Jack O’Connor: Challenge game rules make no sense to me

Kerry U20 manager Jack O’Connor has hit out at the ban on inter-county challenge games, a rule he believes is totally lacking in common sense.

The U20 competition replaces the old U21 championship and given that no player can double up between U20 and senior, the GAA has abandoned the scheduling of previous years when the U21 was run off before the All-Ireland SFC threw-in.

The Munster U20 championship begins this Friday as Kerry travel to Newcastlewest to face Limerick (7pm). Kerry’s preparations, O’Connor insisted, haven’t been aided by the prohibition on inter-county challenge matches from Thursday to Sunday inclusive.