IHL Fixtures Released
As the start of a historic season draws closer, the fixture schedule for the first ever full Irish Hockey League, sponsored by EY, has been released. The Banbridge team will be joined in the IHL by three other clubs from Ulster, Annadale, Cookstown and Lisnagarvey, as well as Cork Church of Ireland from Munster and five Leinster clubs, Glenanne, Monkstown, Pembroke Wanderers, Railway Union and Three Rock Rovers. The league starts on the weekend of 26 September 2015 and has been structured to allow for the international team to gain maximum preparation time as the hopefully head towards Rio 2016.
Notable among the fixtures is an intriguing start to October when the team will face their two biggest rivals, Lisnagarvey and Monkstown, on successive weekends. Also key could be two double header weekends when the locals will face Three Rock Rovers and Cork Church of Ireland on consecutive days in November 2015 and then again in April 2016.
Commenting on the league and the fixture schedule, Head Coach Mark Tumilty said “myself, the coaching team and the players are very much looking forward to the inaugural season of the IHL. As you look down the list of fixtures you get a feel for the task that faces us as a club. It will give us hugely competitive fixtures every week and we will embrace the challenge and hopefully continue our recent good form in All-Ireland competitions.”
The schedule has yet to be fully finalised with the clubs to decide upon match days on the weekends indicated and match times. This will be done over the coming weeks. A full list of the schedule for the 2015-16 season is as follows:
September 26, 2015 IHL Banbridge – Annadale
October 3, 2015 IHL Railway Union – Banbridge
October 10, 2015 IHL Banbridge – Lisnagarvey
October 17, 2015 IHL Monkstown – Banbridge
October 21-23, 2015 All-Ireland Schools
October 24-26, 2015 Intervarsities
October 31, 2015 Irish Senior Cup Round 1
November 7, 2015 IHL Banbridge – Pembroke
November 14, 2015 IHL Three Rock Rovers – Banbridge
November 15, 2015 IHL Banbridge – Cork C of I
November 20-22, 2015 U16/U18 Boys Interprovincial Tournament
November 28, 2015 Irish Senior Cup Round 2
November 29, 2015 1 Day U21 Mens Interprovincial Tournament
December 5, 2015 IHL Banbridge – Cookstown
December 19, 2015 IHL Glenanne – Banbridge
December 25, 2015 Christmas Day
January 23, 2016 IHL Annadale – Banbridge
January 30, 2016 Irish Senior Cup Round 3
February 6, 2016 IHL Banbridge – Railway Union
February 13, 2016 IHL Lisnagarvey – Banbridge
February 20, 2016 IHL Banbridge – Monkstown
February 27, 2016 Irish Senior Cup Semi-Finals
March 5, 2016 IHL Pembroke – Banbridge
March 20, 2016 Irish Senior Cup Final
March 28, 2016 Easter Sunday
April 2, 2016 IHL Cookstown – Banbridge
April 9, 2016 IHL Cork C of I – Banbridge
April 10, 2016 IHL Banbridge – Three Rock Rovers
April 16, 2016 IHL Banbridge – Glenanne
April 30, 2016 Irish Hockey League Semi-Finals
May 1, 2016 Irish Hockey League Final
May 13-16, 2016 Eurohockey Club Champions Trophy (venue TBC)