Munster Junior Cup Quarter Final Set To Be Replayed Following Controversial Ending

The Munster Schools Junior Cup meeting between Presentation Brothers College Cork and St Munchin’s, was brought to an abrupt end yesterday after three players from the Limerick side suffered head injuries.

PBC took the lead with two minutes on the clock, before the injuries occurred just ten minutes in the highly anticipated semi-final clash. The game was held up for over an hour, with two of the St. Munchin’s players taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.

The third player also suffered a concussion related injury. The game, which took place at Musgrave Park, was awarded to the Cork school as St. Munchin’s declined to continue, devastated by the serious injuries to their colleagues. St Munchin’s College issued a positive update last night revealing that all three players were back at home in Limerick recovering well.

It’s now been revealed today that the game will indeed be replayed, with common sense thankfully prevailing. The following statement was released on the Munster Rugby website today:

The Clayton Schools Munster Junior Cup quarter-final between PBC and St Munchin’s College was abandoned at Irish Independent Park on Wednesday February 8th due to unprecedented injury circumstances.

The Age Grade Competitions Committee, chaired by Eugene Ryan, and the Munster Rugby Schools Committee, chaired by Declan English, have considered all the facts surrounding the unprecedented circumstances, and the decision has been made to replay the game.

As a priority, player welfare and the health and safety off all players was taken into consideration when reviewing yesterday’s circumstances at Irish Independent Park.

All parties are first and foremost pleased to hear the players in question are well, and are thankful to all the medical services on hand in Irish Independent Park and the CUH in providing the best possible care to the players.

Following the review both committees expressed their support for referee Paudie Sheehan and his team in overseeing a difficult and unprecedented situation, noting the referee made his decision to restart the game based on facts and was procedurally correct.

The replay will now take place on Wednesday February 15th at Irish Independent Park at 2.30pm.

Please note the semi-final draw will take place on completion of the re-fixed game next Wednesday.

Munster Rugby wish to finally take this opportunity to again remind all involved at domestic level to educate themselves on concussion awareness and guidelines, STOP – INFORM – REST – RETURN, and if a player has any one of the signs or symptoms of concussion he/she should be removed from the field of play and not allowed to return.

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