STRAINED relations between lightweight sculler Niall O'Toole and Ireland's international coaches have become increasing transparent following a side swipe from the athlete at the national set up which coincided with news of his link up with British coach Miles Forbes Thomas.

O'Toole's disenchantment with his coaching reached a high point during last year's drawn out selection process for the Olympic double scull, and he was later approached at the World Championships in Strathclyde by Forbes Thomas, former coach of rival Peter Haining, with the offer to resurrect his solo career.

The former world champion also accepted an invitation by the highly regarded Hong Kong Institute of Sport for a place on a three month training camp. O'Toole is understood to have faxed his plans to the Ireland's director of coaching, Thor Nilsen, just before leaving Dublin earlier this week.

Yesterday Dermot Henihan, the chairman of the competitive rowing committee, which oversees the national squad, tried to smooth over the differences and said that the international scullers were, for the time being, "free agents". But sources close to O'Toole have suggested a lack of "top quality coaching and training facilities which have not been made available to him in Ireland over the past four years", as the prime reason behind his decisions.

Meanwhile, two of the lightweight squad, Sam Lynch and Derek Holland, are preparing for next week's attempt on the eight kilometre indoor rowing record at Waterford RTC, which stands at 30 minutes.

Holland and Lynch resume training with the other half of the Olympic four - Tony O'Connor and Neville Maxwell - this weekend at Blessington, and they are now looking at the Lagan Head in a fortnight as their first competitive outing of the year.

The organisers are hoping for a formidable international line up from Henley, More modest reputations are expected to turn up for this weekend's Newry Head of the River, with the most notable crews in the 50 strong entry coming from some of Ulster's smaller clubs.

After years spent in Belfast's shadow, provincial rowing in the North has recently been enjoying something of a renaissance. Clubs such as Portadown and Bann have managed to hold their junior crews together for another season, and tomorrow's Junior 18 events present them with an opportunity to deflate Belfast's resurgent RBAI before the start of the spring regattas.