Trinity athletes weekend of strong results across rowing, athletics, archery and rugby

Trinity’s athletes and alumni were in action across the country and beyond on the weekend of 12-13 July 2025 with a packed schedule that saw podium finishes, revived rivalries and strong performances across multiple disciplines.  Trinity's women rowers of DULBC delivered one of their most successful national championship campaigns in club history, while the Trinity Harriers hosted Cambridge and Oxford in a historic return of the Cross Channel Classic.  Meanwhile, Trinity Archery hosted and picked up top finishes at the Outdoor Intervarsities, Trinity Volleyball's Jan Comendant represented Ireland at the U22 Men’s European Championship Qualifiers, and DUFC and Trinity alumni Thomas Clarkson selected for the British & Irish Lions.  Here’s a look at a busy and rewarding few days for Trinity's athletes and alumni.

A historic National Championship for DULBC

Carrying high momentum from a successful Cork Regatta two weeks ago, the Trinity women's rowers of DULBC went into the last weekend’s highly anticipated Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre, Cork on 11-13 July with extreme confidence.  The club’s slogan #fearthefuchsia was in full display all weekend long as DULBC proceeded to match their best most successful Championships in their illustrious history, finishing the 2025 season in spectacular style and taking home three National Championship titles and received podium finishes in every category entered.

Under a beautiful clear blue sky, DULBC’s National Rowing Championships began with a bang with their first win of the weekend when the Senior 4- crew of Addy Telzrow (sroke), María Mezquita García-Poggio, Imogen Cooney, and Grace Healy (bow) snatched a stunning victory from a powerful University of Galway BC crew.  This victory marked DULBC's last senior win at the National Championships since 2015.

On Saturday, DULBC claimed their second title of the weekend in the Intermediate 2-, with crew Addy Telzrow (stroke) and María Mezquita García-Poggio (bow) jumping out to a commanding lead early in the race, with eight seconds separating them and the second-placed crew from UGBC at the finish.  The Intermediate 2- was last won by DULBC in its inaugural year at the Championships in 2013, making it a truly special one to “take home”.

DULBC Intermediate 4+ crew Telzrow, Mezquita García-Poggio, Cooney, Healy with cox and Captain Jane Prendergast celebrate their National Rowing Championship win.

On Sunday, DULBC stormed to their final win of the weekend, delivering an exhibition of rowing in the Intermediate 4+. The four rowers of the Senior 4- (Telzrow, Mezquita García-Poggio, Cooney, Healy) were joined by cox Jane Prendergast (Captain), and once again jumped out to a confident and decisive lead that never looked in doubt.  Euphoric celebrations at the finish from all five athletes were perhaps a tribute to the agonising second-place finish achieved in this category at the 2024 Championships.

DULBC’s three wins equals the record for their most successful Championships ever (2013, 2023), but this year’s Regatta was particularly impressive for the strength in depth across the squad.  The Club achieved podium finishes in ever category entered - second in Senior 8+ and Club 2 8+, and third in Club 2 4+, Novice 4x+, and Novice 8+.  The Championship Regatta wraps up an incredibly successful season for the Club, who will return to action in October with their attendance at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston.

DUBC also raced at the National Championships. On Friday, Inter 8 Final, DUBC narrowly missed out on a podium finish. On Saturday, DUBC picked up 5th place finishes in the Novice 4X+ race, Club 2 1X race and the Inter 1X race, plus a 4th place finish in the Inter 2- race. On the last day of racing, the club missed out on the Senior 8 Final by just 3 seconds. Plenty of positives to take from the weekend into next season for DUBC!

DUHAC reignite old rivalries

On the same blazingly hot mid-July weekend, Dublin University Harriers & Athletics Club (DUHAC) hosted prestigious British rivals Cambridge University and Oxford University for the first time in 64 years at the Cross-Channel Classic in Morton Stadium.  Cyril Smyth, ex-president of DUHAC and the TSU, acted as the starter for every race on the day.

Cyril also provided some further information on the history of the cross-channel athletics competitions which, from his research into the archives of university athletics, began with Trinity College Dublin and Cambridge in 1892 followed by a match between Trinity and Oxford where the Oxford University Hare & Hounds beat the Trinity Harriers at the Meadowbrook course.  Thereafter the cross-channel contests took place, excepting during wartime, annually until 1961.

The revived 2025 event saw both alumni and current students from all three universities compete against each other in distance, sprint, relay and field competitions.  Oxford and Cambridge competed together as Achilles Club, their joined alumni club.  DUHAC delivered an impressive performance throughout the competition, particularly the women’s section who secured eight first-place finishes for the club.

