Details of Waterford’s Senior Hurling and Football fixtures for the 2020 competitions have been announced.
Liam Cahill’s Waterford senior hurlers, who are back in training with a number of weeks, will have their first competitive outing before Christmas when they welcome Cork to Fraher Field on Friday December 20 in the Munster League, the game having a 7-30pm start.
Waterford’s second game in the competition is away to Kerry in Tralee on January 5.
The winner of the group involving these three teams will play the winner of the group involving Tipperary, Limerick and Clare in the final.
Waterford’s first game in the new look National League will take place on January 26 when they once more welcome Cork to the Déise County for a game to be staged at Walsh Park. Liam Cahill’s side will play away games in rounds two and three, playing Westmeath in Mullingar on February 2 and Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds on February 15.
Galway are visitors to Walsh Park in Round four on February 23 and Waterford finish off their league campaign with an away game against All-Ireland Champions Tipperary in Thurles a week later.
The two three teams in the two groups in Division One will contest the knockout stages of the competition. The group winners advance straight to the semi-finals with the second placed team playing the third placed team in the opposite group in the quarter-finals.
In the Munster Championship Waterford have home games against Tipperary on May 10 and Cork on May 31. In between Waterford are away to Limerick on May 17 and they finish their Munster Championship campaign with an away game with Clare in Ennis on June 14.
Earlier this year, the Waterford County Board appealed to Munster Council chiefs to be allowed to play their home games outside of the county (Nowlan Park is believed to be the preferred venue, but was not named) should Walsh Park be not available to host the games, but Waterford chiefs were told that the Munster Council would not allow any provincial games to be played outside of the province.
Meanwhile in Football Benji Whelan’s Waterford side begin their year in the McGrath Cup with a home game against Limerick in Fraher Field on January 2 and are away to Clare in the same competition three days later. Ennis is named as venue for this game, but it can be expected to be moved closer to the time.
In the National League Waterford begin with a home game against Limerick in Fraher Field on January 25, the game having a 7pm throw in. Benji Whelan’s side will play four of their seven games at Fraher Field this year and five of their seven games in the league will be played on a Saturday.
Waterford face Leinster opposition in rounds two and three, playing Wicklow in Aughrim on February 2 and Wexford six days later in Fraher Field. The first of two long trips that Waterford face in the National League in 2020 sees them travel to Markievicz Park to play Sligo on February 22 and are at home to Carlow a week later.
London has become a bit of a bogey side for Waterford in recent years. Benji Whelan’s side will be hoping not to have any slip ups when ‘The Exiles’ make their way to Fraher Field on March 14 in the penultimate round of games before Waterford round off the league with
another lengthy four-hour trip this time to Glenavy close to the eastern shore of Lough Neagh to play Antrim.
Waterford will play Limerick at Fraher Field in the quarter finals of the Munster Football Championship on May 9, the game having a 7pm throw in. The winners will play the winner of the Tipperary and Clare quarter final in the semi finals.
Waterford Fixtures 2020
