GROWING disquiet about the current malaise in domestic rowing has surfaced with a call on the Rowing Union's executive to impose its authority and take the responsibility of regatta organisation out of the hands of `selfish' club interests.

Tomorrow's Belfast sprint regatta will see a small fall in entries on last year but its failure to attract clubs, other than Old Collegians, from outside the province follows a trend this season which has left other regattas experiencing more pronounced slumps.

Numbers at the Trinity regatta earlier this month were poor, and the organisers of next weekend's Metro regatta concede they will be lucky to break even on its £4,000 cost after receiving a smaller than expected entry in the eights events.

Two contenders for the intermediate title, UCD and Defence Forces, have yet to meet each other and, according to one dispirited club captain, the low key atmosphere has led to a feeling among athletes that the season is just stumbling along towards the National Championships.

The official response has been to attribute low turnouts to pressure of exams and international B regattas abroad. Irish Amateur Rowing Union president, Tom Fennessy yesterday said that the problem was a matter for the clubs rather than the executive to resolve.

However, calls are now being made for the executive to intervene in the compilation of next year's competition calendar. Critics point to this month's congested, nine regatta schedule and say clubs should accept a two tier system where entries for the prime regattas can be guaranteed.

"One of the big failures of the year is that we needed two or three events where everyone attends," says coach Mark Pattison. "Unfortunately the clubs have failed to organise even one so far where entries have been anything other than provincial. Regatta committees are being just selfish they want dates to suit them rather than the sport as a whole and they don't want to change them.

Pattison added: "The only way around it is if the executive is empowered with running regattas. If they put their organisation behind it, all of the regattas could be put in the hands of a professional committee and clubs would pay them a lump sum at the a.g.m.." The necessary change in the IARU constitution is said to be one of a number of options under review by a rules revision committee.