Call for college rules to be given fair trial

Club Championships:  The head of the third-level colleges authority, Comhairle Ard Oideachais chair John Devaney, has called for rules introduced last year to be given a fair trial before taking any further action on the question of third-level teams entering county championships.

His comments came as last night's Dublin county board delegates were due to consider a motion to exclude UCD from this year's Dublin championships.

The proposal from the St Vincent's club had argued that the participation of university sides in county championships was unfair and, said Devaney, "we don't have a policy on it as a committee because the competitions are outside our jurisdiction."

"But personally, I believe that Congress addressed this last year.

"The rule book was altered to get rid of some anomalies, such as the year's grace (graduates eligible to play for a year after leaving college) and the possibility of a player coming in September and just jumping in to a championship side.

"The assumption was that these amended rules would get a run before any judgment would be made.

"UCD would have to play this year under different rules and my own view is that we should see how that runs.

"It might have been a little different were this to come up next year."

Meanwhile in women's football, the 2007 Suzuki National Football League season will witness a completely new format with all 32 counties competing in three divisions.

The old format of four divisions has been replaced by three divisions split into two pools made up of teams representing all 32 counties. No second or third string county teams will compete in the 2007 league season.

Reigning Division One holders and All-Ireland champions Cork will be favourites again in 2007 following their back to back League and Championship successes of 2005 and 2006.

The county has not lost a match since losing to Galway in the League in early 2005.

Cork will, however, face stiff opposition in Division One B from last year's beaten League finalists Meath and Galway, who lost to Cork in the 2005 League final.