Relegation playoffs on the cards before 2021 Laois GAA championships begin

Two Laois championships may require relegation playoffs before the 2021 editions can begin.

As things stand, all adult championships except intermediate football and junior ‘C’ hurling from 2020 remain outstanding.

Clonaslee and Rosenallis won those competitions respectively before Covid brought all club activity to an end last October.

Before the 2021 championships begin in Laois, it has been agreed that the outstanding 2020 championships must be completed.

Most of these are at semi final stage and would take around two weekends to complete.

However, in two of these, the junior football championship and junior ‘B’ hurling championship, a relegation playoff could be required depending on who ends up winning them.

This is because of a Laois GAA regulation which states: “In the event of a team winning their respective championship and who have a team already competing in the higher grade, promotion to the higher grade for the following year will be determined by means of a playoff between the team to be relegated from the higher grade and the team which was beaten in the final of that respective championship.”

In the JFC, Portlaoise face The Heath in one semi final and Park-Ratheniska play Ballyroan-Abbey in the other.

Should Portlaoise end up winning the competition, they cannot be promoted to intermediate as they already have a team at that grade.

So in that event, Annanough, who were relegated from intermediate last year, would play a promotion/relegation playoff against the JFC losing finalist.

The JHC ‘B’ situation is potentially more complicated. The semi finals see Camross face Rathdowney-Errill and Portlaoise take on The Harps.

Portlaoise, Rathdowney Errill and The Harps all have teams playing at Junior A – so should any of those win the championship, the same situation may apply in a playoff against Borris-Kilcotton or Colt-Shanahoe.

OUTSTANDING FIXTURES

FOOTBALL 

Senior Football (Semi Finals)
Emo v Graiguecullen
Ballyfin v Portarlington

Intermediate Football (Completed)
Clonaslee champions 

Junior ‘A’ Football (Semi Finals)
Portlaoise v The Heath
Park-Ratheniska v Ballyroan-Abbey

Junior ‘B’ Football (Final)
Spink v Graiguecullen

Junior ‘C’ (Final)
Colt v Kilcotton

HURLING 

Senior Hurling (Final)
Borris-Kilcotton v Clough-Ballacolla

Premier Intermediate Hurling (Final)
Portlaoise v The Harps

Intermediate Hurling (Final)
Rathdowney-Errill v Trumera

Junior ‘A’ Hurling (Semi Finals)
The Harps v Castletown
Portlaoise v Abbeyleix

Junior ‘B’ Hurling (Semi Finals)
Camross v Rathdowney-Errill
Portlaoise v The Harps

Junior ‘C’ Hurling (Completed)
Rosenallis champions 

SEE ALSO – Here is the 2020 LaoisToday premier intermediate hurling Team of the Year

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2021/03/09/relegation-playoffs-on-the-cards-before-2021-laois-gaa-championships-begin/