THE Gaelic Players Association have opposed the return of pre-season competitions, such as the Dr McKenna Cup, stating that financial income is being prioritised over player welfare. Central Council made the decision in September to suspend the competitions for the 2025 season.
Cavan GAA tabled a motion for Saturday’s Central Council meeting requesting that the pre-season tournaments be reinstated to the GAA calendar. This would see the Dr McKenna Cup (Ulster), the O’Byrne (Leinster), the McGrath Cup (Munster) and the FBD League (Connacht) return.
GAA President Jarlath Burns backed the decision to halt the pre-season competitions, which are usually played in early January, ahead of the Allianz National Football League.
A number of inter-county managers, players and officials have recently suggested the return of the pre-season competitions as a means of getting used to the new playing rules, trialled at Croke Park last weekend, before the start of the League.
The player’s body insists that a U-turn on that decision would demonstrate an emphasis on financial gain ahead of player welfare.
“Reversing that decision now would prioritise financial income – as recently articulated by the Connacht Council Secretary – over the health and well-being of our amateur athletes, despite overwhelming evidence of player burnout,” read the GPA statement.
“If the pre-season competitions are reintroduced on January 2nd, the return-to-training date would need to be moved from December 7th to as early as November 16th. Sports science recommends at least a six-week preparation period to ensure that players are physically ready for competitive matches like the McKenna Cup.
“This adjustment would violate the “No Contact November” policy, which 78% of players supported, emphasising the need for adequate recovery time to prevent burnout, injury and allow players a guaranteed window to holiday with family, partners and friends.
“Unfortunately, the players’ voice seems to have been disregarded in this proposed motion, raising concerns about attitudes towards player welfare and proper recovery time.”
The GPA has suggested that challenge/training games would provide teams with a better understanding of the new rules, which will be voted on at Central Council on Saturday, in a non-competitive environment
“To those advocating for publicly viewed competitive games to trial new rules, we emphasise: 1) these rules have not been formally voted in, 2) the impact on Hurling counties is being overlooked, and 3) provincial competitions, especially mismatches between Division 1 and Division 4 teams, may not be the ideal platform for public testing given the potential high score lines.
“Non-competitive, behind-closed-doors challenge/training games would also be an effective way for players to adapt to rule changes while ensuring their welfare, without requiring an earlier return to training across both codes.
“The GPA, remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting player welfare, which is a core value of the GAA. Any decision to reinstate pre-season competitions, despite clear risks to player health, will represent a significant shift in how certain factions of the GAA prioritise financial income over the well-being and values of the GAA.
“Removing the pre-season competitions was also a proposal of the GAA Fixtures Calendar Review Taskforce in 2020, when it was recognised the GAA cannot squeeze 10 months of inter-county demands into 7 months with the introduction of the Split Season and new championship structures.”