John Fogarty: Hurling happy to be a distraction to World Cup

The association doesn’t have exclusive rights to the attention of any follower but neither does something as monumental an event as a World Cup

CLASH: Ballygunner’s Pauric Mahony gets his shot away against Shamrocks in last season’s All-Ireland club final. The pair’s semi-final meeting on Sunday clashes with the World Cup final. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

“Will Fifa reschedule?” was the tongue-in-cheek response of Nemeton chief executive Irial Mac Murchú to the news that the GAA had fixed the Ballygunner-Ballyhale Shamrocks All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final for 3.30pm this Sunday, 30 minutes after the World Cup final has kicked off in Qatar.

Clearly, Nemeton, who produce TG4’s live GAA coverage, have no problem with the clash. Certainly, the clubs don’t either. As a leading official in one of the clubs messaged, “The funny thing is we’re not playing in a World Cup.”