ROWING: The international season may look increasingly promising, but it is a curious and somewhat worrying year for domestic events. Galway Regatta was scheduled for Sunday, but received a disappointing entry and has been rescheduled for mid-June. Queen's Regatta goes ahead tomorrow without a men's senior eight final because the hosts were the only crew to enter.

Queen's organiser Seán O'Kane points out that the overall entry is big, given the regatta, at Castlewellan, no longer follows the University Championships. And they can boast competition at women's senior eight level, with the hosts taking on the power of UCD.

Trinity regatta last weekend suffered for the lack of some of the northern crews, but with the Commonwealth rowing championships taking place in Strathclyde in early August, some of the eligible crews took the chance to participate in last weekend's regatta at the Scottish venue.

The international aspect, in the shape of the new professional structures at the top of the sport, do seem to be drawing some of the senior athletes out of the pool available for domestic regattas, although this does not explain the dearth of competition for senior women. The hope would be that the high standards set by national coach Harald Jahrling would lift the level so that more youngsters would come to the sport.

International rowing manager, Mick O'Callaghan, hopes aspiring Irish coaches may come into the international system. The IARU yesterday advertised on its website for an apprentice coach, who would spend the next two years working with Jahrling and his assistant, Debbie Fox, with a stipend of €24,000 per anum. O'Callaghan has already had a number of queries about the post, which is to be filled by May 19th.

As ever, those involved seriously with rowing in this country will not be doing it for the money.

There are three World Cups this year (Munich next month, Poznan in Poland in June and Lucerne in July) and internationals are expected to pay a levy of €300 for each while the levy for the World Championships in Eton in August is €500.