Colm O'Rourke decries 'abuse of players' over Sigerson Cup scheduling

Colm O'Rourke says that something has to be done about what he deemed the "abuse of players" around the scheduling of the Sigerson Cup.

O'Rourke has had a positive start to his time in charge with back-to-back victories in Division 2 of the Allianz League, as they look to challenge favourites Dublin and Derry for promotion to the top flight.

But the Skryne man, who won a Sigerson as a player with UCD in the late 1970s, says the third level competition is having a negative impact on his squad's league campaign.

"The Sigerson Cup has dealt a heavy blow to our team," he said on RTÉ's Sunday Sport afterwards.

"Shane Walsh with a hamstring injury, Matt Costello having a hamstring injury, playing last Tuesday night after coming home from Cork - a long drive, a hard match, a very fast pitch - these are overuse injuries.

"This is disgraceful, the abuse of players with this Sigerson Cup. It needs to be put on at a different time of the year.

"We have six players tied up. They're not able to train with us at any of the time, and we had to take off Darragh Campion and Cathal Hickey today because we were concerned about the load on them.

"They played a match last Sunday, another game in Grangegorman on Wednesday night - which went to extra-time - and they were expecting to be playing today. Then they've a semi-final next week, so we took them off just purely for precautionary (reasons) because with two hamstring injuries it's a sign of overuse.

"I think it's absolutely disgraceful the way these players are being abused. Talk about player welfare; there's no player welfare in expecting lads to do that."

Pushed on when the Sigerson Cup could be played, he added: "It has to go into January, or else the league goes back two or three weeks in