THE CAMOGIE ASSOCIATION have fixed the opening games of their All-Ireland senior championship for later throw-in times on 18 June to avoid a clash with the Ireland-Belgium Euro 2016 clash.
Ireland face Belgium in their second Group E fixture on Saturday week in Bordeaux at 2pm (Irish time).
The group games in the All-Ireland camogie championship have traditionally had 2.30pm throw-in times on Saturday afternoons but the common sense decision has been taken on this occasion to move five matches to 5.15pm throw-in times.
In contrast one of the GAA’s All-Ireland football qualifiers, the meeting of Laois and Armagh, is pencilled in to start at 3.30pm which will overlap with the finale of the match in Bordeaux.
Saturday 18 June
Liberty Insurance All-Ireland senior camogie championship
Group 1
- Clare v Offaly, Sixmilebridge, 5.15pm
- Waterford v Cork, Walsh Park, Waterford, 5.15pm
- Wexford v Limerick, Innovate Wexford Park, 5.15pm
Group 2
- Derry v Kilkenny, Swatragh, 5.15pm
- Galway v Tipperary, Kenny Park, Athenry, 5.15pm
Camogie Association President Catherine Neary explained how they felt they had to be ‘pragmatic and practical’ when scheduling their games.
“We just thought given that the soccer (is on) and so many people are involved in the soccer and want to see the games, we thought we’d do our best to avoid (a clash) as much as possible.
“Hopefully that will work out for us and it means we’ll still get attendances because we’re hoping that people will travel to our games.
“Maybe watch the soccer on TV before they head on to the games afterwards. It’s not that we don’t value our games, we certainly do.
“But we just wanted to try and have the best of both worlds, particularly I suppose (as) we all want to support our own country as well.
“We try to be flexible as an association. We’d put our own game first but we try to look at what’s pragmatic and practical as well.”
Meanwhile it was also confirmed that this year’s All-Ireland camogie semi-finals on 13 August will be broadcast live on RTÉ, as well as the All-Ireland decider in Croke Park in 11 September.
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