U21 interpros slated for April refix

The U21 interprovincial tournament has been rescheduled for the weekend of April 17-19, and will take place at Three Rock Rovers’ grounds at Grange Road in Dublin. The new date brings mixed new for Munster; on the positive front, Bandon’s Alastair Smith, excluded from the initial squad due to a dislocated shoulder, should be fit in time for the refixed event. However, it remains to be seen what will be done regarding the potentially title-deciding Leinster league clash between Glenanne and Three Rock. That is down to be played at Grange Road on the Saturday as part of the league’s final round, and would likely involve Rovers’ Munster U21 vice-captain Patrick Shanahan. Meanwhile, the IHA also announced this week that the Irish Hockey League’s showpiece weekend will decamp from Belfield to Grange Road after Setanta Sports agreed to cover the weekend’s six matches ‘as live’. The move is believed to be down to costing, as getting all six matches screened from the UCD base would require the construction of a temporary television tower, something that is apparently not a problem at Grange Road. IHL chairperson Inez Cooper said she was pleased to have secured the Setanta deal given one of the league’s chief objectives is “broader exposure to the sport”, while Setanta Sports chief executive Niall Cogley also made all the right noises: “Our hockey coverage has been successful in the past and we hope to continue brining such events to Setanta audiences in the future.”