Cork–Waterford hurling rivalry

The Cork–Waterford fixture has, in recent years, become one of the most significant sporting rivalries in hurling. While both teams meet regularly in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship, their meetings in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship have also heightened the rivalry.

Roots

History

Cork are one of the most successful teams in the championship, having captured thirty All-Ireland titles, and together with Tipperary and Kilkenny form hurling's 'Holy Trinity'. Waterford, on the other hand, have had sporadic periods of success throughout championship history resulting in only two All-Ireland titles. After a golden age for the team in the 1950s and 1960s Waterford went into severe decline in subsequent decades.

Although Cork and Waterford met regularly in the provincial championship over the course of the previous one hundred year, it is only in the last decade that their rivalry has reached boiling point. Since 2002 games between these two neighbouring counties have provided great hurling entertainment, while many of their encounters have come to be regarded as the 'game of the championship'.

Statistics

Championship meetings since 2002

Famous moments

• Waterford 3-16 : 1-21 Cork (June 27, 2004 at Semple Stadium) - Regarded by many as possibly the greatest Munster final of them all, both Cork and Waterford provided the game that had everything. Cork hit top form from the start, after a ground shot from championship debutante Garvan McCarthy bobbled into the net for the opening goal. Both sides had some great battles in the opening thirty-five minutes and there was little separating the sides at the interval. Only three minutes after the restart John Mullane, one of Waterford's star forwards, was red-carded to make it fifteen versus fourteen. Waterford, however, seemed to play better without the extra man and a cheeky goal from Paul Flynn, from an outfield free, produced a fairytale finish for Waterford. A 3-16 to 1-21 score line gave Waterford a first win over Cork in a Munster final in forty-five years.

See also

• Cork GAA
• Waterford GAA
• Munster Senior Hurling Championship
• Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship