year. Lady Elizabeth have entered the men's senior eight on both days, which should give them a chance to assess where they stand in the run-up to Henley. Trinity's eight are also entered tomorrow.

Commercial's Owen Byrne, recovering from a back injury, is entered in the lightweight single sculls, which could also prove a test of where he stands.

Galway man Serryth Colbert, now based in Britain and rowing with Leander, is entered in the open single scull.

Commercial's interest in Ghent is, as usual, a big one, but they also have a senior eight entered tomorrow back on Irish waters at the Limerick regatta at O'Brien's Bridge, where they are set to face NUIG and UCC.

Interestingly, host club St Michael's, who brought this regatta forward two weeks to avoid a clash with the European Cup final, have their own interest in Ghent, where they have a lightweight men's four entered.

At their regatta, St Michael's are one of the six crews entered in the men's intermediate eight, facing NUIG and University of Limerick in one semi-final while UCC, Shannon and Garda compete for the two places in the other semi.

The two women's eights crews who would guarantee a good race tomorrow, UCD and Trinity, continue to miss each other - at Trinity regatta, the host crew had an easy win against UCC, while tomorrow at O'Brien's Bridge UCD will get a chance to take on the Cork college.

Portora stage their regatta tomorrow, but Lee regatta has been cancelled. The Connacht Schools Regatta on Monday went ahead despite some withdrawals, proving a happy hunting ground for St Joseph's, who dominated the boys' events.