Costigan backs down in player eligibility debate

ONE of the more interesting motions debated at the week-end GAA Congress came at the very end of the Saturday session and, through an oversight, wasn’t even included in the agenda. Dealing with the topical issue with the age eligibility of young players for the various championship grades, it came from Tipperary. And, according to board chairman John Costigan it was “about the survival” of 25 clubs in the county.

They proposed, for instance, that a player would have to be over 16 on January 1 to play senior, over 15 at the same time to play under-21, and over 13 to play minor. However, there was widespread opposition to the principle of young players “playing away outside their age groups” and Mayo delegate Paddy Muldoon suggested the solution was to reduce team sizes to 11 or 13-a-side. “We don’t have a right to neglect our duty of care and engage in what has been referred to as juvenile mismanagement,” he said.

Sensing the growing opposition, Costigan withdrew the motion.

Much earlier, Congress gave strong backing to a proposal from the Rules Book Task Force that, in relation to girls playing in boys teams, the best legal and medical advice was that they should not do so beyond age 12.

Limerick chairman Liam Lenihan expressed a concern that this would affect primary schools, but was informed the regulation would not apply in this sector — or in respect of wheelchair-bound boys and girls whose ages range as high as 20.

Other than the Wicklow motion which successfully achieved a return to the old qualifier system in football (with almost unanimous acclaim), one of the more interesting discussions took place on a Laois proposal banning the filling of trophies with alcohol. This was also agreed, but not before President Nickey Brennan raised the issue of how it would be monitored.

Addressing delegates he said: “You are the officers, take responsibility. There’s nothing wrong with taking a drill out and putting a hole in the cup. I have seen it plenty of times.”

There was widespread support for a Kilkenny motion calling for helmets to be compulsory in all hurling grades from 2010 onwards. It was time to “take the final step”, said chairman Paul Kinsella, pointing out it was already mandatory at under-21 level.

New regulations governing the movement of players overseas in the summer months were agreed. The maximum number of sanctioned players permitted to any club in the North American board area will be 18, but clubs will also be able to avail of the services of players who have a valid J1 Visa as well as a sanction.

In the case of the Canadian and New York boards the maximum number of sanctioned players allowed will be 10 and six respectively.

* It was agreed that over a three-year trial period, no member of a senior inter-county panel whose team is knocked out of the championship will be permitted to go and play in the North American board area in the same season.