Split-season to impact on U20s playing at Senior level

Tipperary senior hurlers can no longer line-out for the county’s under-20 team in the same year.

It’s after a motion was passed at congress that says if an eligible player plays a tier 1 inter-county championship match, they then cannot play with their under-20 team in the same year, until the senior team has been eliminated from the championship.

Speaking to Tipp FM, county board chairman Joe Kennedy said this rule was needed to allow both championships to progress at the same time.

“Under the split-season if you’re to try and get all the games played you’d have to have some kind of rule like that or else a guy under 20 would be playing an awful lot of matches. He might be playing Wednesday – Sunday – Wednesday – Sunday week in, week out and you’d probably have internal strife maybe between your Under 20 manager and your Senior manager.”

“I suppose the fact that it’s been brought back to Under 20 lessens the likelihood of a guy being a starter on the Senior team but for both competitions to progress it’s probably the only way under the split-season that it can be done.”