First major test of new GAA football rules end with Connacht onslaught

Eva Osborne

The first matches trialling the proposed rule changes to Gaelic matches have concluded, with Connacht breezing past Leinster by 22 points.

Aidan O’Shea, Barry McNulty, Ciaran Murtagh and Liam Gallagher scored the 4-point Connacht goals.

The match kicked off at 6pm on Friday, with Munster and Ulster facing off at 8pm. Ulster won with a score of 0-23 to 2-11.

Saturday will see two more games take place as the two defeated provinces meet at 5:30pm and the winning teams compete against each other at 7:30pm.

In September, the Football Review Committee produced an update to its proposed rule enhancements to the game, which include a 1-v-1 throw-in to start a game, instead of two players from each team, and the introduction of a new 40-metre scoring arc around both sets of goalposts to facilitate a new scoring system.

Connacht will be coached by Pádraic Joyce and Dessie Dolan will look after the Leinster team. John Cleary will manage the Munster selection and Kieran Donnelly will take charge of the Ulster team.

Long term GAA partners Allianz have been confirmed as series sponsors.

Speaking about the announcement of the series, Allianz chief customer officer Geoff Sparling said: “At Allianz we are delighted to be supporting the GAA as it showcases the proposed new rule changes for Gaelic football as devised by the Football Review Committee.

“From grassroots to inter-county, through our 30-plus years of partnership with the GAA alongside Cumann na mBunscol, and most recently the Camogie Association, Gaelic games are part of our DNA in Allianz.

“For that reason, we are so proud to be supporting the GAA as title sponsor of the two-day series and look forward to the excitement to come as the four Provinces go head-to-head across the two days”.