Preconceptions

Doc

Just wondering about people’s perception about people who play rugby.
What would your preconceptions of a guy be if all you knew about them is that they played rugby?
I’m particularly interested in the views of people who have never played rugby.

Johnny Versace

I would have no problem whatsoever. As long as he wasn't a dumb rich boy, no problem whatsoever.

Dr. Loon

I have two friends that played rugby, but aside from them, any other rugby player I've ever met has been a complete twat. Rich D4 boy or not... they also have homosexual tendencies like drinking beer out of each others árse cracks and stuff like that!

Rugger bugger is the word.

Doc

Originally posted by Johnny Versace
As long as he wasn't a dumb rich boy

Originally posted by Dr. Loon
Rugger bugger is the word

This is kind of what i thaught people would say unfortunately

The_Goose

I ve no problem with rugby player's at all, it's like saying you've a problem with tennis player's! Its not the sport they play it's the people they are!!!!:rolleyes:

lodgepole

I went to a rugby playing school in Dublin and of all the rugby players (at senior cup level) there were probably only one or two that weren't in some way decent people. It's easy to pigeon hole private school rugby playing young men, especially in light of recent events, but like most cases of generalisation, it's a load of arse.

Johnny Versace

Originally posted by Doc
This is kind of what i thaught people would say unfortunately

Hey don't forget about the bit where I said...

I would have no problem whatsoever

There is nothing wrong with Rugby, playing Rugby etc.

DUMB rich kids can be anoying though (I grew up in Blackrock...)

Doc

Well you did associate dumb rich kids with playing rugby. I'm sure its not the only sport dumb rich people play.

ShriekingSheet

I find the common perception of the dumb rich rugby playing twat to be a stereotype that holds alot of truth


seamus shud have some insight into this one way or the other

tomED

Personally.....

Most rugby players whom I have come in contact with have been the silver spoon type.

But as far as rugby the sport goes, I don't think you need MUCH talent to be a rugby player (yes of course some talent is needed).

I think it's a "well off" families way of getting their kids into a sport that they can play and win things in, without being very talented or sporty!

The perception of people who play rugby is like some of the comments above for a few simple reasons. In particular, not a lot of people have access to the sport. By that I mean, its very easy to go join a local football or gaelic team, but finding a local rugby club is difficult.

I would imagine that most of the professional rugby players out there come from a rugby playing school.....

uberwolf

It is a minority sport. But only in Dublin is it the rich boy sport, AFAIK in munster its just a sport.

for generations schools had to choose between GAA and rugby because of rule 21 in the GAA rules. So tradition has been built that the rich (protestant) schools played it. Then other well to do schools (in Dublin principally) would have followed suit because of the social side of things.

As for the players having gone to Terenure College myself, whatever, the sport has nothing to do with who they are.

Are all soccer players from under privileged areas? are all GAA players mucksavages?

KlodaX

I'm not getting this dumb rich kid sport ... maybe its cause I'm not from Dublin.

DUMB rich kids can be anoying though (I grew up in Blackrock...)

does this mean you are an INTELLIGENT rich kid?

Anyone I ever knew to play ruby was good craic. A mans man normally... one of the lads.

seamus

Originally posted by ShriekingSheet
seamus shud have some insight into this one way or the other

Don't be dragging me into these things.

The attitude of rugby players has more to do with the school they went to, then the game itself.
I went to Terenure. And that place is all about rugby. The players get time off and benefits, usually to the detriment of their LC, and minor rule infringments (like turning up 3 classes late) were often overlooked, so long as they were training hard. This breeds a particularly obnoxious type of rugby player, who despite being a) Dumb and b) a ponce, is loved by the teachers and idolised by the rest of the sheep because they play rugby. I found that in any one year, maybe 2, at most, of the SCT were remotely not arseholes.
Other schools, CUS being a good example, don't put such an emphasis on rugby. CUS doesn't have a rugby pitch on their grounds. Students who play rugby are still just students. I knew 6 people on their SCT team when I was in sixth year, of whom one was remotely unlikeable. The rest were fairly nice guys.

And CUS and Terenure would be on a par in terms of cost and wealth of parents.

Hate the player...not the game

Doc

tomED have you ever played the sport or tried to find a club near you?

I personally think your assessment of the sport in terms of talent is way off. If you want to be a successful rugby player you need a lot of talent.
The only thing I can think of that might somewhat validate your point is that rugby requires vastly different types of skills for the different positions and so most people can find a position that they can play in. However this dose not mean that they will ever play for a good team or have any success.

By the way I was born in Limerick where it is a very popular sport and it is only Dublin in Ireland where people associated with the rich.

Doc

Originally posted by seamus
Other schools, CUS being a good example, don't put such an emphasis on rugby. CUS doesn't have a rugby pitch on their grounds. Students who play rugby are still just students. I knew 6 people on their SCT team when I was in sixth year, of whom one was remotely unlikeable. The rest were fairly nice guys.

I went to CUS (back in the day:rolleyes:) what year are you talking about?

tomED

Originally posted by Doc
tomED have you ever played the sport or tried to find a club near you?

Yes - my school wasn't a Rugby playing school, but I did eventually get them to have a team, but unfortunately it only lasted one year because of lack of interest.

There was a rugby club near me, but I wasn't interested in playing it at the weekend as it would have interfered with my soccer

My point was really that people who want to play the sport would find it hard to find a club near them. Maybe this is just a dublin thing. I can't comment on that.

