The 2009 Setanta Sports Cup will be officially launched on Thursday, June 25.

This year will see the competition expanded from eight to nine teams with defending champions Cork City allowed to attempt to retain the trophy they earned when beating Glentoran in last year’s final.

Cork will be joined in the competition by League of Ireland Premier Division rivals Bohemians, Derry City and St Patrick’s Athletic, while Sligo Rovers will make their Setanta Sports Cup debut. The IFA Premier League will be represented by last year’s runners-up Glentoran, former winners Linfield, Cliftonville and a second team of debutants Coleraine.

This year’s competition sees three groups of three and for the first time some of the season’s games will be played on weekends, with the tournament getting underway on the last week of August and running until May 2010.

The launch will take place at Farmleigh House, Dublin, with Irish President Mary McAleese hosting a reception at Áras an Uachtaráin beforehand.