Minor hurling final crisis clubs county board not backing down

Two of Westmeath's top hurling clubs are on a collision course with county board officials, as both sides continue to dig their heels in over this year's minor hurling championship final, fixed for tomorrow (Sunday, Cusack Park, 1.30pm).

The fate of the fixture is up in the air, with the county board insisting that it will go ahead as scheduled, while both clubs, Clonkill and Raharney – who are due to contest the senior hurling final immediately afterwards (3.30pm) – calling for a postponement in the interests of player welfare.

A number of Raharney's minor players – including the phenomenally talented Doyle twins, Ciaran and Killian – as well as Clonkill duo Niall Mitchell and Darragh Egerton are integral parts of their respective senior sides.

Both clubs argue that they cannot expect these players to play at least 120 minutes of high-intensity hurling, and have joined forces to tell the county board that they will not be fielding teams for tomorrow's minor decider.

"As a club we are very proud of our minor and senior players having reached their respective finals and our only wish is that every player achieve their maximum potential in both finals," said a Raharney Hurling Club statement yesterday.

"In our efforts to promote the game of hurling to the highest standard, we believe that it is totally unfair to ask minor hurlers to play 120 minutes, across two matches in succession on the one day."

Officials from Raharney and Clonkill met on Thursday night, and a joint letter requesting a postponement – signed by both club secretaries – was lodged with the county board.

But as of this morning (Saturday), the fixture remains in place, with the county board expecting both clubs to tog out or face penalties in the event of the game not being fulfilled.

Critics say that the board's entrenched position is all the more baffling considering that the minor final, as fixed, would clash with Ireland's highly anticipated Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.

"The rugby gave the county board the perfect opportunity to save face – to allow people to watch Ireland play Argentina, to go and enjoy the senior final, and turn out in huge numbers for the minor final the following week," one hurling stalwart told the Westmeath Examiner.

Yesterday's statement by Raharney said that numerous attempts were made to go down the mediation route, but that Westmeath GAA officials had "refused... to meet the clubs to discuss".