The 2008 County Senior Hurling Championship will be run off in a league style format with two groups of six.
At the County Board meeting last week in Dungarvan the clubs had their say and went for a format of two groups of six with four teams from each group advancing to the quarter-final stages.
A clear format was also outlined to clubs should teams finish level on points. Scoring difference will be used to decide placings and if needed extra-time will be played in any would-be play-off game and in the quarter-finals.
The top-placed teams in the two groups will play the fourth-place team in the opposite group, with the second and third placed teams doing likewise in the draw for the quarter-finals.
County Champions De La Salle will play in group one along with the 2007 County Champions Ballyduff Upper, Lismore, Fourmilewater, Mount Sion and Ring who were promoted from the intermediate grade in 2008.
Last year’s beaten finalists, Abbeyside will play in group two along with Tallow, Ballyduff Lower, Ballygunner, Stradbally and Passage.
The first round of games will take place on the weekend of April 25 when some interesting games are in store. De La Salle Vs Mount Sion, Abbeyside V Stradbally, Ballyduff Upper V Fourmilewater, Tallow V Ballygunner, Lismore V Ring and Ballyduff Lower V Passage.
Games in round two will take place on the weekend of May 3rd and again some large crowds will turn out to see De La Salle play Ring, Abbeyside V Passage, Fourmilewater V Mount Sion, Ballygunner V Stradbally, Tallow V Ballyduff Lower and in the big game of the round Ballyduff Upper will play Lismore.
A week later the third round of game are down for decision. The champions of the last two years, De La Salle will play Ballyduff Upper, Abbeyside will play Tallow, Mount Sion will play Ring, Stradbally play Passage, Lismore play Fourmilewater and Ballygunner will play Ballyduff Lower.
Dates for the two remaining round of games are to be announced.
Football
Thirteen teams will once again play in the 2009 County Senior Football Championship in two groups of four and one group of five.
The top two teams in all three groups will qualify for the quarter final stages of the championship along with the third placed team in group ‘A’. To decide the eight teams in the quarter-finals, the third placed team in groups B and C will play off.
County Champion’s The Nire will play in group ‘A’ along with Ring, Ardmore, Kilrossanty and group side St. Brendan’s.
Last year’s beaten finalist Ballinacourty will play in group ‘B’ and will be joined by St Saviours, Brickey Rangers and Rathgormack. In Group ‘C’ Stradbally, who could be the team to look out for in 2009, will play along with Clashmore who will also have to be watched as well as Gaultier and last years intermediate champions Tramore.
The first round of games will take place on the weekend of May 31, games in Round two will take place on the weekend of June 21 and the third round of games will take place on the weekend of June 28. In group one, there will be two further rounds of games to be fitted in because of the extra round of games.
The team that finished bottom in each group will play-off to see which drops to intermediate in 2010. The amount of games to be played in the relegation series will depend on how St. Brendan’s get on because as a group team they cannot be relegated.
Like in the senior hurling championship, extra-time will be used if needed in any play-off games and in the quarter finals and if needed Scoring difference will be used to decide placings if teams finish level on points.
Often criticised, the officers of the County Board have to be complemented on having dates fixed for the first three rounds of the senior championships in both hurling and football at an early stage in the year, and clubs can now plan around these dates.
