Cork manager: Axing second strings from camogie championship 'strange and unnecessary'

Cork, the 2018 intermediate champions, had been due to play Kerry in their opener on Saturday. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Cork intermediate camogie manager Mark McCarthy has questioned the timing of the decision to prohibit counties’ second teams from taking part in the All-Ireland intermediate and junior championships.

Along with Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny and Tipperary, Cork were informed on Friday that, as a result of a government directive, they wouldn’t be able to compete in the intermediate competition while Clare, Limerick, Offaly, Waterford and Wexford have been excluded from the junior.

Cork, the 2018 intermediate champions, had been due to play Kerry in their opener on Saturday and being given such short notice has left McCarthy disappointed.

“The initial plan was for a group of six and a group of seven playing round-robin,” he said, “but it went to three threes and a four, with the winners going to the semi-finals, so we were only looking at four games if we were to go all the way.

“From our perspective, it was a strange and unnecessary call at such a late stage. We are left wondering why the Department of Sport sent this directive to the Association. Why punish the counties who have the strength and depth to field two teams?

“In the year that's in it, when women are supposed to be supporting women, for the girls it feels like they're being told, ‘You’re not elite, you're not good enough to compete’.

It's such a shame that the department view second teams in this manner. It's demoralising and a backward step for the 20x20 campaign.

It is believed that the possibility of senior and intermediate or junior panels mixing was a factor in the decision, but in Cork the two squads had been preparing independently.

“That’s why we’re so frustrated and stunned,” McCarthy said.

“We’re a completely separate panel and separate entity – only once in six weeks did the senior team look for one of our players for a challenge match.

“When the decision was made on Wednesday that the male U20 and minor championships had to be postponed and only senior competitions could proceed, we understood that we could continue as we’re essentially a senior squad.

“All of the girls are grown adults, just because we’re a second-team doesn’t really mean anything because we can compete with and beat the other county teams out there.”

Now, McCarthy fears that some of the intermediate may be less inclined to come back in 2021.

“I’d imagine so,” he said.

“When you’re trying to build towards something for six weeks, with three sessions a week, and the anticipation and the drive within the camp that that brings, and all of a sudden it’s taken away, 24 hours before competition, you’d be thinking some girls would throw their eyes up to heaven and say, ‘What’s the point?’

“That’s what I’m getting back from them but there are a couple of senior players who have reached out to me and said, ‘Whatever it takes, we’ll back.’

If a petition could be got going, the same way the Cork minors did at the start of lockdown when that championship was taken away – Jerry Wallace started a petition and got 5,000 signatures.

“They’re looking towards that but I suppose time is against us. There are 150 or so players disappointed with this. If we had been told that the whole championship was called off and the senior was getting all the focus, with testing and so on, you’d say fair enough.

“For the whole thing to go ahead without us because we’re a second team, it feels like a kick in the teeth.”