Development strategy 'massive' for hurling - McManus

Former Antrim prima Neil McManus says a caller nationalist hurling improvement strategy will hopefully consequence successful nan maturation of nan sport.

McManus is simply a personnel of nan Hurling Development Committee, which was joined by GAA president Jarlath Burns astatine Croke Park connected Wednesday arsenic plans, including a caller domiciled of National Head of Hurling, were announced.

Expanding nan number of hurling clubs and expanding nan number of teams participating successful nan Liam McCarthy Cup are besides among nan aims.

"It's monolithic - we've been wanting to fto group cognize what nan Hurling Development Committee is astir and we've been moving down nan scenes for almost a twelvemonth now, trying to get structures successful spot that will let america to turn nan game," said McManus.

"We request to make judge that each young personification that is calved aliases surviving successful this state gets nan chance to play this awesome game."

McManus said location were "positives and negatives" including past week's announcement by nan UK authorities that it would not beryllium providing backing for Casement Park to beryllium redeveloped successful clip for Euro 2028.

"About 30 caller hurling clubs person been developed successful Ulster complete nan past decade, which is simply a existent affirmative though immoderate of them are fighting for their lives and trying to survive," he added.

"Casement Park not being developed is simply a monolithic rustle to gaelic games successful nan northbound - it's going to person an impact.

"We request much Ulster teams challenging to to beryllium successful nan stronger competitions. We only really person Antrim astatine nan infinitesimal and while that's very important that we do person practice location we request much and that's 1 of nan issues that this improvement committee is looking to address."

McManus brought his 16-year Antrim profession to an extremity past summertime aft retiring from inter-county duty.

But nan 36-year-old is backmost successful nan Saffrons set-up aft being named arsenic sports capacity coach nether caller head Davy Fitzgerald.

"I'm delighted to beryllium progressive pinch Antrim again - I'm really excited. We've a awesome group of players, a batch of lads I'm really adjacent to and I want to thief them fulfil their potential.

"We've not recovered nan ceiling pinch this team. This is an incredibly talented group of young players but it's going to return immoderate clip to get to a raised level of title and I don't deliberation anyone is expecting thing different than that."