Pembroke to host Harlequins in opener

THE fixture list for the revamped domestic hockey season has been confirmed by the Irish Hockey Association (IHA).

The advent of the Irish Hockey League (IHL), subsequent scrapping of the end-of-season Club Championships and the restructuring of other All-Ireland competitions have given the 2008/09 calendar has a new look.

The provincial leagues in Munster and Leinster get underway on September 13, but it is the first round of the Irish Hockey League (IHL), scheduled for October 18/19, that will garner the most interest.

Pembroke Wanderers and Munster duo Cork Harlequins and Cork Church of Ireland are the only sides that have both their men’s and women’s teams involved in the IHL, and they will host some intriguing double-headers throughout the season. Serpentine Avenue is the place to be for the opening round, with Pembroke hosting both Quins’ men and the talented women of a young Armagh side.

There’s a bumper day of hockey in Cork on January 31, when all four Munster sides are at home. C of I welcome Monkstown’s men and the women of Loreto to Garryduff, while Quins take on Annadale (men) and UCD (women).

The other dates pencilled in for IHL action, which clubs have been asked to be kept free of other fixtures to ensure maximum supporter turnout, are November 29/30, March 7/8 and April 4/5. The top two to emerge from each pool of six will face off during finals weekend at Belfield.

The new league will adopt a similar format to the Eurohockey League (EHL), 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 will be rugby-style bonus point incentives to encourage attacking hockey. 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.

Elsewhere, the first rounds of the new Irish Senior Trophy competition, which is open to second-tier senior teams, take place before Christmas. The four semi-finalists of that competition will join the big guns in a new, shortened Irish Senior Cup, which now has a shorter format, starting on January 24.

Meanwhile, both the Munster and Leinster provincial fixture calendars have thrown up some crunch early-season clashes. In Leinster, Pembroke and Three Rock Rovers, who were separated by just a point at the top last season, renew acquaintances on October 4 at Serpentine Avenue.

Down south, there’s a mouthwatering double-header at Harlequin Park on October 11, when C of I and Quins clash in both the men’s and women’s leagues.

UCC’s women, who handed Quins their first Munster league defeat in eight seasons last term, will find out whether they are genuine contenders to upset the status quo before Christmas. The students host C of I and visit Quins in the space of a fortnight in November, and complete the return fixtures on back-to-back Saturdays in December.

It’s also a busy year for Munster on the interprovincial front, with the province down to host the men’s and women’s senior interpros from March 13-15, as well as the women’s junior (April 17-19) and U18 girls (Nov 21-23) events.

Cork Harlequins welcome teams from Holland, England, Scotland and Ireland to the club this weekend for its annual veteran festival.

Matches begin at 10.30am on Saturday and Sunday.