ROWING Merc Partners announce support for Irish Heavyweight Rowing Team

Rowing in behind the team – MERC Partners present new boat to Olympic potentials

Christmas has arrived a little early this year for the Irish Amateur Rowing Union’s Heavyweight squad as today, MERC Partners presented them with a new boat which will hopefully transport them to qualification for the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

Irish Heavyweight Rowing has gone from strength to strength since new coach and former Olympic Medallist Harald Jarhling took the tiller at the start of 2005.

During 2006, Heavyweight rowing re-emerged as a force in the Irish sporting world when the Irish men’s Coxless Four finished 7th overall at the 2006 World Championships held in Eton.

2007 is a crucial year for the Heavyweight squad as crews that finish in the top 11 places at the World Championships in Munich in August will qualify automatically for the Beijing Olympics.

MERC Partners - Ireland’s leading executive resourcing firm – are proud supporters of the Men’s Heavyweight squad and at a launch ceremony at the Garda Boat Club in Islandbridge today, Managing Partner Brian Ward and Partner Barry O’Connor presented the new boat to the athletes.

The boat is an Empacher – the Ferrari of the rowing world - Coxless Four which sports a reinforced frame and a hull made from carbon kevlar material. The wing style riggers - which hold the oars - are also made of carbon while the seats are mounted on aluminium tracks.  The entire material specification is designed to ensure the boat can travel as quickly as possible through the water. 

Paying tribute to the levels of excellence achieved by Irish rowers under the guidance of Frank Durkin, President of the Irish Amateur Rowing Union (IARU), Brian Ward remarked: “We’re delighted to present the new Empacher Coxless Four to the squad today.  At MERC Partners, we pride ourselves on identifying extraordinary talent and looking at the achievements of the Irish Men’s Heavyweight Rowing team to date, have every confidence in their ability to achieve great success in 2007. We look forward to celebrating their Olympic qualification with them next year!”

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• More information can be found at www.merc.ie