In Amsterdam, they have a different name for the Beast from the East. It is called the Siberian Tiger. The organisers of the big international regatta, the Heineken Roeivierkamp, are confident that this dangerous cat will have scampered back home by next weekend (March 10th and 11th), when crews from Irish clubs, including NUIG and UCD, compete.
NUIG had entered four eights for the Erne Head of the River which was set to be held this weekend. It was postponed because of weather concerns, but the refixture on March 10th is directly opposite the Amsterdam event to which NUIG will send their eights. The Cork head, also scheduled for this Saturday, has opted for caution with organisers saying they hope to move to a later date.
UCD are preparing crews for the Colours races on the Liffey, which will take place on Sunday, March 18th. The coin toss for stations is set for this Monday in Trinity College with Pat Kenny doing the honours.
Coach Martin Feeley had not entered UCD eights for Erne head. Some of his top charges had competed at the Ireland trial last weekend. David O’Malley, Shane Mulvaney and David Goff all did very well at the trial, and all are likely to be in in the Gannon Cup senior eight. Shane O’Connell is injured. The Gannon eight will not be sent to Amsterdam.
The whole question of the shape of the Irish domestic calendar has been brought into focus as another set of heads of the river in the Irish spring are pushed about or destroyed by the weather. If the season ran from March to October the ‘usable’ months would be filled - and internationals could compete for their clubs in their national championships.
Fresh from winning two medals at the New Zealand Championships, Paul and Gary O'Donovan and Mark O'Donovan and Shane O'Driscoll have relocated to Australia. They will take part in the Sydney International, which incorporates the Australian Championships, from March 19th to 25th.
Paul O’Donovan’s remarkable feat of taking a medal in the Premier Single Sculls in New Zealand - finishing ahead of Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale - saw him named Afloat Rower of the Month for February.
Three remarkable trophies with Leander connections were brought together at Trinity last weekend as part of the Leander bicentenary celebrations. The event featured a talk and celebratory dinner.
