2021 League and Championships – Revised Overview (April 2021)
Click to see revised Calendar
1. Preparation window and games provisions:
· Return to collective Senior inter county training on April 19th
o No return dates as of yet for collective inter county minor or U20 training – current exemptions only relate to Senior level.
· Below provisions guarantee a minimum of 5 games for each Senior County Football and Hurling team (all bar 3 counties guaranteed 6 games in Hurling)
· Objective – balance
o Ensuring sufficient games at inter-county
o League v Championship
o Club window (2020 and 2021)
o Inter county completed by end of August
· Original Programme announced in December – 27 weeks; new programme is 20 weeks
Football
· Run from May 15th/16th to potential League finals weekend on June 19th/20th.
· Divisions will be split into North and South as planned in December.
o 4 teams in each group – based on geography.
o 3 Round Robin games per team.
o Top two in each Divisional group to league semis, followed by league final*.
o Bottom two in each Divisional group to Relegation semis – losers (2) relegated.
o Bottom teams in Division 4 to Shield semi and final.
· Changes to what was originally announced:
o London will not be participating.
o *League finals will only be played (on June 19th/20th) if Counties involved are not playing in the Championship on the following weekend.
o In that circumstance, Div 1 – joint winners; Div 2, 3, 4 – joint winners and promotion.
Hurling
· Div 1 and 2 Counties were asked if they were happy to return after 3 weeks on the basis that 5 league games could be guaranteed or after 4 weeks if only 3 games could be guaranteed – overwhelming majority opted for a return after 3 weeks.
o Thus Division 1 and 2 will start on 8th/9th May – Division 3 the following week.
· Div 1a and 1b: As announced in December – remain round robin groups of 6
o No quarter or semi-finals.
o NO DIVISION 1 HURLING LEAGUE FINAL scheduled – there will be either joint winners for 2021, or if the teams that win Div 1a and Div 1b meet in the Championship, this will double as a League Final.
o Hurling League Relegation play off to be played as curtain raiser to Senior Hurling Semi Final in August.
· Divisions 2 and 3 will not have league finals – top team in each Division will be crowned champions of that Division. Bottom team in 2a, 2b and 3a will be the relegated team.
· British based teams will not be involved in the AllIanz Leagues.
· London and Warwickshire will start 2022 in Divisions 2b and 3a respectively; Lancashire in 3b.
3. 2021 Football Championships
· Provincial knock-out Championships
· No Qualifiers
· New York and London NOT involved
· No Tailteann Cup in 2021
5. 2021 Liam Mac Carthy Cup
· Provincial knock-out Championships with back-door qualifier system (as in 2020) but with introduction of relegation (to Mc Donagh Cup).
· There will be 11 teams in Liam Mac Carthy in 2021.
o Munster – Limerick, Waterford, Tipperary, Clare, Cork.
o Leinster – Kilkenny, Galway, Wexford, Dublin, Laois, Antrim
· There will be a preliminary round in the qualifiers between the two defeated Quarter-final teams in Leinster.
· Winners progress to Qualifiers Rd 1 – Losers to Mc Donagh Cup 2022.
6. 2021 McDonagh Cup and 2021 Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups
· No semifinals in Mc Donagh Cup is only change from what was proposed in December.
· Mc Donagh Cup winners are promoted in 2021 but do not have a back door into Liam Mac Carthy.
· Mc Donagh Cup and LSHC Final to be on Saturday, 17th July (to ensure Live TV coverage of Mc Donagh Cup final).
· If Kerry wins the 2021 Mc Donagh Cup, they will play in Leinster in 2022 and replace the relegated team from the LSHC.