Senior AIB Cup Place For Cashel

The Munster Branch have agreed to put forward Tipperary junior club Cashel as one of their province’s five representatives for the inaugural AIB All-Ireland Senior Cup, which starts next month.

At a Branch meeting on Monday night, it was agreed that, following Cashel’s 25-10 ODM Munster Senior Cup second round victory over AIB League Division Two side Waterpark last Saturday, the Tipp men would advance.

It had been expected that losers Waterpark would go forward due to their senior status, but Cashel have been deservedly put through. They join Shannon, Garryowen and Dolphin as Munster’s qualifiers for the AIB Cup so far.

It’s another fillip for Tipperary rugby and it coincides with Nenagh Ormond, who became the first club from the Premier county to join the senior ranks by winning last season’s AIL round robin play-offs, preparing for their first AIB League Division Three fixture at home to Banbridge this Saturday.

The winners of Saturday’s AIB League Division One clash between Cork Constitution and UL Bohemians will claim Munster’s fifth and final spot in the new competition, which also includes six Leinster teams, four from Ulster and two from Connacht.

The latter stages of the ODM Munster Senior Cup begin on November 12 with a single quarter-final taking place, and the semi-finals are scheduled for November 26. The final will take place on New Year’s Eve.

Shannon won last season’s Munster Senior Cup, beating Garryowen 17-8 at Thomond Park in April.