U21 interpros to be scrapped

The U21 interprovincial tournament is to be scrapped this season, Southern Fried understands, as part of a restructuring of the oft-maligned annual competitions. The Irish Hockey Association’s chief executive Angus Kirkland this week informed branch representatives that one men’s and one women’s interpro competition will be held in Dublin on March 26 and 27. All players over the age of 18 will be eligible for selection, effectively meaning the senior and U21 events have been amalgamated. The decision follows a lengthy consultation process between the interpro working group, which was comprised of national and provincial branch representatives, and national coaches Paul Revington and Gene Muller.

The IHA’s high performance working group has also been tasked with finding a fourth team to compete in the men’s event. The identity of a fourth side has yet to be confirmed, but candidates could include the Irish U18 side or a foreign club/representative/invitational outfit. The interpro competitions have come in for much criticism in recent years; former Cork Harlequins coach Pat Dawson branded the senior, junior and U21 events as a “waste of time and resources” in 2008, insisting tradition was the only reason the competitions were still being played. He and others argued that the intensification and expansion of the Irish national setups to include more sessions and development panels rendered the interpros – once a treasured chance to see all the countrys top players lock horns at once – irrelevant. With the impending centralisation of the women’s panel, and the continued exodus of the Irish men’s panel to foreign pastures – Brian Doherty’s move to Belgium’s Braxgata makes him the 15th member of the international panel to head abroad – many will argue that this scaling down of the interpros is necessary in times of such financial austerity. Initial discussions had pointed towards the formation of a new U23 tournament to replace the senior and U21 formats. That proposal was backed by Munster Branch of the IHA (MBIHA), but did not gain universal approval. In a letter circulated to the interpro working group, Kirkland outlined the decision taken following an IHA board meeting on Sunday. “I am sure you will appreciate that this has been debated long and hard by the interpro working group, national coaches and the board, and with the varying views around the groups arriving at a solution that suits everyone just has not been possible – however having taken into accounts all viewpoints the board believe this to be the best way forward for this season,” Kirkland wrote. Revington and Muller will determine the availability of international players for selection, though it remains to be seen whether many will follow the likes of Reading’s Chris Cargo, who has come home to turn out for his native Ulster in recent tournaments.