Hong Kong Allstars won’t take new rules on the road

THERE will be no sin bins or experimental rules in the exhibition game between the 2003 and 2004 Vodafone GAA Allstar football squads in Hong Kong next Saturday.

The rules under experimentation in the subsidiary competitions in Munster, Connacht and Leinster will not apply, according to sources close to the tour.

Meanwhile, Donegal star Damien Diver has been added to the list of players making the trip.

Diver, last year’s Donegal Footballer of the Year, is a late replacement for Laois star Tom Kelly, who suffered a broken collarbone in the O’Byrne Cup last Sunday week. Kelly will still travel with the party, which leaves Dublin tomorrow morning for the week-long visit.

The game, the highlight of a packed programme of events at the Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday, starts at 10am Irish time. The Hong Kong club, which has successfully promoted the Asian GAA Games, is the host for the visit.

Meanwhile, the semi-finals of the AIB All-Ireland club hurling championship will be played on different days, on the weekend of February 12 and 13, in a change from usual practice.

Tipperary and Munster champions Toomevara will play Athenry in Cusack Park, Ennis on Saturday, February 12, at 2.30pm, while Kilkenny’s James Stephen’s will meet Antrim champions O’Donovan Rossa in Parnell Park the following day - at the same time.

Both football semi-finals will take place on Sunday, February 20.

Connacht representatives Ballina Stephenites will meet Munster champions Kilmurry/Ibrickane from Clare in Pearse Stadium, while Parnell Park will host the clash of Crossmaglen Rangers and Portlaoise. Both games will have a 2.30pm throw-in.

Fixtures: February 13: IHC semi-finals - At Birr, St Thomas (Galway) v Kildangan (Tipperary), 2.30pm; Carrickshock (Kilkenny) v Robert Emmets (London), venue TBA.

JHC semi-finals - At Thurles, Oran (Roscommon) v Ballygarvan (Cork), 2.30pm; At St Vincent’s, Dublin, Galmoy (Kilkenny) v Shane O’Neills (Antrim), 1pm.

February 20: IFC semi-finals: At Breffni Park, Wolfe Tones (Meath) v Pomeroy Plunkett’s (Tyrone) 2.30pm; Connacht champions v Carbery Rangers (Cork), venue TBA.

JFC semi-finals: At Breffni, Park, Rathoath (Meath) v Stewartsown (Tyrone), 1pm; Connacht champions v Finuge (Kerry), venue to be announced.

*The Connacht GAA Council have rescheduled the Galway/New York first-round game in the Connacht football championship for Sunday, May 15, due to the unavailability of Gaelic Park on May 1, the original date for the game.

Allstar travelling party (*denotes replacement): 2003 Allstars: F. Byron (Laois), F. Bellew (Armagh), *E. McNulty (Armagh), *D. Meehan (Galway), C. Gormley (Tyrone), *W. Kirby (Kerry), *D. Diver (Donegal), S. Kavanagh (Tyrone), *P. Clancy (Laois), B. Dooher (Tyrone), B. McGuigan (Tyrone), D. Browne (Tipperary), S. McDonnell (Armagh), P. Canavan (Tyrone), A. Sweeney (Donegal), J. Higgins (Laois), K. Walsh (Galway), P. Jordan, (Tyrone), T. Kelly (Laois).

2004 Allstars: D. Murphy (Kerry), T. O’Sullivan (Kerry), B. Owens (Fermanagh), *R. McMenamin (Tyrone), *D. Heaney (Mayo), J. Nallen (Mayo), J. Keane (Westmeath), M. McGrath (Fermanagh), *R. McGarrity (Mayo), P. Galvin (Kerry), C. McDonald (Mayo), D. Dolan (Westmeath), C. Cooper (Kerry), *P. Joyce (Galway), M. Forde (Wexford), E. Muldoon (Derry).