Of the 8 teams that competed in the Finals of Intermediate Championships and accompanying Junior Cup, half were from Munster. The non-League Rebels women's team from Cork produced the most remarkable story of the event however as, in their debut year, they claimed the title ahead of all the Division 1 sides. They beat a spirited Naas side in the final 3-1, who were equally elated to finish amongst the honors ahead of the upcoming Annual Awards Ceremony, having missed out on 2nd place in the League. Indeed for Naas, confidence couldn’t have been boosted more than after a Semi Final win over this season’s Division 1 League Champions, cbphoto.ie, also in their debut year.
Equally remarkably, the men’s Intermediate Championship final turned out to be the Cork derby. Cork and UCC had met in the early stages of the weekend event, yet it was somewhat a surprise as the non-League UCC beat a highly fancied White Eagles in the Semi Final to earn a deserved place against their city counterparts. Yet it was an order too tall for the UCC students as they found the going hard against this season’s Division 1 Champions, Cork, who also went on to win 3-0 and complete their Cup and Championship double.
In the Junior Cup, Limerick-based cbphoto.ie emerged victorious in a thrilling 5-set men’s final, against a Garda side fresh from their courageous venture in the World Defence Forces Games in Australia, while the women’s Division 2 Champions, Newbridge Cheetahs, notched up a surprise 3-0 win over Division 1 side Santry in the women’s final.
