‘It’s a disgrace’: Calls for GAA Congress to address rule on U20s players’ game time

Congress will need to readdress any change to the rule that dictates that if any Under-20s player features in a senior intercounty championship game they can only play at that underage grade in the same season once the senior team has been knocked out of the championship.

The matter has been raised by several senior intercounty managers of late and has caused some conflict and concern ahead of this evening’s Munster Under-20s hurling championship semi-finals: Limerick play Waterford at the TUS Gaelic Grounds (7pm), before Tipperary play Cork at FBD Semple Stadium (7.30pm).

The Cork team that plays Tipperary is already contrasted by the mixed availability of Ciarán Joyce and Dáire O’Leary; Joyce is ruled out as he’s already featured for Cork in the senior championship, while O’Leary is available.

Though O’Leary featured for Cork in the league, injury ruled him out of the Munster championships opener against Limerick; had he played in that game, he would be ruled out of the Under-20s grade. Likewise, Cárthach Daly cannot feature for Waterford against Limerick as he’s also played senior championship already.

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The conflict will also arise in the Leinster Under-20s hurling championship next week: Galway will play Kilkenny next Monday, Gavin Lee and Tiernan Killeen both ineligible for that game.

Lee, a Leaving Cert student at Presentation College in Athenry, came on as a replacement against Wexford and against Westmeath; Killeen also came off the bench against Westmeath, which prohibits him from playing the Under-20s game. Greg Thomas could also be ineligible if he features for Galway against Kilkenny this Sunday in the Leinster championship.

The rule was introduced a few years back to help address the matter of burnout.

‘Disappointing’

"It absolutely could easily be managed," says Galway senior manager Henry Shefflin. "I'd be of the opinion that those players should be allowed to go back and play Under-20s.

“Because as much as Tiernan and Gavin want to be playing Under-20s, they would love to be and are aspiring to play senior as well. That’s why Tiernan, we could have brought him on last week, but our defence did well. We were eager to because he’d a very good league.

“That’s why it was important that he got game time [against Westmeath] because he is very much part and parcel of our squad. I’d be of the same opinion [as John Kiely]. There’s no issue. Those chaps could easily go and play for their Under-20s team.”

That followed similar comments by Limerick’s All-Ireland-winning manager Kiely last week saying: “It’s disappointing that we’re penalising our best players. We could make this work. It’s a pity they’ve gone down this route because I don’t believe it’s the issue of burnout.”

The previous week, Limerick forward Gearóid Hegarty was even more dismissive of the rule, saying: “It is the worst rule I have ever heard in my life, in the GAA. Honestly, I think it’s a disgrace.”

Meanwhile, Conor McKenna has been cleared to play for Tyrone in Sunday’s Ulster football champions quarter-final against Derry after having his one-match ban overturned.

The All-Ireland-winning forward was sent off by referee Joe McQuillan in last week’s provincial quarter-final against Fermanagh for contributing to a melee, but had his red card rescinded at a Central Hearings Committee meeting on Monday night.

A venue has been chosen for the Ulster football semi-final between Donegal and Cavan, which will now take place in St Tiernach’s Park, Clones on Sunday, May 8th.