Marc h 31st, 2009
Possibly the best thing about the Colours contest is that aswell as having the finest each club has to offer battling against each other, it also caters for the raw novices (beginners) on the same day. The present and the future from each club sharing the challenge and a mutual goal.
The Corcoran and the Gannon Cups have a lot of prestige attached to them and rightly so – the honour of winning either senior event cannot be overstated but at the same time can only be understood by those who compete for it. It means nothing to the outside rowing world but yet means everything to the people competing for them at the time. Novice Rowing (the Sally MoorheadTrophy and Dan Quinn Shield) however has an added spice. The contest is a race against time – what club can get its crew the furthest in the shortest space of time? The naivity of the competitors adding an increased excitement to the event itself.
In the senior events there will always be favourites depending on form coming into the race. In novice rowing there can be no favourites – each crew is untested in this environment usually. Anything can happen.
I’ve never been part of a winning Corcoran Cup crew and I may never be but one thing that I will always take with me is the joy of winning the Sally MoorheadTrophy in 2006 as a novice.
This year, UCD Novices are no different. The challenge seems daunting but yet exciting. As Captain of the club, I feel a responsibility for how they get on but the truth is, it is in their hands. This is my fifth year in the Boat Club and watching the novice race doesn’t get any easier as the years go on. It is always heart in the mouth stuff and this year it promises to be the same.
UCD’s Sally Moorhead Crew are still in the selection process.
