Rowing: After a National Championships which was particularly sweet for Commercial but yielded a distribution of titles across a range of clubs at the National Rowing Centre in Cork, the focus changes to the World under-23 Championships in Belgrade this weekend and the Home Internationals in Cork on Saturday.

The Homes team was announced yesterday and Commercial have three spots on the combination of five clubs which will form the men's senior eight to represent Ireland. However, the four men who won the Quadruple Sculls at Henley and were hugely influential in bringing the men's senior eights national crown to Commercial for the first time, Albert Maher, Seán Jacob, Ciarán Lewis and James Mangan, did not make themselves available for selection.

Maher illustrated his strength in crew boats and single sculls at the Championships; so long a stalwart of Neptune, the Corkman won the senior eights, double sculls (with Jacob) and single sculls titles for Commercial.

In the single, Jacob and Lewis followed him home, with Leander's Serryth Colbert, rowing for Galway Rowing Club, in fourth.

UCD's win in the women's senior eight is reflected in four oarswomen and the cox in the Homes crew.

In Belgrade, too, some of the most successful competitors at the National Championships will hope to continue in a successful vein. The NUIG/Skibbereen four took both men's senior fours titles at the weekend, and Marc Stevens and Alan Martin the pairs crown.

The four, which won the Visitors' Cup at Henley, will hope to extend their amazing unbeaten run at the World under-23s - although this is asking a lot.