MEN'S HOCKEY: The most important and oldest tournament in Irish hockey has been thrown into turmoil with the announcement from the Irish Hockey Association (IHA) of new plans to restructure the way competitions are run throughout the country.
With Cork Harlequins and Lisnagarvey scheduled to compete in this year's Irish Senior Cup final later in the month, the clubs have just been informed that the winner will no longer be entitled to represent Ireland in the European Cup Winners Cup. Instead, they must enter into another match (conceivably against themselves) against the winners of the All Ireland League championship. In past years the same club has won both competitions.
If proposals are adopted by the IHA, there can be only one club team playing in Europe in the 2007-08 season, to make room for a provincial side, which will occupy the second Irish slot at the European Championships. Prestige aside, a European place for the Senior Cup winners has traditionally been the real prize of the competition.
As a result, Harlequins, who have represented Ireland twice in Europe in the past, are in the process of lodging a complaint and protest to the IHA regarding what a spokesman described as a "mid stream" decision by them.
"Harlequins will definitely lodge an official complaint and a protest. The club is in the process of drafting a letter to the IHA board. To say just three weeks before the tournament final that the biggest prize in Irish hockey is no longer available to the winning side is not on."
Other issues of disquiet surround the complete revamp of the structures, and while there is general support that the Irish game needs to involve more top clubs in a greater number of quality matches, there are bones to pick over.
In essence, there will be a Northern Conference (the current Ulster League) and a Southern Conference (a mix of Munster and Leinster teams), which will kick in at the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Top finishing clubs from the conferences then qualify for a nine-team National Superleague, which will replace the existing National Club Championships.
If the top club side and the top provincial side play in future European competition, the question arises over which team will the best players decide to train and play with. The likelihood is that the top club will also supply at least some and probably most players to the provincial team.
Lisnagarvey are having a management committee meeting on Monday night to discuss the whole issue, with player availability, the Cup final and finance three of the issues up for debate. The IHA agm is on May 27th, at which the proposals will be debated.
LEINSTER SENIOR LEAGUE - Division One - Tomorrow: Corinthians v Fingal, Whitechurch Park, 2.15pm: Railway Union v TRR, Park Avenue, TBA; Monkstown v Pembroke, Serpentine Avenue, 2.00; Avoca v YMCA, Newpark, 1.45pm; Glenanne v Dublin University, Glenanne Park. 1.30pm. Division Two: Suttonians v Skerries, Skerries, 3.00; UCD v Kilkenny, Belfield, TBA; Clontarf v Bray, Mount Temple School, 12:30; Portrane v Weston TBA.
