HOW THE NEW HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP WOULD WORK

Liam MacCarthy Cup

LEINSTER: Galway, Wexford, Kilkenny, Offaly, Dublin

MUNSTER: Cork, Clare, Waterford, Limerick, Tipperary

TWO round-robin groups playing off over five weekends (one team has a bye each weekend). The top two teams in each play off in a provincial final and the winners of both qualify directly for All-Ireland semi-finals.

The losers of the provincial final losers will play the third-placed team in the other province in All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Tier Two competition (yet to be named)

Westmeath, Laois, Kerry, Carlow, Meath, Antrim

ONE round-robin group with each team playing the others over five weekends. Top two to qualify for the final that will have a prominent date on the calendar.

The winners, if not from Munster, will replace the bottom team in the following year’s Leinster Championship. If it is a Munster team, they will play-off against the bottom team in the Munster Championship.

To reduce the number of teams in the Tier 2 Championship to five, the team that finishes second-last in the 2018 Championship will play off against the winners of Tier 3 (Christy Ring Cup).

The winners of that game will play in the Tier 2 Championship in 2019, with the losers playing in Tier 3 (Christy Ring Cup).

Christy Ring Cup

Armagh, Derry, Down, Kildare, London, Mayo, Roscommon, Wicklow

TWO round-robin groups of four, with the top two teams in each group playing against each other in semifinals and the winners advancing to a final.

In 2018, only the winners will play the second-bottom team in the Tier 2 competition to determine who plays in Tier 2 in 2019. In 2019 and 2020, the Christy Ring winners will go directly to Tier 2.

Nicky Rackard Cup

Donegal, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Monaghan, Tyrone, Warwickshire

A group of four and group of three will be drawn and play off on a roundrobin basis, with the top two teams in each group contesting the semi-finals and the winners then meeting in the final.

The champions will play in the Christy Ring Cup the following year. The bottom teams will contest a relegation play-off.

Lory Meagher Cup

Cavan, Fermanagh, Lancashire, Sligo

ROUND-ROBIN competition, with top two teams contesting final.