Rowing Rowing Ireland Grand League

UCD top Grand League as Queen's regatta takes place this weekend. UCD head the league table as the second of four Rowing Ireland Grand League regattas, the Queen's regatta, takes place in Castlewellan, County Down this weekend. Skibbereen, Grand League winners last year, lie in second place and are sending a strong team to Castlewellan. UCD top the table on 187 points, followed by Skibbereen on 119, Cork's Shandon Boat Club in third place on 107 followed by St. Michael's RC, Limerick on 103 and Dublin University Ladies Boat Club on 94.

Lee Valley's John Keohane will be hoping to retain his place at the top of the table in the Men's Division 1 single scull but will face stiff competition from Skibbereen's Dylan McCarthy. Skibbereen's Orla Hayes, a former international, is set to bring speed and experience to the women's senior scull Meanwhile Old Collegian's Helen Walshe makes a welcome return to racing after a few seasons away and will team up with club mate Siobhلn Jacob in the women's senior double.

The men's junior 18 single scull will be highly contested with entries from Carrick-on-Shannon, RBAI, Neptune, Skibbereen and Methodist College. Skibbereen's Paul O'Donovan will be under pressure right to the finish line with this high standard of entry in this category. With exams looming, the UCD rowers will not be competing at Castlewellan.

Other news - Huegel regatta, Essen, Germany

At the Huegel Regatta in Essen, Germany last weekend UCD's Claire Lambe (20) took second place in the under-23 lightweight single sculls final following a similar placing in the under-23 lightweight double scull with Skibbereen's Denise Walsh (18). Sanita Puspure (29) came second in the women's single scull and Siobhلn McCrohan (23) Tribesmen, Galway came sixth in the women's lightweight single scull.

Niall Kenny (22) of NUIG in Galway had a busy weekend taking second place in the under-23 lightweight single sculls final, partnering Justin Ryan (20) of UCC to third in the under-23 lightweight double sculls final and crewed to take fourth in the quadruple scull final.