Ulster GAA secretary Brian McAvoy has warned against tinkering with the senior provincial football championships in his annual report.

As Joey Carbery and Jacob Stockdale lined up against each other at Ravenhill, it was noted that four years ago, at the time of the 2015 World Cup, neither had made their provincial debuts.

New Kerry U20 football boss John Sugrue has slammed the changes that have been made to the age grade as “farcical”, suggesting the GAA is too quick to respond to criticism when it comes to football.

As the Irish Examiner reported last month, the recommendations of the national fixtures taskforce are so extensive that they will require a roadshow and a special congress. What can be described as the highlights and lowlights of the document?

New Kilkenny selector DJ Carey has admitted that being threatened with suspension for organising an U20 challenge game last March left a sour taste in his mouth.

No senior, U20, or minor inter-county panel should be permitted to return to collective training before December 1, according to Connacht secretary John Prenty, who has called on Croke Park to hand over governance of training ban rules to provincial councils.

His time in blue and gold may only be in its infancy, but Jake Morris is pretty certain there’ll never be a week to top the one just finished.

Jerome Cahill’s pinch-me moment? Easy, the Tipp dressing room on the evening of Saturday, January 26.

“I am training to be an accountant and am actually serving my time down in Kilkenny at the moment, with O’Neill Foley Chartered Accountants.

When asked this evening whether he had any interest in the vacant senior job, Ring said his sole focus was on the Cork U20s and their All-Ireland final clash with Tipperary later this month.

Tipperary U20 hurling manager Liam Cahill has described as “lunacy” the rule which prevents young footballers from playing U20 and senior championship in the one summer, insisting that there is no threat of burnout to the three members of his panel who are also part of Liam Sheedy’s set-up.

Cocooned by journalists in the offices of PwC in Dublin, Pat Horgan’s mood goes from light and breezy to dark and deep.

Coming up this weekend, there are the final four games in the Super 8s as well as the U20 hurling semi-finals to look ahead to.

Cork will play Dublin in next weekend’s All-Ireland U20 football final after reeling in a seven-point second-half deficit to overcome 14-man Tyrone.

Tipperary manager Liam Cahill was delighted that his side’s last chance of winning the Munster U20 final clash with Cork fell to experienced senior Jake Morris.

Kerry U20 manager Jack O’Connor has reiterated his criticism of the rule which prevents inter-county footballers from playing U20 and senior championship in the same season.

With the Kerry senior, minor, and junior footballers already having done the business, it is left to Jack O’Connor’s U20s to complete a clean sweep of provincial crowns.

Hurling will join Gaelic football in moving from an U21 All-Ireland championship to an U20 competition in the near future.

The new Super 8 championship structure could lead to situations where teams may play to lose, a leading administrator has claimed.

"It was a benchmark in underage rugby, you had to play well in the U20 interpros to play for Ireland. All its doing now is helping the pro game instead of the U20 game."

Former Westmeath minor footballer Conor O’Brien might this week be preparing for a Leinster SFC semi-final showdown with Kildare in Croke Park, but instead it’s the World Rugby U20 Championship final.

Carlow manager Turlough O’Brien has launched a broadside against the proposed second-tier All-Ireland competition, describing it as a “slap in the face” for footballers in weaker counties.

Where the World Cup draw giveth, the World Cup schedule taketh away.

Ireland lock Jack Dwan has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Rugby U20 Championship with a shoulder injury sustained in the final minute of Saturday’s win over Scotland.

Nigel Carolan may be in charge of the Irish U20s at a world championship for the first time but the Galwayman has been involved with enough underage national sides to know they face a tough test against Argentina today, 3.30pm (live on TG4).

Moycullen, minus star player Patrick Lyons, managed to defeat Neptune 86-64 in a highly entertaining Men’s U20 semi final.

Singletons Supervalu Brunell 80 Team Boardwalk Glanmire 61

The U20 women’s final will be an all-Cork decider with Glanmire and Singletons Supervalu Brunell competing in what promises to be a cracking encounter.

UL Huskies and Team Montenotte Cork will contest the Women’s SuperLeague National Cup final following their impressive wins over WIT Wildcats and DCU Mercy at Neptune Stadium.

Munster’s U20 rugby team manager Graham Burns claims Cork senior hurling star Darren Sweetnam has the rugby “X factor”.

Mike Ruddock intends to keep his victorious Ireland U20 side on an even keel following their sensational win over hosts South Africa by concentrating minds on Friday’s must-win IRB Junior World Championship pool clash with England.

Scruffy’s St Paul’s claimed the Basketball Ireland Senior Women’s Cup to end a miserable day for rivals Tralee Imperials at the National Basketball Arena on Saturday.

IF we thought New Zealand were an intimidating prospect before, imagine them after four success U20 world titles.

AFTER consecutive away victories, Darren Edwards has made four changes for Wales U20’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland at Parc Y Scarlets tonight (7.10 pm).

IRELAND’S U20 team will launch its Six Nations title defence against Italy in Parma tomorrow night (6pm) with captain Niall Annett one of five surviving players from last year’s championship winning side amongst the squad members.