There will be a few changes to this year’s Allianz National Hurling League…
Just like previous years, there will be two divisions. Usually, the top six play in Division 1A, while the next six compete in Division 1B, with promotion and relegation adding to the excitement.
For the season ahead though, while two divisions remain, the groups will no longer be seeded. The GAA’s President John Horan revealed the changes last year and the logic around the restructuring seems fair and reasonable too:
“It was felt the winners of the All-Ireland were coming out of 1B and 1A seemed to be extremely competitive and there was a feeling there that it wasn’t giving managers an opportunity to actually play players in a developmental manner because results were key, particularly in 1A, even in 1B because they were all trying to get out of it.”
The restructuring of the league will relieve pressure off managers, providing them a plaform to develop, rotate, and introduce new and fringe players to the standard of senior inter-county level.
The groups for the 2020 Allianz NHL are as follows:
Group A:
Limerick
Tipperary
Waterford
Galway
Westmeath
Cork
Group B:
Wexford
Clare
Dublin
Laois
Carlow
Kilkenny
Overall, Fitzgerd should be happy with the restructuring, as it seems that his Wexford hurlers have been placed into an easier group, avoiding Limerick, Galway and Tipperary.
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