Cork in red for All-Ireland hurling semi-final as Galway change jerseys

Cork will be in their traditional red shirts for next Saturday week’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Galway, who be in a change kit.

Beginning with the 2022 quarter-final tie in Thurles, the counties entered into a new arrangement whereby each would take turns in wearing an alternative strip. Cork lost the toss on that occasion and played in white.

Galway launched a new blue jersey at the beginning of this year, but when colour-clashes arose during the championship – against Wexford in the Leinster SHC and Westmeath in the All-Ireland SFC – a reversal of their usual kit, white with maroon trim, was used.

In All-Ireland meetings in hurling and football during the 1950s, provincial colours were used: blue for Cork and white for Galway, but by the time of the 1973 All-Ireland football final, it was decided to toss a coin and Cork wore white jerseys as they claimed a first title in 28 years.

Thereafter, both counties were allowed to wear their primary shirts against each other, with Cork occasionally in black shorts or Galway in all-maroon to aid distinction on black-and-white televisions.

The 2017 All-Ireland minor hurling final saw both teams in usual kits but, by the time of the minor football decider two years later, the colours were deemed a clash and Galway wore white.

When the counties clashed in the All-Ireland U20 and minor finals within the space of four days in August 2021, it was decreed that each should change in one of those games – Cork won the U20 in white, though the players changed into red jerseys for the presentation of the trophy, while the minor team were in red as they beat a white-clad Galway – and the principle was applied at senior level the following year.

Cork’s win over Offaly in last Sunday’s quarter-final made it 12 games in a row without defeat against Leinster opposition across league and championship – dating back to a loss against Kilkenny in February 2024 – but they have a losing streak against Galway in the championship.

A 2008 All-Ireland qualifier in Thurles is Cork’s last win over the Tribesmen, with six defeats against them since then, in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2025, 2016 and the aforementioned clash in Thurles in 2022, when the Rebels shot 16 wides in a one-point loss.