Cork Con officially object as fixture row rumbles on

CORK CONSTITUTION yesterday officially objected to the Munster Branch decision to deny them the chance of defending the Munster Senior Cup.

Provincial officials took the drastic step after Constitution pleaded inability to play their scheduled semi-final on February 27 against Young Munster on the basis that several of their players had been called up for representative duty and they were shorn of front row forwards with the requisite experience at senior level.

Club President Pat O’Keeffe, who earlier this week denounced the decision as grossly unfair, pointed out that the club had agreed to postpone (with the Munster Branch) an important AIB League game to allow the cup tie go ahead weeks ago.

Weather intervened and the game was not played and now Constitution, he said, were left to play an extra game at a time that didn’t suit them in the national league.

Mr O’Keeffe said Constitution’s co-operation with the Branch was clearly not taken into account when difficulties arose and he confirmed there had been an official objection following a heated meeting at Temple Hill on Monday evening.

For now, Young Munster have been given the go-ahead by the Munster Branch to move forward to the final against University College Cork.