The coaches of Pegasus and Hermes have issued a joint plea to the officiating umpires at Belfield to do their bit in making the all-Ireland Club Championships a memorable weekend for women's hockey.

Graham Quincey (Pegasus) and Peter Darley aren't the first coaches this season to lament the reluctance of many umpires to play advantage or to punish persistent stick tackling, which, Quincey insists, "is a major problem in this country, one that seriously holds back player development to a higher technical level".

Both coaches stress that all four finalists - Loreto, Old Alexandra and their own teams - feature many of the country's most skilful and talented players but add that if they are to be given a chance to shine, the rules must be enforced.

"There's a great opportunity for our sport to showcase itself this weekend," said Darley. "Attacking sides will produce exciting, open hockey provided it's allowed and actively supported by the umpires. They will determine the quality of the tournament - they need to stamp out persistent stick fouling breaking the game down and they also need to ensure that the side that has the ball is allowed to play. "

"The regard I have for our top umpires is immense because I know how difficult their job is but they are simply not getting any support," said Quincey. "The players have a coach, an assistant coach, a manager and a physio - the umpires have no one. If they perform badly there is no one to help them or discuss their mistakes. Top quality umpiring is an essential part of player development but apart from a very small number, the standard is simply not good enough."

Pegasus, who are going for a four-in-a-row this weekend, open the defence of their title this afternoon against Loreto. If they are to qualify for Europe next season the Ulster champions must win the tournament after their shock defeat to Ballymoney in the Irish Cup final.

Hermes, too, need to win their first club championship title if they are to return to Europe where they won bronze last season, but before meeting Pegasus in the final game on Sunday they must overcome their Leinster rivals Old Alexandra (today) and Loreto.