The GAA have announced details of the new Tier 2 and Tier 3 Hurling championships which will be played for the first time next year.
Ten teams will participate in the Tier 2 Christy Ring championship. They are Roscommon, Mayo, Westmeath, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Carlow, Down, Derry and Kerry.
Two groups of five teams will be drawn and each team will play four games at the group stages.
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals with the winners meeting in the final on August 14th.
The teams participating in the Nicky Rackard Cup Tier 3 will be Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Armagh, Louth, Longford and London.
The teams will be divided into three groups and the final will be played in Croke Park on August 21st.
Meanwhile, the Knockairport.com Hurling League was launched earlier today.
The league is designed to encourage the development of hurling in Connacht and will be played on a round robin basis starting next January.
