Don’t scrap B and I Cup, pleads Foley

ANTHONY FOLEY says Munster would be opposed to any plans to have the British and Irish Cup scrapped.

There are increasing calls from English clubs to abolish the competition, with the executive director of Championship club Esher, Simon Halliday, the latest to speak out.

“It has no meaning, has no money attached to it and this club has ended up spending vast amounts of money going to far-flung parts of the UK and Ireland with understrength teams,” said Halliday.

Munster, Leinster and Ulster have all entered their second string teams into the competition, which was introduced last season. Munster A reached the inaugural final 12 months ago, losing out to Cornish Pirates.

“The competition has given our younger players the opportunity to experience travelling across the water to take on seasoned professionals,” said Foley, who guided Munster to last season’s final and takes over as the province’s forwards coach in the summer.

“That’s an opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise have at that stage of their careers. It gives those lads a chance to show what they can do so it has definitely been a highly valuable competition for Munster over the last couple of years.

“There’s a restriction in the All-Ireland League next season that’ll only allow two professional players in each side, so there’s already a clamour for more fixtures to be available.

“Taking away the British and Irish Cup would be problematic. It would be hard for us to develop players without it.

“Things are tight financially for everybody at the moment so there probably should be financial benefits for teams partaking in the competition. How you’d manage and structure that, I’m not sure.

“But it’s a very valuable competition and it’s essential for the Irish teams to be involved in it.”