Club hurling fixture moved forward

Club HC News:The AIB All-Ireland hurling club semi-final between Toomevara and Ballyhale Shamrocks has been moved forward 24 hours after both clubs objected to the initial fixture date.

The game remains at O'Moore Park in Portlaoise but will now be played on Saturday, February 10th at 1pm to avoid having to be played after the Laois v Galway National Football League fixture that same evening.

This means the meeting of the Munster and Leinster club champions avoids a clash with the first rugby international in Croke Park, as France play Ireland on February 11th in the Six Nations.

"Because of the Laois National Football League game on the Saturday night we wanted to put the hurling on first," explained fixtures committee chairman Jimmy Dunne. "We also tried to accommodate the clubs by offering to toss for home advantage, either Nowlan Park or Semple Stadium, but Thurles is not available that day.

"The decision to move the game back was nothing to do with the rugby. The other semi-final will go ahead as scheduled."

TG4 will show the game live and the second semi-final, between Ulster champions Cushendall and Connacht champions Loughrea, from Cusack Park in Mullingar, with the throw-in at 2.30pm to overlap with the 3pm rugby kick-off on RTÉ.

Earlier yesterday, both Ballyhale's James "Cha" Fitzpatrick and Toomevara's Benny Dunne had expressed their disappointment with missing the chance to see the historic opening of Croke Park to rugby. But that situation has been avoided.