Cork v Limerick TV blackout: Rebels explain why hurling clash will not be televised
by Fintan O'Toole · The42LAST UPDATE | 20 hrs ago
CORK GAA HAVE responded to RTÉ’s claim that the county ‘could not accommodate’ televised coverage of Saturday night’s hurling league showdown with Limerick.
Rebels officials have revealed that the Division 1A fixture was not chosen for TV coverage at its designated throw-in time of 7.30pm, and that they were asked to bring the game forward to facilitate broadcasters.
Cork say that they declined to do so on the basis that the game would then clash with Ireland’s Six Nations opener against England, which kicks off at 4.45pm on Saturday.
Over 20,000 tickets have been sold for the game with only terrace tickets at the Blackrock End still available.
The game is not scheduled for live TV or streaming coverage, with RTÉ showing Armagh against Tyrone in Division 1 of the football league at 6pm, while TG4 have Donegal against Dublin in football live at 7.30pm.
Earlier on Tuesday, RTÉ said that they “sought Cork-Limerick in the Allianz Hurling League as our match selection a number of months ago but the counties could not accommodate.
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“RTÉ subsequently chose Armagh-Tyrone.”
Cork CEO Kevin O’Donovan said: “Having been particularly surprised to hear from Croke Park a number of weeks ago that Cork v Limerick was not to be the chosen game by broadcasters at the appointed time on Saturday, February 1st @7.30pm, we were then asked if we wished to consider changing our game to an earlier time to facilitate broadcast.
“As this alternative time clashed directly with the Ireland v England Rugby game on the same evening, we sought not to deprive our own supporters of seeing both games.
“We remain disappointed that our fixture will not be televised at the appointed time, but look forward to another spectacle with a packed house here at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday next.”
The combined capacity of the North Stand and South Stand at Páirc Uí Chaoimh is for 21,000 spectators, which will see the game surpass the 19,516 that attended the last league fixture between the counties at the stadium in February 2023, when Cork won out 2-17 to 0-22.
In February 2020, when the teams met on a Sunday afternoon at the stadium in the league, Limerick defeated Cork 0-29 to 2-21 before a crowd of 11,212.
Both encounters between the two sides in championship last summer were epic games before sellout crowds, a contributory factor towards the heightened anticipation for this league fixture.
In the Munster round-robin in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork won out 3-28 to 3-26 in dramatic fashion, before the counties in July played before the highest ever attendance at Croke Park for an All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final, Cork prevailing 1-28 to 0-29.
Saturday night’s game marks a first outing of the season for John Kiely’s Limerick side after they had a bye last weekend in the seven-team Division 1A. Cork will play their first game at home after defeating Wexford away 2-21 to 0-12 last Saturday.
In the Munster championship, Limerick will host Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Round 4 on the weekend of 17-18 May.