2020 National Hurling League


The 2020 National Hurling League was the 89th season of the National Hurling League for county teams.
Division 1 was restructured in 2020 into two groups of approximately equal strength.
The league was originally scheduled to end on 29 March 2020. The public health measures introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland resulted in most of the final stages being delayed to October and the Division 1 final stage being reduced from five games to one.
Eir Sport and RTÉ provide live TV coverage of the league on Saturday nights. TG4 broadcast Sunday afternoon games. The highlights programmes are RTÉ2's League Sunday on Sunday evenings, TG4's GAA 2020 on Monday evenings and Eir Sport's Allianz Leagues Reloaded on Wednesday evenings.
Limerick were the winners, defeating Clare in the final on 25 October.

Format

League structure
Thirty-five teams compete in the 2020 NHL –
  • twelve teams organised in two six-team groups of approximately equal strength in Division 1
  • six teams in Divisions 2A, 2B and 3A
  • five teams in Division 3B.
All thirty-two county teams from Ireland take part. London, Lancashire and Warwickshire complete the lineup.
Each team plays all the other teams in their division once, either home or away. Two points are awarded for a win, and one for a draw.
The Division 1 semi-finals had been proposed to finish on the day the games are played avoiding the need for replays. If a semi-final is level after the initial seventy minutes, still level after two ten minute periods of extra time played each way, and still level after two further five minute periods of extra time, the outcome is to be decided by a free-taking competition. This is intended to prevent games from going to a replay and allow the league finals to be held on the scheduled date.
Tie-breaker
  • If only two teams are level on league points, the team that won the head-to-head match is ranked ahead. If this game was a draw, score difference is used to rank the teams.
  • If three or more teams are level on league points, score difference is used to rank the teams.
Finals, promotions and relegations
Division 1
  • The top team in each group qualifies for the NHL final.
  • The bottom team in each group meet in a relegation play-off, with the losers being relegated to Division 2A
Division 2A
  • The top two teams meet in Division 2A final, with the winners being promoted to Division 1
  • The bottom team is relegated to Division 2B
Division 2B
  • The top two teams meet in Division 2B final, with the winners being promoted to Division 2A
  • The bottom two teams meet in a relegation play-off, with the losers being relegated to Division 3A
Division 3A
  • The top two teams meet in Division 3A final, with the winners being promoted to Division 2B
  • The bottom team is relegated to Division 3B
Division 3B
  • The top two teams meet in Division 3B final, with the winners being promoted to Division 3A

Division 1

Division 1 Format

The top twelve teams compete in Division 1 in two six-team groups of approximately equal strength based on their league performance in 2019. This group structure was introduced in 2020.
Each team play all the other teams in their group once. Two points are awarded for a win and one for a draw. The top team in each group qualifies for the league final. The last-placed team in each group plays in the relegation playoff with the losers being relegated to Division 2A.

Division 1 Group A

Division 1 Group A Rounds 1 to 5

Division 1 Group A Round 1
Division 1 Group A Round 2
Division 1 Group A Round 3
Division 1 Group A Round 4
Division 1 Group A Round 5

Division 1 Group B

Division 1 Group B Rounds 1 to 5

Division 1 Group B Round 1
Division 1 Group B Round 2
Division 1 Group B Round 3
Division 1 Group B Round 4
Division 1 Group B Round 5

Division 1 Final

This game was also the 2020 Munster quarter-final.

Division 1 relegation play-off

The bottom teams in the two Division 1 groups meet in a play-off with the losers being relegated to Division 2A.

Division 1 scoring statistics

;Top scorers overall
RankPlayerTeamTallyTotalMatchesAverage
1Tony KellyClare0-6868611.33
2Patrick HorganCork3-4958511.60
3Jason FordeTipperary1-444759.40
4Aaron GillaneLimerick1-404358.60
5Ross KingLaois0-414158.20
6Marty KavanaghCarlow1-353866.33
7Stephen BennettWaterford3-243356.60
8Alan MurphyKilkenny1-323557.00
9Killian DoyleWestmeath1-283147.75
10Paul MorrisWexford0-272755.40

;Top scorers in a single game
RankPlayerTeamTallyTotalOpposition
1Killian DoyleWestmeath1-1417Carlow
1Tony KellyClare0-1717Limerick
1Patrick HorganCork0-1717Limerick
4Patrick HorganCork2-0814Westmeath
4Stephen BennettWaterford2-0814Westmeath
4Jason FordeTipperary0-1414Westmeath
4Evan NilandGalway0-1414Tipperary
8Aaron GillaneLimerick0-1313Cork
9Patrick HorganCork1-0912Tipperary
9Ross KingLaois0-1212Carlow
9Joe CanningGalway0-1212Westmeath
9Tony KellyClare0-1212Carlow
9Tony KellyClare0-1212Wexford
9Tony KellyClare0-1212Dublin
9Aaron GillaneLimerick0-1212Clare

Division 2A

Division 2A scoring statistics

;Top scorers overall
RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalMatchesAverage
1Neil McManusAntrim3-445368.83
2Shane ConwayKerry1-4952510.40
2Pádraig O'HanrahanMeath1-4952510.40
3Eoghan CahillOffaly0-5050510.00
4Andy O'BrienWicklow2-414759.40
5Shane BolandMayo0-353557.00
6David NallyOffaly3-112054.00
7Jack ConwayKerry3-101953.80
8Liam LangtonOffaly0-181844.50
9James McNaughtenAntrim2-111762.83

;Top scorers in a single game
RankPlayerClubTallyTotalOpposition
1Shane ConwayKerry1-1417Antrim
1Eoghan CahillOffaly0-1717Wicklow
2Neil McManusAntrim1-1316Offaly
2Pádraig O'HanrahanMeath0-1616Wicklow
3Neil McManusAntrim2-0915Meath
4Pádraig O'HanrahanMeath1-1114Offaly
5Andy O'BrienWicklow1-0912Meath
5Andy O'BrienWicklow1-0912Offaly
5Liam LangtonOffaly0-1212Meath
5Eoghan CahillOffaly0-1212Mayo
5Shane ConwayKerry0-1212Wicklow
5Andy O'BrienWicklow0-1212Mayo