SIGERSON CUP PREVIEW:WHEN BRIAN Mullins is asked about the demands of playing three games over three successive days he pauses for a moment, throws his head slightly back, and then smiles. "Sure they'll have plenty of chance to recover when it's over," he says, and by that he presumably means an extended period of celebration.
So, after some considerable hype, the centenary Sigerson Cup gets under way this afternoon, and as head of sport at hosts UCD, Mullins is eager to add his voice to the significance of the occasion. Although truth is the four-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin never actually played Sigerson, as he spent his student days in Limerick, in its pre-university form.
“In my time the Sigerson was a little more exclusive,” says Mullins, “and they barred the third-level colleges that weren’t university status. That was the early 1970s. At the time it would have been disappointing, because we were playing in the higher education league. But when it came to Sigerson, it was just UCD, Queen’s, Cork, Trinity, and so on. But there was plenty of other football to be played at that time. So it wasn’t too much of a problem.”
There’ll certainly be plenty of football at UCD over the next three days, as the Higher Education authority were given once-off permission to play the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final on consecutive days, which means the two finalists will end up playing three highly-competitive games in three days.
“It is a lot,” says Mullins, “but it was agreed in the context of the 100 years, and wanting to host as many teams as we could. And it will only affect two teams. But there is a challenge there, for managers, to rest some players, and put into place recovery protocols that will enhance their ability to perform again within 24 hours.
“It is a real honour for the university, given the connection with George Sigerson. You’d never have known, 100 years ago, that something would take off the way it has. It’s a highly-prized competition now, and to the forefront of a lot of students’ minds, even if they are playing and succeeding with their counties.”
Historically, UCD are the most successful college in the Sigerson Cup’s history, winning that inaugural title in 1911, and adding an impressive 35 more – although the last of those was in 1996: “It is a long time,” says Mullins, “and it’s surprising. We came very close in some competitions, but when it’s knock-out, you’re always subject to the vagaries of that. The record speaks for itself. UCD haven’t done so well. So it is overdue, and hopefully it will be this year.”
As hosts, UCD automatically qualified for the finals weekend, and have since been joined by seven more colleges, who all won their first-round matches. These eight teams will run off in straight knock-out format, with the final concluding events on Saturday.
Playing on their home patch UCD will fancy their chances but reigning champions DCU again look like the side to beat after they cruised past St Mary’s Belfast in the first round. DCU will face UCC in the last eight, while UCD clash with NUIG after they beat Sligo IT with 10 points to spare.
In the other two quarter-finals UL, after their shock win over DIT, play NUI Maynooth and Carlow IT will play UUJ, who hammered Cork IT by 1-16 to 0-4.
The Schedule
TODAY:Quarter-Finals: Carlow IT v UUJ, Castle Pitch, noon; NUI M v UL, Castle Pitch, 1.45; DCU v UCC, New Pitch, 3.30; NUIG v UCD, Hurling Pitch, 5pm.
TOMORROW:Semi-Finals: Carlow IT/UUJ v NUIM/UL, Hurling Pitch , 2pm; NUIG/UCD v DCU/UCC, Hurling Pitch, 3.30.
SATURDAY:Final: Hurling Pitch, 2.15.
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