Hockey clubs agree new league structure
Club representatives met in Dublin on Sunday to rubber-stamp the draw, fixture list and format for what is a new departure for Irish hockey.
Cork Harlequins have been drawn in the ‘pool of death’ in the men’s competition, alongside Glenanne, Irish Senior Cup holders Pembroke Wanderers and northern powerhouses Annadale, Cookstown and Instonians.
Club Championships winners Three Rock Rovers and cup specialists Lisnagarvey will start as favourites to emerge from Pool B, which also features Cork Church of Ireland, Banbridge, Monkstown and Fingal.
In the women’s draw, Pegasus and Loreto are the strongest sides on paper in Pool A alongside Cork Church of Ireland, Randalstown, Belfast Harlequins and Railway Union.
Pool B features two sides building dynasties for the future, with Hermes and Armagh boasting the cream of the country’s best young players, while Ballymoney, Cork Harlequins, UCD and Pembroke Wanderers are also included.
The competition will run across five weekends throughout the season, starting on October 18, with two pools of six in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. The top two in each pool will qualify for the finals weekend on May 2-4, 2009.
Teams who finished in first and second in their provincial leagues will have three home games and two away, while the reverse will apply for those who finished third and fourth, or qualified through a wildcard playoff.
The new league will adopt a similar format to the Eurohockey League, with games played in quarters of 17-and-a-half minutes.
Three points will be awarded for a win and two for a draw, while there also be rugby-style bonus point incentives. Teams will earn an extra point for winning by two goals or more, while teams losing by less than two will earn a bonus point in defeat.
The Irish Hockey Association (IHA) is understood to have secured a major sponsor for the tournament, which will be confirmed in the coming months.
In an attempt to improve hockey’s product as a spectator sport, clubs are being encouraged to stage half-time skills competitions, underage matches and corporate lunches on match days.
Meanwhile, a number of Cork-born Irish internationals were on hand to launch next month’s Celtic Cup at Garryduff last night.
Cork Church of Ireland’s David Hobbs, UCC’s Julia O’Halloran and Cliodhna Sargent of Cork Harlequins will all be in action when France, Scotland and Wales come to their native city from July 4-6.
The tournament, which is worth €100,000 to the southern capital’s economy, will also play host to the Irish and Scottish U18 sides and 20 British junior umpires, who will be observing the action as part of their refereeing education.
“Munster is delighted to host such a prestigious tournament and bring top-class international hockey to Cork,” said Munster Branch president John Rose.
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