The GAA’s Hurling Development Committee has announced the allocation of 70 Hurling Refresher Packs to GAA clubs across all 32 counties, seen as a crucial tangible step in its strategy to strengthen the game’s foundations nationwide.

The announcement comes as the GAA confirmed it is seeking over €5 million in state funding to assist with a new national growth and integration plan, alongside a strategic scheme to revitalise hurling and camogie.

The funding request was made following the final of eight Hurling Development Roadshows, led by National Head of Hurling William Maher, which concluded at Croke Park on Monday night.

If approved, the three-year programme will aim to respond to demographic change, gender equity goals, and broader societal shifts, while ensuring the sustainable and strategic development of hurling and camogie.

The Refresher Packs have been carefully distributed in consultation with Provincial and County Games Managers, in line with the Nursery and Coaching Service Level Agreements.

Each pack contains 15 hurleys, 15 helmets of mixed sizes, and 60 sliotars, a mix of First Touch and Smart Touch, in line with Go Games progression. The aim is to bolster nursery activity, raise coaching standards, and improve the delivery of Go Games in both traditional and developing hurling areas.

The Hurling Development Committee outlined several core objectives behind the allocations:

  • Protecting and strengthening hurling’s base in developing counties.
  • Broadening the game’s footprint with a focus on school–club alignment and entry-level participation.
  • Reinforcing nursery and coaching structures in strategically important but vulnerable areas.
  • Targeting urban inclusion in non-traditional hurling strongholds while consolidating sustainable underage nursery programmes.

Earlier this year, 45 new hurling units received Hurling Starter Packs, which included hurleys, helmets, sliotars, and other training equipment.

“It’s further evidence of the work that the Hurling Development Committee and I are doing,” said William Maher, National Head of Hurling.

“We had 45 Hurling Starter Packs for new clubs in June, and now we have Hurling Refresher Packs for 70 existing clubs right across the country. We’ve listened to the people about what they need and aligned it to our strategy of building new clubs and helping existing ones.”

Maher added that supporting established clubs was a recurring theme during the Hurling Development Roadshows, with many coaches and officials emphasising the need for ongoing investment in existing structures.

Sport for Business will be catching up with William Maher in the coming weeks to discuss these developments and the broader vision for hurling’s future.

Image Credit GAA and Sportsfile

 

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