ROWING: It's Colours weekend. Ahead of Sunday's much-hyped Boat Race, Dublin's big two of Trinity and UCD battle for bragging rights on the Liffey tomorrow (men's race 12.45pm, women's 12.15pm).

Last year's Gannon Cup for senior men was embarrassingly easy for Trinity, but UCD have coach John Holland - who guided Greece to an Olympic medal in August - on board, and he expects a much closer battle.

"We hope to give them a race," Holland says. "Last year was a joke, no competition at all. We're going not so badly."

While Trinity have four of the crew which won last year, including stroke Stuart King, UCD have a much-changed line-up.

Stroke man Dermot O'Sullivan and Siaghal Mac Colgain in the bow have real hopes of breaking into the international line-up after next week's trials.

Trinity coach Tim Levy has the same crew who finished 72nd in the London Head last weekend, but is not assuming that his settled line-up will emulate last year's victory. "I actually do think it is going to be a good race," he says.

King is also bound for the national rowing centre next weekend for the first of two selection regattas which increasingly look like becoming the most competitive events of the year.

The overhang of the selection regatta was also evident at last weekend's Tribesmen Head of the River. For Alan Martin, who stroked the winning eight and four, and John Wholley, who bested Albert Maher in the single scull for the first time, the emphasis was on what they can do next weekend in Cork.

The one senior crew expressing interest in a different target were the Trinity women's eight, who were thrilled to come second in Galway - because they passed UCD, their rivals in tomorrow's Corcoran Cup.

But UCD have Jennifer O'Reilly and Giolla Carroll coming into the boat. With nobody playing down their chances, spectators may be in for a treat.