In 2025, every Tipperary hurling 2025 county finalist topped their group. The numbers prove it, group performance, not divisional titles, now defines county success.
If any club still doubted the value of the round-robin phase, 2025 has settled the argument once and for all. Across all three major hurling grades — Senior, Premier Intermediate and Intermediate — every county finalist topped their group.
Divisional silverware, once the great badge of form, has taken a clear back seat. Only Carrick Swan, the Mid champions in the Premier Intermediate grade, have paired divisional success with county-final qualification. For everyone else, it’s group performance — not local titles — that paved the road to October.
2025 County Finalists and Their Paths.
| Grade | County Finalists | Group Finish | Divisional Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | Loughmore-Castleiney ✅ Nenagh Éire Óg ✅ |
Both topped groups | Neither were divisional winners |
| Premier Intermediate | Carrick Swan ✅ Upperchurch-Drombane ✅ |
Both topped groups | Carrick Swan ✅ (South champions) |
| Intermediate | Golden/Kilfeacle ✅ Knockavilla Kickhams ✅ |
Both topped groups | Neither were divisional champions |
✅ = topped group / qualified for county final
Group Form Beats Tradition
In total, 11 of the 12 group winners reached semi-finals, and all six county finalists came from that elite list of group toppers. The pattern is undeniable.
Winning your division still matters to supporters, but the hard evidence says otherwise — it’s the clubs that master the round robin that survive into county finals. Carrick Swan’s dual success as both South champions and Premier Intermediate finalists now looks more like an outlier than a standard.
Why the Round Robin Rules
1. Momentum Over Medals
Group winners build rhythm. Three or four meaningful fixtures in high summer sharpen edges and expose weak spots early. By the knockout rounds, those sides have cohesion others can’t match.
2. Control of the Draw
Topping your group eliminates the need for a preliminary quarter-final and usually guarantees a favourable draw in the last eight — a massive competitive edge as injuries mount.
3. Versatility and Confidence
To top a group, a team must win in different ways — from low-scoring trench battles to free-taking shoot-outs. That versatility shows under pressure, and every 2025 finalist has proven capable of adjusting on the fly.
4. Psychological Edge
There’s an assurance in being a group winner. It tells players they’ve already delivered under pressure and earned the right to call themselves contenders.
Divisional Decline: Comparing 2024 and 2025
| Year | Divisional Champions, All Grades | County Finalists from Divisional Champions | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Senior | Kiladangan, North, Loughmore, Mid, no South or West finals held | Loughmore, county finalists | 1 of 2 survived |
| 2024 Premier Intermediate | Cashel, West, Carrick Swan, South, Burgess, North, Upperchurch-Drombane, Mid | Cashel, county champions | 1 of 4 survived |
| 2024 Intermediate | Golden, West, Drom, Mid, Moneygall, North, Ballingarry, South | Moneygall ✅, county champions, beat Ballingarry in final | 2 of 4 survived |
| 2025 Senior | Loughmore, Holycross, Nenagh, Moycarkey | 2 county finalists, Loughmore and Nenagh, both group winners | Group form decisive |
| 2025 Premier Intermediate | Carrick Swan, Boherlahan-Dualla, Gortnahoe, Upperchurch | Carrick Swan, county finalist | Only 1 divisional champ survived |
| 2025 Intermediate | Cappawhite, Knockavilla, Borrisokane, Golden/Kilfeacle | Golden and Kickhams, county finalists, both group winners | No divisional champs survived |
Takeaway
- 2024: Three divisional champions (Loughmore, Cashel, Moneygall) reached county finals.
- 2025: Just one divisional champion, Carrick Swan, remains — and they also topped their group.
Divisional pride remains, but statistically, its link to county success is fading fast. The survival rate dropped from 30% in 2024 to 9% in 2025, and even that single success came from a group-topping team.
What It Means for Clubs
For management teams planning 2026, the takeaway is blunt:
- Target your group early. Every score, every puck-out in July and August matters.
- Treat divisional games as warm-ups, not measuring sticks.
- Build squad depth early. Group campaigns reward teams that can rotate and maintain quality.
The round robin now dictates who peaks at the right time — and who’s packing up before the clocks change.
Divisional Glory Still Has Its Place
Of course, the emotion of divisional wins still matters. Local rivalries in the Mid or West divisions fuel passion, draw crowds and keep old traditions alive. But when it comes to county silverware, history now favours the teams that focus squarely on their group.
Divisional medals polish the trophy cabinet; group dominance puts your name on county banners.
The 2025 Lesson
- All six county finalists topped their groups.
- Only one divisional champion (Carrick Swan) reached a final.
- Group performance, not divisional prestige, is the true barometer of success.
Each passing year reinforces the same reality: in modern Tipperary hurling, the county championship is won long before October — in the summer grind of the group stage.
📊 Standout Stat
6 of 6 county finalists and 11 of 12 semi-finalists were group winners in 2025.
Only Carrick Swan managed to pair divisional and county success.
👉 The message couldn’t be clearer: Topping your group is now the golden ticket.