New divisional championship for O Riain level teams
By Shane Brophy
This will be the last year Seamus O Riain level teams will be able to compete for the Dan Breen Cup following a decision passed at a Tipperary County Board meeting recently.
At Congress in February 2021, a new rule was passed as it now appears in TO 2021 (Riail 6.21 (2) where "The maximum number of teams that may participate in an adult County Championship shall be 16. Exception: Junior or lower grades.”
Arising from a meeting of the Rules Advisory Committee, the view was taken that the Tipperary Hurling Championship would not comply with the terms of the new motion passed at Congress.
To that end, Tipperary needed to make changes to the current structure in order to comply with the rule which comes into effect on January 1st
2023.
In recent weeks Tipperary County Board Officers have been discussing with Croke Park the confines of Motion 13 and put forward the following proposal which was approved by the clubs at a County Board meeting in Thurles, whereby from 2022, the Tipperary County Adult Hurling Championships will consist of a maximum of 16 teams.
The Divisional Senior Hurling, Seamus O Riain and Intermediate Hurling championships will link into the County Championships, but only if played with teams drawn from the maximum sixteen teams playing at the same level in the County Championship groups.
In reality, this means the teams in the Seamus O Riain Cup will now have to play their own new divisional championships, which will be linked into the knockout stages of the O Riain Cup only.
The divisional winners, if not already qualified, will enter the County Championship at the preliminary quarter final stage, but only at their respective grade only. Divisions will also not be allowed to nominate a team for the County Preliminary Quarter Finals.
However, a division can still opt to play a senior championship with both Dan Breen and Senior level teams, however, it will mean the winners will have no link to the County championship in either competition as it will have exceeded the maximum number of sixteen teams.