Sydney Uni rowers will head to Lake Barrington in Tasmania this weekend for the 2006 National Championships and Interstate Regatta to be held from 6-12th March. Led by our Director of Rowing , Marty Rabjohns and Coaches Phil Bourguignon and Alan Bennet a team of 21 men and 11 women will contest 36 events at the National Regatta and all 8 events in the Interstate Regatta.
Coming from Victoria to join the NSW Lightweight Four will be Tim O?Callaghan who is currently working and training in Melbourne. Joining the Sydney Uni contingent will be our current AIS scholarship holders Dan Noonan, Mitch Estens and Brooke Pratley.
The team includes 2005 National Sen A representative Mat Ryan , who will be seeking to go one place better than his second in 2005 in the Elite Coxless pair. Francis Hegerty, Ian Allsop and Fergus Pragnell will be Sydney Uni?s other contenders in this important selection event.
Dan Noonan will be looking to repeat his success from the State Championships where he was 2nd in the Elite Scull and won the Elite Double and Quad Scull. Dan will also be representing NSW in the President?s Cup Scull.
Chris Clyne will be chasing U23 selection by teaming up with Chris Ridell from Victoria and will join with Pat Wilson, Ed Boyce and Will Chambers among others from SUBC to contest the U23 Fours and Eights Championship.
On the women?s front Sydney Uni will provide it?s largest ever contingent for State teams. Notable among the women uni rowers will be Liz Kell, on the way back to form after a long injury, Elsa O?Hanlon who is now one of the leading women lightweight rowers in Australia and Captain Yasmin L?Estrange who will be in the NSW Women?s Eight.
Assisting on the women?s team with coaching will be well-known former NSW State coxen, Terry O?Hanlon backed up by wife Jane who will be helping with catering for the women?s team.
The coaches have organized the trip extremely well and leave Sydney this Friday with the trailers and boats to catch the Saturday ferry from Melbourne to Devonport.
With our best-prepared team ever about to leave we wish all the athletes and coaches the best in their Championships, Selection races and Interstate races.