East Cork Championships
2023
In January 2023, the Executive of the East Cork Board made the decision to streamline all Leagues and Championships to ensure there is healthy competition for all teams in all grades, meaning that there will be meaningful, three games in Junior A & B Championships at all times. Junior C competitions will depend on the number of entries in each given year.
In all Championships from 2024, groups of four will be made where possible. To get to groups of 4, the Executive have decided to cut the cloth and put in appropriate Formats in 2023 to get Championships of either 8 teams or 12 teams to run an efficient Championship from 2024 onwards.
Therefore, for 2023 only, the Junior A Hurling Championship will have nine teams and will be run with three groups of three teams, with every team having something to play for in either promotion, qualification or relegation. The Executive are also mindful with time restrictions around the Under 21 Championships to ensure a meaningful Championship for that cohort, who have had no Championship in East Cork or the County programme since Spring 2020, we wish to start the Under 21 Championships from the weekend of October 1st.
The Executive have agreed that the 2024 Junior A Hurling Championship must be an 8-team championship. As per Championships in reform by the County Board in 2019, the recommendation outlined is that Groups be divisible by four (to guarantee each team to have three games in future seasons).
Therefore, to get us down to 8 teams in Junior A Hurling & 12 teams in Junior B Hurling for 2024, there will be a double relegation in the Junior A Hurling Championships in along with one team being promoted. While, in the Junior B Hurling Championship, there will be one team relegated to Junior C. From 2023, all Championships will have a Promotion and Relegation and all Leagues will be a ‘two up, two down’ basis.
In Junior C Hurling, there will be three groups. Group A & B will have four teams and Group C will have three teams with eight teams qualifying for the Quarter Finals.
In Junior A & B Football Championships (with 12 teams and 8 teams respectively), all teams will be guaranteed three games in the group stages, with Junior C depending the entry of clubs per season.
For 2023, Junior C Football will be a 12-team competition. Like the Junior A Championship, all teams will have a guaranteed three games.
In all adult competitions, two teams per group will qualify for the knockout stages. If teams are tied after the conclusion of the Round Robin, please refer to Match Regulation 8 of the East Cork Board Match Regulations under the heading ‘League Placings & Championships partly organised on a League basis.’
Sequence of Group Games in all Group competitions (except for Junior A Hurling Championships, which are outlined below)
Round 1 (A v B, C v D) Round 2 (A v D, B v C) Round 3 (A v C, B v D)
East Cork Junior A Football Championship 2023
Sponsored by Michael O Connor Motor Factors
Sequence of Group games: R1 (A v B, C v D); R2 (A v D, B v C); R3 (A v C, B v D).
Round 1 (June 17th/18th)
Round 2 (July 1st/2nd)
Round 3 (July 15th/16th)
Qualification: Two teams will progre88ss from each group of four to the play-off stages. This will result in six teams qualifying, with the two top group winners qualifying for the semi-finals and the remaining group winner and the runner-up from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Teams (1-6) will be ranked as follows, on completion of the group stages:
Top Group winner 4. Top Group runner-up
Second Group winner 5. Second Group runner-up
Third Group winner 6. Third Group runner up
Quarter-finals: (a) 3 v 6, (b) 4 v 5. Semi-finals: 1 v (b), 2 v (a).
A repeat pairing is possible in the quarter finals in (a) 3 v 6 above. If this arises 3 will instead play 5 and 4 will play 6. Repeat pairings in semi-finals will be avoided, with pairings being adjusted where necessary.
Relegation The relegation final will be a straight play-off between the two lowest ranked teams (in terms of points won and scoring difference) amongst the three teams that finish bottom of their respective groups. If an East Cork team is relegated from the County Premier Junior Football Championship 2023 (PJFC), the winner of the relegation final will also be relegated.
East Cork Junior B Football Championship 2023
Sponsored by Michael O Connor Motor Factors
Sequence of Group games: R1 (A v B, C v D); R2 (A v D, B v C); R3 (A v C, B v D).
Round 1 (July 1st/2nd)
Round 2 (July 15th/16th)
Round 3 (August 19th/20th)
Qualification: Two teams will progress from each group of four to the play-off stages. This will result in four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.
Semi-finals: Winner of Group A v Runner-Up of Group B,
Winner of Group B v Runner-Up of Group A.
Relegation The relegation final will be a straight play-off between the two lowest ranked teams (in terms of points won and scoring difference) that finish bottom of their respective groups. If two teams are relegated from the Junior A Football Championship, the winner of the relegation final will also be relegated to facilitate an 8-team Championship in 2024. Winner of the Junior B Football Championship will be promoted to East Cork Junior A Football Championship for 2024.
