Nicky Rackard Cup
| Country |
 Ireland (8 teams) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005–present |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Christy Ring Cup |
| Relegation to | Lory Meagher Cup |
| Current champions |
Mayo (2016) |
| Most championships |
London Roscommon Armagh(2) |
| TV partners | TG4 (Final only) |
| Website | Official GAA site |
 2016 Nicky Rackard Cup
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The Nicky Rackard Cup (often referred to as the Rackard Cup) is the third-highest senior inter-county championship overall in hurling. Each year, the champion team in the Nicky Rackard Cup is promoted to the Christy Ring Cup, and the lowest finishing team enters a play-off with possible relegation to the Lory Meagher Cup.
The Nicky Rackard Cup, which was introduced for the 2005 season, was the latest initiative in providing a meaningful championship for third tier teams deemed "too weak" for any higher grades.
The winners of the championship receive the Nicky Rackard Cup, named after former Wexford hurler Nicky Rackard regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of all time.
In the 2015 season, Roscommon were the Nicky Rackard Cup champions, Armagh were the runners up, and louth were relegated.
In 2003 the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) was charged with restructuring the entire hurling championship. The committee was composed of chairman Pat Dunny (Kildare), Liam Griffin (Wexford), P. J. O'Grady (Limerick), Ger Loughnane (Clare), Cyril Farrell (Galway), Jimmy O'Reilly (Down), Willie Ring (Cork), Pat Daly (GAA Games Development Officer) and Nicky English (Tipperary). Over the course of three months they held discussions with managers, players and officials, while also taking a submission from the Gaelic Players Association. The basic tenet of the proposals was to structure the hurling championship into three tiers in accordance with 2004 National Hurling League status. The top tier was confined to 12 teams, while the next twenty teams would contest the second and third tiers which were to be known respectively as the Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup. There would also be promotion-relegation play-offs between the three championship tiers. The HDC also suggested that these games would be played as curtain raisers to All-Ireland quarter-finals and semi-finals.
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