It’s reaching a stage where the season’s hockey fixtures need a “weather permitting” asterisk alongside them.
Even before last weekend’s white-out, most competitions were playing catch-up after a string of postponements going back to November, the Hockey League hit as hard as any.
Hockey Ireland’s website names New Year’s Day in 2030 as the date for last Saturday’s postponed HL games to be played. It’s a glitch, but fixture secretaries are probably beginning to feel it’ll take that long to complete their programme of 2018 games.
Sunday, April 22nd is the actual date that round of HL matches is now scheduled to be played, although they can take place before then if clubs can agree on a suitable date.
Ireland’s World Cup preparations have also been hit with the postponement due to heavy snow of their two games against Scotland in Glasgow earlier in the week, which they hope to reschedule for late May. They are due to play England three times next week at Bisham Abbey, on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Before then, as many as 23 of the 29-strong World Cup panel are scheduled to be on club duty in the Hockey League on Saturday . . . weather permitting.
The tie of the round is the meeting in Belfast of third-placed Pegasus and leaders UCD, the Ulster side’s hopes of catching the students severely dented in their last outing when they lost at home to second-placed Cork Harlequins. They are now eight points behind UCD and four adrift of Harlequins, with a game in hand on both.
UCD are seeking their ninth HL win in a row, that streak beginning with their 2-0 defeat of Pegasus at Belfield back in November.
Harlequins could do with a favour from the Belfast side – if the latter were to beat UCD and Harlequins take the points from their home tie against bottom club Monkstown, the gap at the top would narrow to a single point.
Railway Union will attempt to tighten their grip on fourth place when they head north to play Belfast Harlequins, while Loreto, five points behind them, make the shorter trip to take on Pembroke Wanderers. Trinity, meanwhile, will look for just their second win of the season when they host Ards.
