The National Hurling League opens on February 4th. Pick of the initial fixtures is All-Ireland champions Kilkenny versus their predecessors Cork. It will be the third successive year the counties have opened the NHL programme. This year Cork have home advantage.

Holders Galway will travel to All-Ireland finalists Offaly for their first defence of the title. Under the new management of Tony Dempsey, Wexford will make the journey to Laois. First-day byes go to Dublin and last season's finalists Tipperary.

Division One A - Galway, Clare, Offaly, Antrim, Dublin, Limerick, Meath.

Division One B - Kilkenny, Cork, Tipperary, Laois, Wexford, Waterford, Derry.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE FIXTURES 2001

GROUP 1A Round 1 (Feb 4th): Limerick v Antrim; Offaly v Galway; Clare v Meath; Dublin bye.

Round 2 (Feb 11th): Meath v Dublin; Galway v Clare; Antrim v Offaly; Limerick bye.

Round 3 (Feb 18th): Offaly v Limerick; Clare v Antrim; Dublin v Galway; Meath bye.

Round 4 (March 4th): Galway v Meath; Antrim v Dublin; Limerick v Clare; Offaly bye.

Round 5 (March 18th): Clare v Offaly; Dublin v Limerick; Meath v Antrim; Galway bye.

Round 6 (March 24th): Antrim v Galway; Limerick v Meath; Offaly v Dublin; Clare bye.

Round 7 (April 1st): Dublin v Clare; Meath v Offaly; Galway v Limerick; Antrim bye.

GROUP 1B

Round 1 (Feb 4th): Cork v Kilkenny; Laois v Wexford; Waterford v Derry; Tipperary bye.

Round 2 (Feb 11th): Derry v Tipperary; Wexford v Waterford; Kilkenny v Laois; Cork bye. Round 3 (Feb 18th): Laois v Cork; Waterford v Kilkenny; Tipperary v Wexford; Derry bye.

Round 4 (March 4th): Wexford v Derry; Kilkenny v Tipperary; Cork v Waterford; Laois bye.

Round 5 (March 18th): Waterford v Laois; Tipperary v Cork; Derry v Kilkenny; Wexford bye.

Round 6 (March 24th): Cork v Derry. (March 25th) Kilkenny v Wexford; Laois v Tipperary; Waterford bye.

Round 7 (April 1st): Tipperary v Waterford; Derry v Laois; Wexford v Cork; Kilkenny bye.