Radical changes.
For so long the GAA has refused to make any drastic changes and now they’re all coming at one.
We have the Super 8’s this year and the rejuvenated hurling championship, there have also been calls to tighten up the calendar so club players don’t have to wait months upon months for one game.
Players and fans have also been hoping for a better game to training ratio.
Well, the GAA have today released their master plan for the upcoming season and here are the main points.
We will explain each of these, don’t worry.
- The league campaign will start in January
- April will be free for club games
- There will be four ‘double’ weekends during the league where hurling and football will be played
- The Allianz League final for hurling will be on a Saturday
- Munster Football final will be on a Saturday
- The Leinster and Munster Hurling finals will take place on the same day
- Both All-Ireland days will be earlier than years previous
League starting in January
A full round of league games will be played the weekend of 27 January, Croke Park will play host to a doubleheader where Dublin play Kildare in football and Offaly in hurling.
The reason it starts early is that the GAA want to run off the league fixtures so April can be free for club games.
April free for clubs
Not entirely true as the football finals for Division one and two will take place on 1 April, the Division one Hurling final will take place on 24 March and the first Championship fixture is scheduled for 6 May.
Four ‘double’ weekends
This is more than years previously, this is also to help run off the league so April can be free for club games.
League Hurling final on a Saturday
In order to have April free, that required having the final round of the football league and the Hurling League final on the same day.
The GAA felt it would be wrong to schedule both on the same day and the possibility that Cork, Dublin or Galway could be involved in a final and an important football match on the same day so opted to put the hurling on a Saturday.
Munster Football Final on a Saturday night
The Munster Hurling Championship was scheduled for the same day the GAA planned the Munster Football final, instead of moving one to the Saturday they opted to experiment and put the football final on a Saturday evening.
Leinster and Munster Hurling finals on same day
It was brought in to avoid a six-day turnaround in the football championship. In a statement from the GAA, it reads:
“This had never been done before as C.C.C.C and the provinces had always sought to maximise our opportunities to promote hurling in the context of a championship (before the recent changes agreed) that had very few high profile games in the early part of the season. However, given the huge number of high profile hurling games that will be staged in the provinces in 2018, we do not see the same issues arising as might have in previous years had such a proposal been floated.”
Both All-Ireland days earlier than previously
The All-Ireland Hurling final will take place on the 19 August and the football final is on the 2 September.
Full Championship fixture list
6 May
Connacht Football Championship
Leitrim v New York
Sligo v London
12 May
Leinster hurling championship
Offaly v Galway
13 May
Connacht football championship
Mayo v Galway
Ulster football championship
Donegal v Cavan
Leinster hurling championship
Dublin v Kilkenny
12/13 May
Leinster football championship
Laois v Wexford
Louth v Carlow
Offaly v Wicklow
9 May
Ulster football championship
Fermanagh v Armagh
Munster football championship
Clare v Limerick
Tipperary v Waterford
20 May
Munster hurling championship
Cork v Clare
Limerick v Tipperary
Ulster football championship
Tyrone v Monaghan
Leinster hurling championship
Kilkenny v Offaly
Wexford v Dublin
26 May
Ulster football championship
Down v Antrim
Connacht football championship
Leitrim/NY v Roscommon
26/27 May
Leinster hurling championship
Offaly v Wexford
Leinster football championship
Laois/Wexford v Westmeath
Louth/Carlow v Kildare
Offaly/Wicklow v Dublin
Longford v Meath
27 May
Munster hurling championship
Tipperary v Cork
Clare v Waterford
Leinster hurling championship
Galway v Kilkenny
UIster football championship
Donegal/Cavan v Derry
2 June
Munster football championship
Clare/Limerick v Kerry
Tipperary/Waterford v Cork
Munster hurling championship
Cork v Limerick
Leinster hurling championship
Wexford v Galway
3 June
Munster hurling championship
Waterford v Tipperary
Leinster hurling championship
Dublin v Offaly
Connacht football championship
Mayo/Galway v Sligo/London (Sligo/Galway)
Ulster football championship
Fermanagh/Armagh v Tyrone/Monaghan
9 June
Leinster hurling championship
Kilkenny v Wexford
Galway v Dublin
10 June
Munster hurling championship
Limerick v Waterford
Tipperary v Clare
Ulster football championship
Donegal/Cavan/Derry v Down/Antrim
Leinster football championship
Offaly/Wicklow/Dublin v Longford/Meath
Laois/Wexford/Westmeath v Louth/Carlow/Kildare
17 June
4pm Connacht Football Final
Munster senior hurling championship
Clare v Limerick
Waterford v Cork
23 June
7pm Munster Football Final
24 June
2pm Ulster Football Final
4pm Leinster Football Final
1 July
2pm Munster Hurling Final
4pm Leinster Hurling Final
7/8 July
All-Ireland Senior Football Round 4
14/15 July
All-Ireland Senior Football Quarter Finals Phase 1
15 July
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Quarter-Finals
21/22 July
All-Ireland Senior Football Quarter Finals Phase 2
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Relegation Play-off (If Required)
28 July
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Semi-Final
29 July
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Semi-Final (Replay 05/06.08.2018)
4/5/6 August
All-Ireland Senior Football Quarter Finals Phase 3 (Group 1 & 2)
11 August
All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-Final
12 August
All-Ireland Senior Football Semi-Final
19 August
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
2 September
All-Ireland Senior Football Final
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