The Irish Hockey Association confirmed yesterday they will now hold the senior interprovincial championships every second year, breaking away from the annual format.
This year’s championships were scrapped as the provinces argued the cost of the competition would be too high in a year when Ireland is hosting an Olympic qualifier, splitting potential crowds and player availability.
The move was taken to “reflect the international cycle of competition and development” with a view to being part of the selection process for the national teams.
A revamp of the junior interpros – also scrapped for the 2011/12 season – will be introduced next season with a view to helping Connacht become more competitive while Masters interpros will be introduced for Over-40s, 45s and 50s age categories.
The first running of this event will take place in Ulster in May. The re-introduced U21 interprovincial series, set for the Easter weekend in Cork, is unaffected by the latest board decisions.
The staging of all interprovincials will revert back to a rotational basis between the provinces, ending the unpopular centralised tournaments in Dublin.