Hurling league tweaks are voted in

NEXT year’s hurling league willretain its six-team divisional format but with league semi-finals involving the Division 1B champions.

Central Council last night voted to back a Management Committee amendment after eight counties’ attempt to rescind the original August decision failed to receive the necessary two-thirds majority.

Following five rounds of games, the top team in Division 1A (Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Waterford) will face the winners of a “quarter-final” play-off between the top two counties in Division 1B (Antrim, Clare, Laois, Limerick, Offaly and Wexford) in one semi-final.