The Sprint races were dominated by the UK Universities with Samuel Clarke of Cambridge bringing home both the Men’s 100m and 200m sprint in dominant fashion. However, DUHAC would perform brilliantly in the women’s hurdle races with Lara O’Byrne winning the 100 metres hurdles race with an impressive 14.32 second run and Rebecca Ward winning the 400 metres hurdles race by just 0.75 seconds!

DUHAC performed best in the distance competitions winning four out of the seven races.  The men’s and women’s 800 metre race were both won by Trinity’s Harriers and Athletics Club- by George Warren and Annie Hughes respectively.  Evelyn Coughlan delivered a standout performance in the 5000 metre race to bring home a first-place finish for DUHAC, winning by a five second margin while Sophie Jackman came first in the Women’s 1500 metre race.  In the field competition, DUHAC brought home the women’s Long Jump with Lara O’Byrne winning her second competition on the day with a spectacular 5.39 metre jump.

More success came Trinity’s way in the relay races beginning with DUHAC’s Mixed squad of George Warren, Rebecca Ward, Oren Kenny and Charlotte Bourke winning gold for Trinity in the 4x400 metre relay race.  DUHAC women’s section delivered another impressive performance for the club when the relay team of Blaithin Holden, Charlotte Bourke, Rebecca Ward and Sophie Jackman took first-place honours in the women’s 4x400 metre relay race.

Overall, it was a splendid day of racing in Santry as past traditions were ignited after a long period of absence. The visitors came out on top 216 points to 205.  The occasion was celebrated with a dinner in the Pav, overlooking College Park where many of the old track and field competitions previously took place.  All clubs are optimistic that the tradition will continue for years to come!

Image credit for Cross-Channel Classic photos: Focus Visuals.

DUAC hits bullseye as Intervarsity hosts

DUAC hosted the Outdoor Intervarsity tournament at the Archery Ireland Blanchardstown Range on 12-13 July with twelve clubs competing across seventeen different categories.  The tournament attracted some of the best archers in the country including former DUAC Captain and Pink recipient Oskar Ronan returning to compete for DUAC in the guest recurve competition.  His tally of 300 points in Round 1 and 287 points in Round 2 solidified a second place finish for the Trinity Archery stalwart.

Jack Leahy delivered a standout performance for DUAC in the Barebow advanced tournament scoring a 537 points with 5 10+X ring hits and winning his competition by a dominant margin of 44 points.  DUAC had a strong performance in the Beginner Female Recurve competition with Trinity securing two of the three podium finishes. Maria Sofia Casabianca González took home the first-place honours with an outstanding 501 point tally while Alyssa Baker earned a third-place podium finish with her 377 point tally.

Another win for Trinity Archery came in the Recurve Intermediate Open where Emmet Morrin’s tallied 502 points including three precise X ring hits.  Furthermore, DUAC added to an already impressive Intervarsity performance with two more second-place finishes from Charlotte Claeys in the Compound Female competition and Andrew Sipos in the Recurve Beginner Open.  DUAC hope to build on their intervarsity  successes and momentum throughout the rest of the outdoor season before shifting their focus towards indoor season in early September.

Trinity Volleyball star shines in Georgia

Jan Comendant, outside hitter for Trinity Volleyball’s Premier Division team represented Ireland at the U22 Men’s European Championship Qualifiers in Tbilisi, Georgia in mid-July.  Ireland was drawn in a tough group featuring volleyball powerhouses France, hosts Georgia and a strong Luxembourg side.

In Ireland’s opening pool game, the boys in green put up a valiant display against Luxembourg, losing out three sets to one.  Ireland was then defeated 3-0 by both France and the hosts in the final two fixtures.  Despite the defeats, Jan had a great performance throughout the week scoring 16 points for Ireland with 12 massive winning spikes, 3 kill blocks and one ace!

Credit: CEV.

DUFC Alumni Thomas Clarkson receives last-minute Lions call up

A massive congratulations to DUFC Alumni Thomas Clarkson on being called up to the British and Irish Lions tour in Australia.  The tight-head prop who debuted for Ireland back in November under Andy Farrell, the current Lions Head coach, will provide much need additional front row cover for the Lions squad ahead of their first Test fixture against the Wallabies on Saturday.  Clarkson was expected to start for Ireland last weekend against Portugal was pulled out of the squad upon being called up by the Lions.