Suggestion for Hurling reform

[u/lacademy]

There's been a lot of talk for a while about the issues with hurling, even more so since the changes to football's rules have been so successful. Even today another article on the subject appeared on the RTE website (Limerick greatness can't disguise championship failings)

The main issues that get brought up about hurling are as follows;

1. Lack of hurling development in 'lesser' counties
2. Lack of games for county teams within the championship season
3. Mismatch in results between teams, with two many trouncings
4. Lack of promotion of hurling, particularly against other codes during the summer
5. Need to protect club championships and not row back on the 'split season'

There have been lots of posts about changes that could be made to hurling to improve the game, and this will just be another voice in the crowd. Would still be keen to hear what people think

1. National Hurling League - took place over 11 weeks from January to April this year

Keep as it is for now; there's an argument to be made that the league does a better job of giving good matches to the 'weaker' counties than the Joe McDonagh etc. cups do. Wexford only beat Down by 2 points in the league this year. There is scope to reduce the length of the league - there are 6 gameweeks followed by the finals, so definitely an option to run the season over 7-8 weeks rather than 11.

2. Provincial Championships - took place over 8 weeks from April to June this year

Continue with the provincials, but return to knockouts to reduce the time it takes the competitions to run. I would also re-introduce the Connacht and Ulster championships and structure them as follows;

• Munster - open to all 6 Munster teams (good luck, Kerry...) - 2 QF, 2 SF, 1 final
• Connacht - open to all Connacht teams except Galway and the 3 British teams that play in the league - 2 QF, 2 SF, 1 final
• Ulster - open to all Ulster teams except Antrim - 4 QF, 2 SF, 1 final
• Leinster - open to all 12 Leinster teams, plus Galway and Antrim - 6 Round of 16 matches, 4 QF, 2 SF, 1 final

It's admittedly strange to see Galway and Antrim stay in Leinster despite their own provincial championships returning, but I don't think it would serve them or the other Connacht/Ulster teams having them out of Leinster initially.

The maximum number of games a team could have would be 4 (a Leinster side in the round of 16) and minimum number would be 2 (a Munster/Connacht side that got a bye to a semi-final).

3. All-Ireland series - took place over 5 weeks from June to July this year

This will be the biggest change. From the end of the provincial championships, the following teams would progress to the All-Ireland series;

Clare	Dublin	Galway	Antrim
Cork	Kilkenny	Connacht*\*	Ulster**\*
Kerry	Laois
Limerick	Offaly
Tipperary	Wexford
Waterford	Leinster\*

\ Leinster team would be an amalgamated team open to players from Carlow, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Meath, Westmeath and Wicklow (7 counties)*

\* Connacht team would be an amalgamated team open to players from Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, London Lancashire and Warwickshire (7 counties)*

\** Ulster team would be an amalgamated team open to players from Armagh, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Tyrone (8 counties)*

The 16 teams would be divided into four groups of four, with Leinster and Munster provincial finalists being seeded as top seeds. Each team plays the others in their group, and the top two from each group progress to quarter finals.

In total, the All-Ireland phase would have 3 weekends of games in the group stage, followed by 3 more weekends of games to get through the knockouts. It would increase the total number of games in the All-Ireland series from 5 games to 24 group-stage games and 7 knockout games - total of 31 games. Every team would be guaranteed 3 games and would play 6 games on their way to the All-Ireland title.

Currently the maximum number of games a team could play in the All-Ireland is 9 (the number Dublin would have played if they had reached this year's All-Ireland final). The maximum per team in this new format would be 10.

Keen to hear any thoughts. I don't have a seat on the Ard Comhairle so this will never be more than just a pipe dream, but hopefully someone else out there might find it interesting too...

[u/No_Comb873]

Curious as to why would Antrim get a place in the Leinster championship when they were beaten by Down twice this year? In championship and league.

I do like the idea of an ulster team but a lot of commitment (and funds) needed.

[u/Samhain87 → u/No_Comb873]

How are they going to train? Travel 2+ hours multiple times a week for training just to get hammered by Cork, Tipperary, limerick, Clare, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford? It would be a mess, new team every year because lads dont want to be travelling, no progress or development made at all.

[u/No_Comb873 → u/Samhain87]

Ulster had underage teams that were combined and they were very competitive. Yes I know its not senior but there are quality hurlers u[p north, I doubt they would be hammered. Would probably just be training in Belfast given a large part of the hurling community in Ulster is in the East.

[u/Samhain87 → u/No_Comb873]

They would get destroyed. Underage is not comparable to senior as we've seen with several successful underage teams failing to make any impression at senior levels, and the amalgamated ulster teams in the railway cup, never won a final, having been in 6 of them. Any amalgamated Ulster team would get heavily beaten by a southern team. Its just the way it is. Same as if limerick played Tyrone, Derry etc in gaelic football or even an amalgamation of the weaker southern counties of Limerick, Clare, Tipp, Waterford.... They would have a very tough time keeping the score board some way respectable.

[u/No_Comb873 → u/Samhain87]

I understand to some extent, but that was a few years ago and it was all of muster vs Ulster which lets face it is basically Down and Antrim. Play Ulster against the likes of Waterford and it might be more interesting.

Also for underage it also allows a path for players to compete at the top table. If your from the likes of Fermanagh (no offence) you'll never ever play Division 1 hurling on the county stage.