DJ White: Portlaoise 'absolutely buzzing' ahead of Senior Hurling Championship return

Since being relegated by Abbeyleix in 2019, Portlaoise have been playing in the second-tier of Laois hurling. They finally sealed their spot back in the Senior Hurling Championship after they defeated Ballyfin in the 2023 Premier Intermediate final.

DJ White, who played for Portlaoise in that final against Ballyfin, was speaking at the launch of the Laois Shopping Centre Club Championships ahead of their first game against Castletown.

“All going well, we're absolutely buzzing, good numbers at training, good tough trainings at the minute and just raring to go now for the 20th against Castletown,” DJ said.

White feels it’s important that Portlaoise show from the start that they’re here to stay in the Senior grade as over the years Portlaoise would have always been a Senior club.

“It's absolutely massive, like you know yourself we've kind of been stuck at Premier Intermediate for the last while. Last time we got up, we went straight back down so it's just paramount now that we stay up. We need to keep building on what we've done last year and just keep trying to improve and bring Portlaoise hurling back to where it should be, where it's always been,” White said.

The 2024 Senior Hurling Championship will be played without the threat of relegation this year as they’ll bring the number of Senior teams from eight to 10. The two Premier Intermediate finalists will both be promoted and join the Senior ranks. The Portlaoise full-forward says his side can take inspiration from Abbeyleix after they reached the Senior final last year having only been promoted.

“You almost want to have a crack at it now as well, you don't want to just take it as a cushion that we've no relegation. You saw what Abbeyleix did last year and got to the final. There's no reason we can't do the same or even go one better again, it just all comes down to how much we put into it now in the next couple of weeks,” he said.

White gave a short update on Portlaoise’s injury situation but says that they’ve no major losses and that they’re expecting players to return as they go through the championship

“Just your usual knocks and niggles and everything that comes with hurling but nothing major. We're going to have boys keep coming back now as the rounds progress as well so it's all guns blazing now and we'll be ready for Castletown in the opener,” DJ ended.

Portlaoise and Castletown get their Senior Hurling campaigns underway on Saturday, July 20 from 7pm in the LOETB Centre of Excellence.