THE GAA is to discuss clarification of the rules governing the use of club property at next month’s meeting of its management committee. It is however not likely there will be any significant relaxation of the rule which prohibits club grounds being used for sports other than Gaelic games.

The issue has been in the news with the controversy over Nemo Rangers allowing the Ireland rugby team train at its Trabeg sports centre in February when the cold weather rendered the pitches originally booked unplayable.

The Cork club has escaped with a reprimand over the episode and a reminder that Rule 5.1 prohibits grounds (apart from Croke Park) controlled by the GAA from being used for field games other those sanctioned by Central Council.

There have been complaints that whereas the GAA is content to make money from letting Croke Park for rugby and soccer, clubs are prohibited from earning revenue from similar use of their grounds. But that is the unequivocal position of the rule book.

Congress decided in 2005 to allow Croke Park to be used for rugby and soccer internationals while Lansdowne Road was being developed. Last month’s congress decided to give Central Council the power to let the ground in future if the opportunity arose.

But GAA president Christy Cooney emphasised at the time this relaxation was only in relation to Croke Park and didn’t extend to other units. In the wake of the Nemo incident the GAA asked the club to explain on what basis they had allowed a rugby team to use their facilities.

Whereas the argument had been made initially that the club’s playing fields and general sports facilities were different with the latter, separately titled Trabeg, being a commercial concern as well a training facility, Nemo did not pursue that argument in their response to Croke Park.

According to GAA director general Páraic Duffy yesterday, the club said it had been unaware of the identity of the group making the booking. “Under current rules it’s hard to say they’re allowed let out their facilities to other sports. Certainly that argument was never made. Nemo said the booking had been taken in error that morning for the afternoon and they didn’t realise what had happened until the IRFU party arrived at the Trabeg Centre. We accepted that and asked them in future to be aware of what the rules say in these situations.”

But the confusion created by the episode and the anecdotal evidence that other similar facilities have been used by panels in rugby and soccer have prompted the GAA to issue guidelines on the matter, particularly in light of one of the original arguments that facilities like Trabeg, operating on a commercial basis, can be treated differently under rule than playing pitches.

“We’ve been looking at clarifying the rule,” says Duffy, “and the distinction between playing grounds and gym facilities may arise, but the problem is if you go down that road the next step is the letting of grounds for other sports’ fixtures and I would have to say I don’t think there would be a view at present that clubs should be opened up in that way. I think we’re miles away from getting support for that sort of change.”

The difficulty in drawing the line arises from the fact many clubs have built sports centres, which rely on a broader usage than can be provided by exclusively GAA members to maintain revenues. There’s not much that can be done to prevent individual players of other sports using these facilities and it would also be commonplace for informal groups of individuals to use all-weather club pitches for five-a-side soccer.

Duffy says it is hoped all of these matters will be addressed at the next management committee meeting in the middle of next month. “The position in relation to individuals leaves more room for manoeuvre and we are drafting guidelines for the next meeting of the management committee.” He also points out comparatively few GAA units have sufficiently extensive training facilities to attract major business from other sports.

“Facilities have been developed but there are very few places that have full-size 3G pitches.”

It is also expected the review will address the situation that arose in the Galbally club in Tyrone last year when a hunger strike commemoration rally took place in the club grounds, also in contravention of rules.