TEAMS of budding rowers in Bury are being invited to enter the second season of the international Concept2 Winter Team Relay League.

In its inaugural year, the league attracted more than 340 teams from 23 countries and it's expected to be even bigger this season.

The Winter Team Relay League is made up of two separate events for teams of eight and teams of four and is free to enter.

Run between October and March, the winter training period for on-water rowers, there are five monthly rounds of varying distances.

Teams race on a relay basis on one Concept2 Indoor Rower until they complete the challenge distance or time.

They can race anywhere, which makes it perfect for evening rowing club training sessions or weekends when the weather is too bad to get out on the water, and they just have to submit their results for each round via the Concept2 website - www.concept2.co.uk/8gp - before the close of entries. The moment entries close the updated league tables are posted.

The league's origins are based on a competition format developed by the Danish rowing community to create a regular competitive focus during the winter that would improve performance on the water in the summer and enhance club spirit through the winter.

Its success has been remarkable. It is enthusiastically supported nationwide, amongst almost all Danish universities and rowing clubs and has helped raise fitness levels markedly. That enthusiasm is now spreading as more and more British teams take up the challenge.

The format for teams of eight is designed to cater for on-water rowers whilst the format for fours is aimed at non-rowers, fitness club teams and all kinds of indoor rowing enthusiasts, although these groups are also free to take on the rowers in the eights event if they wish.

In the first round, each team in the eights category must row for two sets of 8x500m, while the fours race twice over the 4x500m distance.

Broadly speaking the rounds progressively get tougher as the season progresses, hopefully mirroring the physical fitness progress of the competitors!

Times for the first round must be submitted by November, 6.

Teams can join at any point during the season, and make replacements in team composition for illness or injury.

For further information about the event or to register a team, log onto www.concept2.co.uk.