Olympic clash sees IHA take axe to interpros

MYSTERY again surrounds the future of Irish hockey’s inter-provincial tournaments after the Irish Hockey Association (IHA) confirmed the senior and junior tournaments will not take place during the 2011/12 season.

The IHA stressed the decision “has largely been driven by the [provincial] branches, who feel that in a year with Olympic qualifiers, the inability to field full squads puts the cost and associated benefits of the events in doubt”.

The national body’s competitions and inter-provincial working groups have been asked to review the staging of the senior and junior tournaments for future years in conjunction with national coaches Paul Revington and Gene Muller and high performance director David Passmore.