Waterford Minor Camogie Team first into Munster Championship Action in 2015

It may be only the first full weekend of February, but Munster Championship action is with us.

He’s finally cracked it, I hear you say, but no, I haven’t, not yet anyway.

This weekend Waterford’s Minor Camogie Team are in action in the Munster Championship where they play Cork in Fraher Field on Saturday afternoon.

Two years ago, Waterford played and lost to Cork in the All-Ireland ‘B’ under 16 Championship. Earlier in the year the side beat Cork in the Munster Championship at the Gold Coast.

Normally, a team has to win an underage competition to move up a grade in the next championship two years one, but such is the progress Waterford are making on the underage Camogie scene, it was decided that Waterford should play in this year ‘A’ Munster Championship.

To be honest, its hard to argue against Waterford moving up. At under 16 level Waterford won all around them. Cork were the only side to beat Waterford, beating them in play off to decide who tops the group after the two sides finished level on points and again in the All-Ireland Final which was played as a home game for Cork as they agreed to switch the game to accommodate duel Waterford players involved in an important Ladies Football game.

Coupled with this, last year Waterford won the Under 16 ‘B’ title and retained the Munster title won twelve months earlier. The All-Ireland ‘B’ Minor Championship also found a home in Waterford after the side coached by Shane Ahearne beat Derry in the final.

Throw in the fact that Waterford have won the last three Under 14 ‘B’ Blitz titles and that Gailltir and De La Salle over the last two or three years have done remarkably well at Féile while on the College scene sides in the city area are doing well.

While its early in the year yet, Waterford will be taking this game very serious. Have no doubt, the All-Ireland Championship is the big one when it comes to Camogie at this level, Waterford would love to have a good run in this competition to set them up nicely for when the All-Ireland competition begins.

In 2013, Waterford had a very strong under 16 panel. But the question has to be asked, how many of that panel will be involved this year. Many of that panel are going to be sitting their leaving cert in June. Will players but their studies ahead of their camogie this year. If they did, it’s hard to blame them. However, there is still some times to go between now and June and ‘God Forbid’ any player was to pick up an injury now it would not necessary mean they will miss out on the sitting part or all of their exams.

There are also some players that are involved with the Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football team and they have a big game on Sunday against Fermanagh at Fraher Field. Will players be willing to line out for two different teams over the weekend and will they be able to commit to training with two teams and to other commitments in the last few weeks, or has a compromise been found to allow players fit in everything.

Two years, ago, Waterford’s under 16 panel was made up of players from nine clubs.

Brianna O'Regan, Courtney Healy, Beth Carton and Ciara Twomey were all from the De La Salle Club.

From the Brickeys were Rachel Donnelly, Megan Dunford, Caoimhe McGrath, Molly Curran, Hannah Murphy-Nix and Catherine Hahessy.

Roisin Cahillane, Jessica Glavin, Clodagh Glavin, Emily Power and last years under 16 captain Aisling Power all came from the Cappoquin Club.

Saint Anne’s also had a strong representation on the panel with Bronwyn Grace, Sibeal Harney, Aoife Shanahan and Saoirse Bonner involved.

Dungarvan, Ferrybank and Butlerstown had two members each on the panel.

Kayleigh Veale and Taylor Murray came from the Dungarvan Club. Iona Heffernan and Niamh Ahearne came from Ferrybank, and Elizabeth McGrath and Kate McMahon came from Butlerstown.

Sarah Geoghegan, a sub with the Lismore team due to play Piltown in the Intermediate Club All-Ireland Final on March 1 and Sarah Murray from Tramore made up the remainder of the panel.

Should changes have to be made to the 2013 Under 16 panel for this weekends minor game, the players coming in are most likely to come from last years under 16 winning team.

That could mean call up for the likes of Roisin Uniacke, Laura Murray and Sinead O' Brien from Cappoquin, Chloe Dempsey, Collette Hogan, Caoimhe Drohan, Niamh Murphy or Taylor Healy from De La Salle, the Gailltir pair of Sinead Cunningham and Anne Corcoran, Aoife Shanahan, Kate McMahon and Sally Brown from Butlerstown, Rachel McDonald from Saint Anne’s.   

Sharon Williams is expected to play with Lismore in their up coming All-Ireland Final against Piltown and it remains to be seen if she gets a call up while Ellen Curran is a sub with the same Lismore team. Megan Dunford is one of the new duel players called up to the Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football team and could well be in the starting line out for Sunday’s game while Kate McGrath Kate McGrath a member of last years under 16 team is also involved with the Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football panel.

For Waterford to win this Saturday in Fraher Field might be a big ask, but the talent is defiantly there for it to happen.