East Cork Junior C Football Championship 2023
Sequence of Group games: R1 (A v B, C v D); R2 (A v D, B v C); R3 (A v C, B v D)
Round 1 (July 15th/16th)
Round 2 (July 22nd/23rd)
Round 3 (August 19th/20th)
Qualification: Two teams will progress from each group of four to the play-off stages. This will result in six teams qualifying, with the two top group winners qualifying for the semi-finals and the remaining group winner and the runners-up from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Teams (1-6) will be ranked as follows, on completion of the group stages:
Top Group winner 4. Top Group runner-up
Second Group winner 5. Second Group runner-up
Third Group winner 6. Third Group runner up
Quarter-finals: (a) 3 v 6, (b) 4 v 5.
Semi-finals: 1 v (b), 2 v (a).
A repeat pairing is possible in the quarter finals in (a) 3 v 6 above. If this arises 3 will instead play 5 and 4 will play 6. Repeat pairings in semi-finals will be avoided, with pairings being adjusted where necessary. Winner of the Junior C Football Championship will be promoted to Junior B next season.
East Cork Junior A Hurling Championship 2023
Sponsored by East Cork Oil
Sequence of Group games: R1 (B v C, A bye); R2 (A v R1 Winner); R3 (A v R1 Loser). (If Round 1 games end in a draw, a coin toss will determine who plays in Round 2)
Round 1 (August 6th/7th)
Round 2 (August 12th/13th)
Round 3 (September 2nd/3rd)
Qualification: Two teams will progress from each group of three to the play-off stages. This will result in six teams qualifying, with the two top group winners qualifying for the semi-finals and the remaining group winner and the runner-up from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.
Teams (1-6) will be ranked as follows, on completion of the group stages:
Top Group winner 4. Top Group runner-up
Second Group winner 5. Second Group runner-up
Third Group winner 6. Third Group runner up
Quarter-finals: (a) 3 v 6, (b) 4 v 5. Semi-finals: 1 v (b), 2 v (a).
A repeat pairing is possible in the quarter finals in (a) 3 v 6 above. If this arises 3 will instead play 5 and 4 will play 6. Repeat pairings in semi-finals will be avoided, with pairings being adjusted where necessary.
Relegation The lowest ranked team (in terms of points won and scoring difference) will be automatically relegated to the East Cork Junior B Hurling Championship for 2024. There will be a relegation final between the other two third placed teams in their respective groups.
If an East Cork team is relegated from the County Premier Junior Hurling Championship 2023 (PJHC), the winner of the relegation final will also be relegated.
East Cork Junior B Hurling Championship 2023
Sponsored by East Cork Oil
Sequence of Group games: R1 (A v B, C v D); R2 (A v D, B v C); R3 (A v C, B v D).
Round 1 (August 12th/13th)
Round 2 (August 26th/27th)
Round 3 (September 2nd/3rd)
Qualification: The top two teams will progress from each group, plus the best two third placed teams. This will result in eight teams qualifying, the three group winners, the three runner-up and the best two third-placed teams all qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Teams will be split up as follows, on completion of the group stages:
Three group winners plus one runner up from the three groups (done by random draw) will enter Pot A, the other two runners up plus the third placed teams from Groups 1 & 2 will enter Pot B. First team out of Pot A is 1, Pot B is 8. Second team out of Pot A is 2, Pot B is 7 and so on until draw is completed.
Quarter-finals: (a) 1v8, (b) 2v7, (c) 3v6, (d) 4v5 Semi-finals: (a) v (d), (b) v (c)
A repeat pairing is possible in all quarter finals here. If a repeat pairing occurs, the second team in the fixture will move down to the next fixture on the list with group winners playing group runners up in all cases. If a repeat pairing occurs in the last quarter final (d) (i.e. 4v5), then team 3 plays team 5 and team 4 plays team 6. Repeat pairings in semi-finals will be avoided, with pairings being adjusted where necessary.
Relegation The lowest ranked team (in terms of points won and scoring difference) in each group will enter a relegation round robin. A random draw will determine who plays first, with the loser of this tie playing in round 2. The lowest ranked team from this round robin will be relegated. If an East Cork team is relegated from the County Premier Junior Hurling Championship 2023 (PJHC), the second placed team from the relegation round robin will also be relegated to facilitate an 12-team Championship in 2024. Winner of the Junior B Hurling Championship will be promoted to Junior A next season.
East Cork Junior C Hurling Championship 2023
Sequence of Group games: R1 (A v B, C v D); R2 (A v D, B v C); R3 (A v C, B v D).
Round 1 (August 12th/13th)
Round 2 (August 26th/27th)
Round 3 (September 2nd/3rd)
Qualification: Two teams will progress from each group to the play-off stages. This will result in six teams qualifying.
An open draw will take place to rank the qualified teams for the knockout stages. Group Winners will be drawn 1-3 and Group Runners-Up will be drawn 4-6 and will enter the draw as follows
1. 4.
2. 5.
3. 6.
Quarter-finals: (a) 3 v 6, (b) 4 v 5.
Semi-finals: 1 v (b), 2 v (a).
A repeat pairing is possible in the quarter finals in (a) 3 v 6 above. If this arises 3 will instead play 5 and 4 will play 6. Repeat pairings in semi-finals will be avoided, with pairings being adjusted where necessary.
