A NUMBER of universities are understood to be considering a proposal to run the 2021 Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups in November or December.

Gaelic Life understands that a number of teams are open to further exploring the matter following a conference call on Monday and, if they see life in it, the Higher Education Committee may take the idea to the GAA.

Others familiar with the discussions are less enthusiastic though and see no possible way that players who have already graduated can be expected to return to play the tournament, especially as the 2022 tournament would start weeks later ensuring some logistical difficulties when trying to work with two panels at the one time.

Teams at third-level education level are permitted to train in Level 3 restrictions in the South, but matches could only begin under Level 2 – so the tournament will not be run before the end of the academic year.

That will rob supporters from seeing some of the country’s top young talent going head-to-head.

As usual, Ulster universities were due to have plenty of big names on show with Ulster University’s panel set to include Derry’s Conor Glass and Tyrone’s Darragh Canavan while Queen’s could boast the likes of Down half-back Daniel Guinness and Antrim forward Odhran Eastwood.

St Mary’s, the last Ulster side to win it following their 2017 triumph, would have had senior inter-county experience in the likes of Conor McAllister (Derry) and Owen McCabe (Down) while Letterkenny IT were set to call on Tir Chonaill pair Daoire O’Baoill and Peadar Mogan.