Tipp call for new rule to be withdrawn

TIPPERARY County Board have called for the abandonment of the rule agreed at Congress which restricts the playing activity of 16-year-old players.

Chairman Donal Shanahan said rural clubs are seriously concerned about the impact of the new regulations.

Players under 17 years of age on January 1 in the championship year are no longer allowed play for the U21s. Players must be at least this age to be eligible to participate in adult competition - junior, intermediate or senior - and this has also caused disquiet in a number of counties.

In the words of one observer, the motion ‘slipped’ through Congress because it was the first one to be debated after the result of the contest for President-elect was announced.

“Delegates were caught unawares. At that stage people were almost packing their bags to go home and it was only on Monday and Tuesday that they realised the implications of the motion that had been passed,” commented Mr Shanahan.

There was no debate on the motion - which came from Westmeath. It came before Congress last year and was agreed in principle.

However, it needed to be tidied up and this task was assigned to Adrian Murray, who had moved it on behalf of Westmeath, John Greene, Senator Rory Kiely and Director-General Liam Mulvihill.

In the absence of Adrian Murray (through illness), Mr Greene was given the responsibility of making the case for the adoption of the motion.

Defending the principle behind the motion, he pointed out yesterday that they hadn’t changed the age eligibility of groups from U10 up to juvenile (under-16) level.

“The whole idea was to try and stop 15 and 16 year-olds from playing U21 or adult competition.

“The argument can be made that some 16 year-olds are able to play senior - and have - but what we are saying is that by stopping them at that age there is a better chance that they will still be involved at 25 and up to 30.”

While there has been speculation that the rule might not come into force until next year - on the basis that U21 championship competitions are at an advanced stage in many counties - John Greene said he expected it to apply in the normal way - a month after Congress (on May 14).

Shanahan said that there was ‘huge’ concern in Tipperary and that they had written to Croke Park last Thursday conveying the views of clubs.

“We had the county U21 football final last Saturday between Loughmore and Arravale Rovers and the teams included lads who were 17 years of age.

“But, we have the ridiculous situation - according to the new rule - that these players won’t be eligible to play U21 hurling in a few weeks. We are hoping that the Management Committee will review the rule and use a bit of common sense and change it,” he added.

This and all other motions which were passed at Congress will be reviewed by the Rules Drafting Committee in Croke Park over next weekend.

In relation to the Westmeath motion, there is an acceptance that a mistake was made in the wording of the section governing eligibility for the minor grade.

It states that a player must be over 15 years of age on January 1 and (erroneously) under 18 on December 31.

Other elements of the rule are as follows:

*To be eligible for the Under-12 grade, a player must be ‘over 10 years of age’ on January 1 and under-12 on December 31.

*For the Under-14 grade a player must be ‘over 11 years of age’ on January 1 and under 14 on January 31.

*For the Under-16 grade, a player must be ‘over 13 years of age’ on January 1 and under 16 on December 31.