As we head into the decisive Round 5 group fixtures of our club hurling championships, there follows an explainer of this year’s championship format, what happens in the event of two or more teams being tied on points, and an important change this year in the ‘mini league’ rules for when three or more teams finish level.
Championship Format
Again this year, all teams will progress to the knock-out stages of the championships no matter where they finish in their group.
Teams that finish 1st and 2nd in their group will progress directly to the quarter-finals. Teams that finish 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th will play a preliminary quarter-final.
The preliminary quarter-finals will be 3rd in Group A v 4th in Group B; 4th in Group A v 3rd in Group B; 5th in Group A v 6th in Group B; and 6th in Group A v 5th in Group B.
The losers of the two 5th v 6th place matches will contest the Relegation Final.
The theory behind 3rd and 4th playing each other is that these teams are already safe from the threat of relegation. If they were to instead to play the teams in 5th and 6th, they would run the risk of entering the relegation battle anyway.
In the quarter-finals, teams that finish top of their group will play the winners of one of the 5th v 6th matches. Teams that finish second will play the winners of one of the 3rd v 4th matches.
Two-way ties
In the event of a two-way tie in the final group standings, the deciding factor will be the head-to-head result between the two teams involved, as has been the case for many years now.
If the match between the sides was a draw, then overall scoring difference will be used to decide which of them finishes higher.
Three-way and ‘more-way’ ties
In the event of a three-way (or ‘more-way’) tie, the ‘mini league’ rules come into play. The first determining factor here is the number of league points earned in the games between the teams involved in the tie.
If the tie cannot be resolved on this basis, the next deciding factor will be the scoring difference from only the games between the teams involved.
It is only if things are still not decided after this that overall scoring difference comes into play.
While this represents a change from last year in how our championships are run, it brings us into line with national rule. A key benefit of this is that it means the tables automatically generated on our website will accurately reflect all finishing positions, even if they show a team with a worse overall score difference ahead of a team on the same number of points and with a better overall score difference.
Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship
Group A fixtures: Rathnure St. Anne’s v Oylegate-Glenbrien; St. Anne’s Rathangan v Naomh Éanna; Ferns St. Aidans v Crossabeg/Ballymurn.
Group B fixtures: Oulart-The Ballagh v Rapparees; Faythe Harriers v Glynn-Barntown; St. Martin’s v Shelmaliers.
In Group A of the Pettitt’s Senior Hurling Championship, Rathnure are already assured of one of the top two spots, and direct passage to the quarter-finals. St. Anne’s Rathangan can join them there if they beat Naomh Éanna.
However, should the Gorey side win that match, they would take second place by virtue of the ‘head-to-head’ rule – so long as Oylegate-Glenbrien do not beat Rathnure. If Naomh Éanna and Oylegate-Glenbrien do both win, this would be the first instance of the ‘mini-league’ rules kicking in to decide final placings.
Meanwhile, a win Ferns St. Aidans could see them take fourth place depending on the results of those other two matches, and they would thus be safe from relegation.
In Group B, the big match is St. Martin’s v Shelmaliers, where the winners will finish at top of the table. However, while St. Martin’s are sure of a top two spot no matter what happens, defeat for Shels could see them drop to third place if Faythe Harriers beat Glynn-Barntown. This would see Shels having to negotiate the preliminary quarter-finals, with the Harriers finishing second and managing to bypass that round instead.
Oulart-The Ballagh will finish bottom of the group no matter what happens. Rapparees will be safe from relegation if they manage to beat them, unless Glynn-Barntown beat Harriers by at least seven points more than whatever the Enniscorthy side wins by.
The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate Hurling Championship
Group A fixtures: Tara Rocks v St. Mogue’s Fethard; St. Brigid’s Blackwater v Fr. O’Regan’s Craanford; St. James’ v Buffers Alley.
Group B fixtures: Gusserane O’Rahilly’s v Liam Mellows; Horeswood v Askamore; Cloughbawn v HWH-Bunclody.
Group A of The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate Hurling Championship is one of the tightest of all. Buffers Alley are assured of one of the top two spots even if they lose to St. James’, as they have the head-to-head over St. Mogue’s Fethard (the only other team who can catch them on six points). However, after that it’s all to play for, and there is a very real possibility of a three-way tie with three teams on five points.
Things are more clearcut in Group B. Already known is that Cloughbawn will take top spot, and Liam Mellows will join them in going straight to the quarter-finals if they beat Gusserane O’Rahilly’s.
