Controversial camogie coin toss to go ahead

The Clare County Board lodged their appeal against the interpretation of competition rules, while Dublin launched an appeal in favour of a midweek play-off – the All-Ireland quarter-final against Wexford is down for decision this Saturday at Thurles.

The two counties finished the round robin stage on level points and it was proposed that a coin toss would decide their fate but after respective county board meetings on Tuesday night Dublin and Clare made the mutual decision to pull out in protest.

The play-off has been provisionally fixed for Saturday in Thurles at 14:00 BST although the time and venue for Monday’s scheduled quarter-final has yet to be confirmed.

Both the Clare and Dublin Camogie boards have decided to withdraw their names from the coin toss which was to decide who progresses to the quarter finals of this year’s Championship.

“Extra-time will be played in the event of the play-off ending in a draw, while extra-time will also apply in the Senior quarter-final on August 3rd”.

The draw will be recorded and uploaded to the Camogie Association’s YouTube account.

“How can a governing sporting body justify by any logic the Drawing of Lots (coin toss) to determine progression in the Championship?”

The players said: “We, the players from the Clare and Dublin Senior Camogie Panels would like to take this opportunity to express our extreme disappointment with the decision taken by the Camogie Association to proceed with the drawing of lots to decide which team progresses to play in an All Ireland Quarter Final this coming Saturday (August )”.

Presentat GAA H Qforthe drawing of lots will be the Munster chairman James Moynihan, Leinster chair Rachel Hogan and Ard Comhairle secretary Marie Kearney. A decision that was not taken lightly and may have serious repercussions for the future of these players. Players are inconsolable and feel betrayed. “How can our most valuable asset, our players, be degraded and mis-treated?”

A leading Clare County Board official confirmed neither Dublin nor Clare have been invited to attend the draw at Croke Park and will learn the outcome via a YouTube video. The Association have passed up an opportunity to address this fiasco with the appeals of both Clare and Dublin.