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Niall Horan

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Could Offaly Be The Final Defending All-Ireland U20 Champions ?

Wednesday, 19 January 2022 at 09:23

A key vote next weekend could make it a reality.

Offaly could be the last defending champions of the All-Ireland U-20 football championship.

GAA Central Council could pave the way this week for a change in the grading of underage competitions once more. 

If approved in future, the U-20 system would become an U-19 grade from 2023. The minor championship in its current guise would become a development competition. 

There's been concerns from the club scene in recent years about the retention of players as the League of Ireland gets its act together with academy structures from U13 through to senior. There's also always the looming interest in professional rugby and AFL to drag the attention of the top prospects in the country further afield. 

Another lingering issue is the developmental gap between U-17 and U-20 or senior level for players coming through the inter-county development system. 

The current U-17/U20 competitions have been in place for three seasons, with the latest proposal up for approval at a Saturday meeting of the CC.

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