GAA turn blind eye to own winter training rules

Last week, the Irish Independent reported four counties — Armagh and Laois footballers and Waterford and Wexford’s hurlers — are to lose home advantage for their opening 2019 Allianz League home game after breaching the pre-Championship training camp rule, writes John Fogarty.

Rule 6.22 (b), which states counties can only organise training weekends post-National League in the 10 days before a Championship game or the 17 days prior to an All-Ireland final, was introduced to give clubs more access to their inter-county players.

It forms part of a suite of rules that have attempted to even up the balance between the club and county scene. The message being sent out, the fact these counties are set to lose five-figure sums in gate receipts, is that the GAA intends to implement the rulebook.