Hockey: Radical restructuring for Munster’s women’s leagues
The province’s competitions committee have unveiled their blueprint for the game’s future at adult level, which aims to resolve a significant number of issues, in particular the lack of competitiveness for a number of teams.
Division 1 becomes a 10-team league with the promotion of Cashel/New Inn, but it is the creation of a Division 1B — incorporating all the first teams from other clubs — that provides the most intrigue.
Waterford, Tipperary and Belvedere move up from Division 2, alongside four Division 3 sides — champions Clonakilty, Dungarvan, Clonmel and Cobh. Bruff, Blackrock and Cork Wanderers make the jump from Division 4.
The teams in both divisions will play each other once during the first half of the season, with their positions at this point determining what happens next as the leagues split up.
Division 1’s top six will play each other again and fight it out for the league title and Irish Hockey League qualification berths, while Division 1B’s bottom six will play each other again, with a league title on offer there too.
The bottom four in Division 1 and top four from Division 1B will form a new league, known as the Division 1 Challenge. Points will be reset to zero for each team, with the top four at the season’s end earning the right to play in Division 1 the following season.
Two new clubs who are entering teams this season — Crescent and Midleton — will begin life in Division 6, but they and any other fledgling clubs can move their first teams to Division 1B with agreement from the competitions committee, when they feel they are ready.
Meanwhile, the Irish U21 bid for a EuroHockey Junior Championships II double remains on track after both sides won convincingly yesterday.
Chloe Brown’s late strike in Ireland’s 7-0 win over Lithuania in Vienna could prove crucial as it nudges them ahead of rivals Scotland on goal difference ahead of their pivotal pool clash today (12pm).
Captain Nick Burns netted his third of the tournament while fellow Corkman Simon Wolfe was on target too as the men came from a goal down to beat Ukraine 5-1. They meet hosts Portugal tonight.
