A pair of 2-1 losses to Leinster at Garryduff left Munster’s hopes of U21 men’s and women’s interprovincial success all but dead in the water but there’s still plenty to play for as the tournament reaches its business end on Easter Monday
Mixed fortunes for Munster against Ulster at the U21 Interpros today, as birthday girl Rebecca Barry gave the women a 1-0 win but the men missed a slew of chances in a 2-0 loss.
Teenage starlet Shane O’Donoghue is one of many Irish internationals facing a busy Easter weekend of hockey across two different countries, as the U21 interpros, EuroHockey League last 16 and an international series in Germany test the country’s top players.
The Irish Hockey Association confirmed yesterday they will now hold the senior interprovincial championships every second year, breaking away from the annual format.
Efforts to stem the decline of participation in boys’ hockey in Munster have begun to bear fruit with the Irish Hockey Association reporting an 8% increase in the numbers of players under 16 years of age this season.
Mystery again surrounds the future of Irish hockey’s interprovincial tournaments after the Irish Hockey Association (IHA) confirmed the senior and junior tournaments will not take place during the 2011/12 season.