A MORE competitive Christy Ring Cup, a dedicated promotions officer and a promotional campaign to raise the profile of the Ring, Rackard and Meagher hurling competitions are some of the findings contained in a report commissioned by the Gaelic Players Association and published today.
Former Cork hurling manager Donal O’Grady was tasked with compiling the report which included discussing all aspects of the competitions with relevant stakeholders and carrying out an extensive survey of hurlers currently participating in the three Cups.
Players place great importance in the three competitions but believe administrators and those tasked with promoting hurling are falling short in terms of developing the Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups.
Extending the competitions to seven weeks was considered important by a large number of respondents while improving media coverage and broadcasting of games was seen as essential to further develop the profile of hurling in the relevant counties.
Report author O’Grady commented: “The Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups are the All-Irelands for the various teams involved. These are the elite hurlers of almost 20 counties and the players give great commitment.
“They see the success of these Cups as being very important for the future of hurling in their areas and they want these competitions to help drive progress and develop the games to the highest standards possible.
“Live television coverage by TG4 was a big boost for the teams in the finals this year and hopefully it will continue in the years ahead.”
