Déise delight as Waterford drawn against neighbours in All-Ireland Camogie semi-finals
Rockett's heroics fire Waterford into last four as fans urged to pack Nowlan Park for blockbuster semi-final clash
Waterford camogie fans are counting down the days after the Déise booked a massive All-Ireland senior semi-final date with neighbours Cork.
The draw was confirmed yesterday after Waterford powered past Clare in a thrilling quarter-final at Croke Park, thanks largely to an extraordinary performance from veteran star Niamh Rockett, who racked up a sensational 1-11 tally to drag her side from an early deficit.
Seventeen years after first pulling on the county jersey, Rockett's latest heroics kept alive her dream of claiming a rare camogie grand slam, having already won premier junior and intermediate titles earlier in her career.
Despite the final score of 2-20 to 2-10, Waterford were made to sweat, with Clare threatening an upset and goalkeeper Rachael Daly denying Waterford multiple first-half goals, including a penalty save from Beth Carton.
In the aftermath of the weekend's games, Camogie Association President Brian Molloy urged Déise fans to turn out in force for the semi-finals in Kilkenny.
"We are calling on all fans to turn out for the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Camogie Senior Championship Semi-Finals in UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday, July 26," he said.
"After fantastic support this weekend at Croke Park, let’s continue that energy in three weeks’ time for what is a mouth-watering double-header on Nore-side."
Waterford's semi-final clash against Cork promises to be a titanic tussle, with the Déise hoping to reach the final after coming close in recent seasons. The other semi-final will see Galway take on Tipperary.
Full fixture details, including throw-in times, will be announced in the coming days, but Déise fans will be able to catch all the semi-final action live on RTÉ 2.