Tyrone clubs want Rules Series to be abolished

THE future of the International Rules Series could come under scrutiny at the GAA’s Congress in April if a motion submitted by Tyrone is deemed fit for debate.

The submission of motions by counties for consideration to be placed on the Clár at Congress closed last Friday and amongst them were a Tyrone motion calling for the abolishment of the International Rules Series. At the Tyrone convention before Christmas, motions from the Kildress and Killyclogher clubs called for an end to the GAA’s participation in the International Rules Series between Ireland and Australia.

The Kildress motion read: “This County Convention believes the formal connection between the GAA and Australian Rules Football, and the development of the International Rules game, has out-lived any usefulness it might have had; is making no contribution to the development of gaelic games but is instead damaging them; and should be formally ended immediately and the planned 2009 International Rules series cancelled.”

The Killyclogher motion stated: “The Compromise Rules games with Australia (should) be discontinued.”

Tyrone has long been associated with opposition to the International Rules Series with county football boss Mickey Harte one of the most vocal critics of the hybrid game. County secretary Dominic McCaughey stated that the motions had received an overwhelming backing from delegates and that the fear of losing young players to Australian Rules clubs had fuelled concerns in the county. This remained the case despite Ardboe youngster Kyle Coney recently turning his back on a career with the Sydney Swans and returning to Ireland.

“The majority of people at the convention were fully in agreement with the motions,’’ McCaughey said. “The belief is that it should be formally ended to help stop counties losing young talented players to AFL clubs. But this argument has been going on in Tyrone for some time and some motion like this comes out of Convention nearly every year. Usually they don’t get on the Clár at Congress and are referred to Central Council. But we would be hoping that they would be looked at closely this time and be discussed at Congress.”

McCaughey also revealed that opposition within the county to the GPA has manifested itself in the proposal of two motions for Congress. Motions put forward by the Kildress and Gortin clubs did not specifically mention the GAA player’s body, but both are concerned with the group. The Kildress motion relates to the possibility of the GPA being formally recognised by the GAA, while the Gortin motion seeks the abolishment of the Government grants scheme to intercounty platers.

The Kildress motion states: “Given that Rule 20, Allegiance, of the Official Guide 2008 states: ‘Clubs and Counties shall insist that the first allegiance of their members is to the Association and its Games, and may impose disciplinary measures for breaches of this Rule’, this County Convention believes there should be no formal recognition by the GAA of any external body or organisation purporting to represent any group of members within GAA.”

The Gortin motion called for Rule 42 of the GAA Rulebook to be amended to read: “A member or any unit of the Association shall not participate in games organised or controlled by any unit of the Association in which players are remunerated for playing in the match or competition. Penalty: 48 weeks suspension.”

Those motions also received an almost unanimous backing by delegates at the convention with Mark Conway, the head of the ‘Of One Belief’ group that were founded in opposition to the players grants scheme, one of the most vocal speakers in favour of the motions. The motions for Congress are set to be scrutinised over the coming weeks and then returned to the counties if they need to be amended so as to feature on the Clár for Congress, which is being held in Cork in April.