Seán Drea, one of the top Irish sportsmen of the 1970s, will be honoured with a row over at Henley Royal Regatta on Saturday.
The 68-year-old will be marking a special anniversary, as he won the Diamond Sculls in 1973, ’74 and ’75, the year he also took a silver medal at the World Championships.
Three Irish-based crews compete on the first day of the regatta – which will be live on YoutTube this year – and all have avoided selected (seeded) crews. In the Temple Cup for college eights, Trinity take on Pembroke and Caius College Cambridge, who qualified. The winner likely to face selected crew, Cornell University, on Thursday.
Portora Royal School from Enniskillen, who set a good time in qualifying, face King’s College School in the first round of the Princess Elizabeth for schoolboy eights. Should they win, Portora may face the selected crew, Gonzaga College from the United States in the next round.
Lady Elizabeth, the old boys’ club of Trinity, face Nottingham Rowing Club in the Wyfold for club coxless fours. Awaiting them on the Thursday, it they win, should be Tyrian Club A - the winners in 2013.
Trinity have chosen Colm Butler to be their new professional coach. The former Ireland rower – he competed as a lightweight in World Championships in 1984, ’85 and ’87 – has coached for Neptune and Trinity in recent years.
