HDC championship proposals

Options and variations under consideration.

1) Retain status quo

2) Retain Munster championship - two options

2a:Munster championship to be run as at present with first-round loser entering Group A. Munster champions proceed to All-Ireland semi-finals.

Leinster/Rest of Ireland championship to include current Leinster plus Galway and Antrim. Three ties are drawn from the seven teams with one county getting a bye into the semi-finals, where they are joined by three winners. The three losers proceed to Group A. Provincial champions proceed to All-Ireland semi-finals.

The four defeated provincial semi-finalists constitute Group B.

Winners of Group A play Winners of Group B for a place in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Defeated provincial finalists play for a place in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

2b:* The top five Munster teams in Divisions One and Two (eight counties in each) of the National Hurling League constitute one group with counties playing each other on a round-robin basis.

The top two counties play each other in the provincial final with winners proceeding to All-Ireland semi-finals and runners-up to All-Ireland quarter-finals.

The third-placed county proceeds to an All-Ireland pre-quarter-final.

* The top five Rest of Ireland teams (from current Leinster plus Antrim and Galway) in Divisions One and Two in the league constitute another group with counties playing each other on a round-robin basis.

The top two counties play each other in the provincial final with winners proceeding to All-Ireland semi-finals and runners-up to All-Ireland quarter-finals.

The third-placed county proceeds to an All-Ireland pre-quarter-final.

* The remaining six counties in the top two divisions of next year's league play each other on a round-robin basis. The top two proceed to All-Ireland pre-quarter-finals, where they play the third-placed provincial teams.

* Winners of All-Ireland pre-quarter-finals advance to All-Ireland quarter-finals against provincial runners-up.

3) Disband both Munster and Leinster championships and play off All-Ireland championship on a format to be finalised within the next two weeks.