Championship battles waged on and off the pitch

RTÉ Sport is going toe to toe with Sky TV in a high definition contest that will be a big boost for viewers – and the GAA too

The GAA championship kicks into gear today and Mayo and Dublin will be leading contenders for to lift the Sam Maguire in September

When the ball is thrown in between Cork and Tipperary in Semple Stadium this afternoon, it will mark the start of the GAA championship season and the first pull of a five-year media rights deal pitching RTÉ Sport against its Sky rivals.

This weekend, The Sunday Game holds sway, and it will be the first marquee game of the 31 live matches to be broadcast to the strains of the familiar theme music ...