National Anthem at rugby matches

There has been some debate on the national air waves about the fact that Amhran na bhFiann is not played before Ireland's matches at the World Cup. Some people are mystified as to why this is so.

I suspect this is largely because the rapid growth in popularity of the game given Ireland's strong performances of late (well up until very recently anyway) has seen a surge in popularity of the game outside of its traditional supporter base. The new supporters may not know the history leading up to this point.

A brief history of pre match protocol.

When the political upheavals of 80 years ago split this island, the Irish rugby team remained as an all island representative body. For at least 60-70 years, the bulk of players from the south have been from the Catholic/Nationalist tradition, whereas the vast majority of players from the north have been from the Unionist tradition.

From about the late 1920s up until the 1950s, the deal was that Amhran na bhFiann was played before home matches in Lansdowne Road, God Save the King/Queen was played at Ravenhill and nothing was played when the team played abroad.

We stopped playing international matches at Ravenhill in the 1950s. From then until the mid 1990s, only Amhran na bhFiann was played before home matches in Dublin; the visitors' anthem was never played. When Ireland played abroad, only the home anthem was played.

With the emergence of the World Cup and neutral venues, a compromise was reached and Phil Coulter was commissioned to write a rugby anthem. He came up with Ireland's Call.

Now that is the only anthem played when Ireland play outside of the republic. At home matches both anthems are played.

The reason for the compromise is out of sensitivity for the northerners who are mainly of a unionist persuasion. Some would say (and I would be one of them) that the policy of the union to be sensitive to both sides and not to make an issue out of things of secondary importance to playing matches has helped to keep an all Ireland team alive and well and supported by both sides.

But is it time to insist that an Irish team should assert itself through the Irish anthem alone and drop all pretence at "two nations" theory?

Pick your best option from the poll and tell us why.