The GAA has proposed a radical new group format for the 2018 All-Ireland hurling Championship that will provide more high-profile games and keep pace with changes to the football structure.
Saturday week’s meeting of Central Council will consider introducing two new groups of five teams within the Leinster and Munster provincial championships, producing extra matches while maintaining the tradition of provincial competitions.
A third group, titled the “provincial qualifier group” has also been recommended, consisting of five weaker counties, the winner of which gets to enter a play-off for an All-Ireland quarter-final place.
The proposals are the brainchild of the Central Competitions Control Committee, which was instructed to come up with a plan to enliven the hurling championships.
Under the hurling proposals, five Leinster teams — Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Offaly and Wexford — and the five Munster teams — Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Wexford — would be guaranteed four games, two home and two away, in a new round-robin set-up. The top two teams in each group would contest the provincial final.
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The third-placed team from Leinster would qualify for an All-Ireland quarter-final while the third-placed team in Munster would make it to that stage also if they overcome the winners of the qualifier group.
The GAA explained that the proposals “have their roots in the proposal first mooted by the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) in 2012”.
The CCCC addressed the provincial isolation experienced by Galway under-age teams by suggesting that their minors and under-21s be included in the Leinster championships.
With Galway “and any Ulster teams of sufficient strength”, to be accommodated in Leinster, it is proposed that the All-Ireland Under-21 semi-finals be eliminated and the provincial winners qualify directly for an All-Ireland final.
Meanwhile, the GAA has confirmed the details for the opening round of the All-Ireland football qualifiers. Armagh host Fermanagh in an all-Ulster Round 1B derby, the pick of the eight games that will be played from Saturday, June 17, to Sunday, June 25.
Fixtures
All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 1A
Waterford v Derry, Fraher Field, 3pm
Louth v Longford, Gaelic Grounds, 5pm
Wicklow v Laois, Aughrim, 5pm
Sligo v Antrim, Markievicz Park, 5pm
All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round 1B
Limerick v Wexford, Gaelic Grounds, 3pm
All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 1B
Westmeath/Offaly v Cavan/Monaghan, Mullingar/Tullamore, 6.30pm
Armagh v Fermanagh, Athletic Grounds, 6.30pm, London v Carlow, Ruislip, 1pm