At the other end, Horeswood will finish bottom, and Gusserane will join them in danger of relegation unless they get a result v Liam Mellows and other results also go their way.
Joyces Expert Wexford Intermediate ‘A’ Hurling Championship
Group A fixtures: Oulart-The Ballagh v Duffry Rovers; Davidstown-Courtnacuddy v Shelmaliers; Monageer-Boolavogue v Clongeen.
Group B fixtures: St. Abban’s Adamstown v Geraldine O’Hanrahan’s; St. Mary’s Rosslare v Rathgarogue-Cushinstown; Taghmon-Camross v St. Martin’s.
In Group A of the Joyces Expert Wexford Intermediate ‘A’ Hurling Championship, the winners of Monageer-Boolavogue v Clongeen will take top spot. However, Clongeen could drop to third if they lose that one and Davidstown-Courtnacuddy beat Shelmaliers. Second and third place between Clongeen and Davidstown-Courtnacuddy would be decided on score difference if that happens, since the match between the sides was a draw.
At the other end, last year’s Junior champions Duffry Rovers can’t finish any higher than fifth, and so they face going into one of the preliminary quarter-finals that double up as relegation semi-finals.
In Group B, the winners of Taghmon-Camross v St. Martin’s will earn one of the top two spots, and direct passage to the quarter-finals. St. Mary’s Rosslare can also assure themselves of one of the top two spots by beating Rathgarogue-Cushinstown.
Due to the relevant head-to-head results, it’s already known that Rathgarogue-Cushinstown will finish fifth in the table and Geraldine O’Hanrahan’s will finish sixth, no matter what the results next weekend.
Kavanagh Meats Traditional Meat Company Junior Hurling Championship
Group A fixtures: Rapparees v Rathnure St. Anne’s; Shamrocks v Marshalstown-Castledockrell; Ballygarrett v St. Fintan’s.
Group B fixtures: Glynn-Barntown v Kilmore; St. Anne’s Rathangan v Naomh Éanna; St. Patrick’s v Ferns St. Aidans.
In Group A of the Kavanagh Meats Traditional Meat Company Junior Hurling Championship, the big match is the top-of-the-table clash between Shamrocks and Marshalstown-Castledockrell.
The winners will take top spot and go straight through to the quarter-finals. However, the losers could drop to third, if Rathnure’s second string can beat their counterparts from Rapparees.
Rapparees themselves will finish in the bottom two, as they lost their head-to-head match with Ballygarrett (the only team they can catch on points). St. Fintan’s will also finish in the bottom two, even if they round out the group with a win.
In Group B, Glynn-Barntown will take top spot, and the winners of the local derby between St. Patrick’s and Ferns St. Aidans will join them in the top two. If that match finishes in a draw, St. Patrick’s will take second place, even if Naomh Éanna force a three-way tie by beating St. Anne’s Rathangan.
Kavanagh Meats Traditional Meat Company Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship
Group A fixtures: Askamore v Oylegate-Glenbrien; Monageer-Boolavogue v St. Brigid’s Blackwater; Our Lady’s Island v Ballyhogue.
Group B fixtures: Cloughbawn v Bannow-Ballymitty; Fr. O’Regan’s Craanford v Tara Rocks; Faythe Harriers v Buffers Alley.
In Group A of the Kavanagh Meats Traditional Meat Company Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship, Monageer-Boolavogue’s second string are emulating the fine form of their first team, by having won all their matches so far. They are already assured of top spot.
Outside of that, it’s all to be decided. None of the other five teams are yet 100% sure of avoiding the bottom two spots and the threat of relegation. Similarly, all bar Askamore could yet take second place, depending on how results go. Perhaps the surest thing of all next weekend is that all involved with these teams will be anxiously looking out for scorelines from other matches!
Group B has become essentially a two-tier competition in itself, with the top three teams all vying for the two automatic quarter-final spots. There is a very real possibility of there being a three-way tie on eight points, if Buffers Alley beat Faythe Harriers and Bannow-Ballymitty beat Cloughbawn. If that happens, all three teams would have two points in that ‘mini league’, and so it would go to score difference in the ‘mini league’.
Similarly, there could be a three-way tie at the bottom, if Tara Rocks beat Craanford and Bannow-Ballymitty beat Cloughbawn. This would be the first-ever instance in Wexford GAA of there being two three-way ties in one championship group.
