Three weeks removed from the Waterford Intermediate Camogie final that did not go ahead, a decision has been reached on the game.
As confirmed by Munster Camogie, Butlerstown will represent Waterford in the Munster competition which starts in two weeks' time.
Modeligo did not field a team for the final on grounds of player welfare, with the majority of the Modeligo squad playing Munster football for Na Déise the day before the camogie final.
A sequence of appeals and requests between Modeligo, Na Déise, Waterford Camogie, Munster Camogie, Waterford LGFA, and Munster LGFA yielded no change to the Sunday fixture, with Modeligo ultimately deciding to not attend the game on grounds of player welfare.
An outstanding appeal with Munster Camogie - submitted on the week of the final - loomed over proceedings until this week.
That appeal failed, with Munster Camogie directing Waterford Camogie to enforce the correct ruling.
The rules in question are 33.2 and 33.3 of the Camogie Association Official Rules Part 1 Section E, Competitions Management and Administration, Control of Matches and Penalties.
33.2 states that "For all competitions, participating Units will be notified of the date of a fixture by the Unit Secretary or by a Fixtures Sub-Committee delegated this task in accordance with the following timeframes:
• at least five days email notice for competitions run by County Boards unless otherwise provided for in County bye-laws;
• at least five days e-mail notice for all InterCounty and All-Ireland competitions. E-mail notification of venue and time must be given no later than 48 hours prior to the fixture."
While 33.3 notes, "Where a team has been notified in accordance with Rule 33.2 of a fixture and fails to fulfil that fixture, the committee
in charge of the competition must impose the following penalties:
• in all cases the match will be awarded to that team’s opponents in the fixture;
• in the case of leagues or championships run on a league basis the defaulting team(s) will be deducted the equivalent to the points awarded for a win in that competition.
• In the case of national inter-county, club or interprovincial competitions under Ard Chomhairle’s auspices, any team who concedes a game cannot progress to the knock-out stages of a competition, i.e. quarter-final, semi-final or final."
With the executive awarding the game to Butlerstown, they will now fly the Waterford flag in the intermediate provincial championship which is due to start on November 18th.
Modeligo do have a further route of resolution and WLR Sport understands that they have submitted that appeal to the National Transfers, Hearing and Disciplinary Committee (NTHDC).
If they succeed with their appeal at the national level, the most likely outcome would see the game being refixed, but there is just one more week to do that with the looming Nov 18th start date for the Munster intermediate competition.
