Munster v Leinster….But Not As You Know It

Parc50 will host its first interprovincial derby tonight but not quite as you know it. When the fixture list was published earlier in the year, there was a gaping hole in the middle of the summer which was of big concern to us. You can build up momentum through Benelux but with a three month gap (in the best months to be playing!!) before the Pan-Euros, you might as well be starting from scratch when they role around.

We discussed setting up a kind of 7’s interclub league but as numbers grew rapidly during the year, the potential for four full panels became a possibility. We’ve split up the group into four teams as a result; Munster, Leinster, Dublin and Connaught with slight adjustments to even out the teams.

The games will be played on a league basis (2 * 20 min halves) over four nights, with the finals taking place on July 20 and followed by presentations of cups and medals. The idea has gathered a serious head of steam and all the talk now amongst the lads is about team selections and shcalps!

We’ve had a few in-house games earlier in the year and they proved to be very worthwhile exercises with fellas really getting stuck in. With the European season stretching from January training through to the final Pan-E round in November, it can be difficult to keep guys interested. In that sense, this will be invaluable.

Another benefit of it is we can attract new players and also lure other lads who may have drifted or been injured, back into the fray. The action kicks off tonight with Munster v Leinster and Dublin v Connaught.