Heskin named team manager

ROWING:Mike Heskin will be the new Ireland team manager. The Galway businessman was chosen at a meeting of the new International Rowing Committee (IRC) on Saturday.

He will be formally appointed by the Irish Amateur Rowing Union (IARU) later this month, and is already acting as team manager designate. His appointment is for the season ahead.

The move is part of a shake-up of the sport at the top level.

Long-serving team manager Mick O'Callaghan was ousted a week ago, and last Thursday John Holland was given the new post of lightweight team manager.

Yesterday, the new chairman of the IRC, Garth Young, said he will be asking the board of the IARU to approve structural changes in the way the IRC works, which should make it more accountable to the board.

Heskin was among the most outspoken critics of the old structures. At the agm of the union two years ago, he said: "International rowing is run by a small clique who have no reported criteria for appointing team managers."

He went on: "International rowing is an absolute shambles. It's hand-to-mouth, it'll-be-all right-on-the day - all tied up with binding twine."

His chance in his new post comes on the back of years of experience at club level with St Joseph's and Tribesmen and strong involvement in the Ireland underage structures, including as team manager at the World Under-23 Championships (1997); World Juniors (1994 and 2005); Home Internationals (1990, 1991 and 1993).

His role will be complex, as there will, in effect, be parallel set-ups for heavyweights, under head coach Harald Jahrling, and lightweights, under Holland.