I personally think your assessment of the sport in terms of talent is way off. If you want to be a successful rugby player you need a lot of talent.

I knew you would - being a rugby player yourself.
I agree that you need some sort of talent to be good at rugby (every sport requires some level of talent), but when I say talented I mean natural talent.
Anyone that is half decent at sport could be a good rugby player. IMO!

The only thing I can think of that might somewhat validate your point is that rugby requires vastly different types of skills for the different positions and so most people can find a position that they can play in. However this dose not mean that they will ever play for a good team or have any success.

Yes I agree with you that it doesn't mean they'll suceed, but my point is different. AS per above - I believe if you are anyway decently sporty minded and you have the drive to succeed, you could do it in rugby. I don't know if I'm making myself clear here... im much better explaing this over a pint lol

By the way I was born in Limerick where it is a very popular sport and it is only Dublin in Ireland where people associated with the rich.

Well as per above again, i can't really comment on outside Dublin, cause i dont know, but the above perceptions are from a dubs point of view definitely!

tom

Tusky

Its actually a great sport , I played it for a bit and loved it but I had to quit as I really didnt get on with many of the guys on the team , they are the kinda people that think farting is funny....over and over again....

ShriekingSheet

Originally posted by seamus
Don't be dragging me into these things.

sorry

Crash

Originally posted by ShriekingSheet
sorry

Hey seamus, start talking bout lanky footballers next will we?

hey connor

ykt0di9url7bc3

most of what seamus has said can apply to some of the hurling colleges...

again..everyone is different so you cant generalise the people that play a sport like rugby

Kalina

One of my best mates played rugby through secondary school and college, he even played for Leinster. He's the opposite of the silver spoon variety, never met a more hard-working normal guy!
I like rugby players in general... nice legs usually!!

seamus

Originally posted by crash_000
Hey seamus, start talking bout lanky footballers next will we?

Damn golfie types. Completely up their own arses

Dave

Seems like doc has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Do you really care what people think of people who play rugby? And are you saying that no one who plays the sport comes with a silver spoon in their mouth. You seem to shoot down anyone who even remotely mentions it.

Lump

I played rugby, and I'm not rich, dumb or gay.


that is all.


John

TheSonOfBattles

Originally posted by uberwolf
It is a minority sport. But only in Dublin is it the rich boy sport, AFAIK in munster its just a sport.

I'm from Waterford and there was at least one rugby club within 20 mins cycle of where I lived that was fairly active, and popular with people in the area.

I've never ever associated rugby with dumb, rich kids, or dumb kids, or rich kids of any kind for that matter. Rugby was just another sport I had no interest in since i'm not into normal sports meself at all.

I've had a few friends who've been into rugby, and all of them were sound people that I got on well with. One of me best friends at the moment is into rugby and he's not obnoxious at all or any of the things ye all seem to associate rugby people with being.

What I do think when I hear someone I've never meet/seen plays rugby, is that they're prolly pretty bulkily built, sport minded and socialally active people, and I've never had that disproved in any major way that I can think of.

SheroN

It's only in dublin where rugby has the ****head element attached to it. "down the country" it's just like any other sport.

Doc

Originally posted by Dave
Seems like doc has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Do you really care what people think of people who play rugby? And are you saying that no one who plays the sport comes with a silver spoon in their mouth. You seem to shoot down anyone who even remotely mentions it.

Well as I play rugby myself yes I do care what people think of people who play. Why shouldn’t I?
Isn’t the point of these boards to ask questions and get responses?
I wanted to see if all someone knew about a person was that they played rugby what type of person they’d think they were. Since the recent court case rugby players have gotten a very bad press also I had noticed that someone had posted up a tread asking if you would rather be stuck on an island with a complete scumbag skanger or a posh rugby playing D4 daddy’s boy type. So I posted the tread to see the preconceptions if any people on here had about rugby players.
In relation to shooting people down about players “with a silver spoon in their mouth.” I never said that no one who plays is rich and I don’t think I really shot people down mealy
tried to put my point of view across which I thought was the point of having a discussion about somting.

Dave

Seems a little insecure that you care what people you're never going to meet think. Oh and at the start of this thread johnny versace said that "I would have no problem whatsoever, As long as he wasn't a dumb rich boy, no problem whatsoever." to which you replied "This is kind of what i thaught people would say unfortunately." So you have a problem with people not having a problem?

Doc

Originally posted by Dave
Seems a little insecure that you care what people you're never going to meet think.

I don’t see why my wanting to know the perception of the sport I play is an indication of my insecurity but if you think so fair enough.

Originally posted by Dave
. Oh and at the start of this thread johnny versace said that "I would have no problem whatsoever, As long as he wasn't a dumb rich boy, no problem whatsoever." to which you replied "This is kind of what i thaught people would say unfortunately." So you have a problem with people not having a problem?

My point in my reply to Johnny Versace’s post was that he felt the need to say “As long as he wasn't a dumb rich boy”, if he had said as long as he wasn’t annoying or something then fine but only knowing what I had said about the person playing rugby his worry would be that the guy was a dumb rich boy.

Now he did reply to my reply to him himself and I in turn posted this
“Well you did associate dumb rich kids with playing rugby. I'm sure its not the only sport dumb rich people play.”
And as he did not reply back I assume he understood what I meant.

Dave

Originally posted by Doc
I don’t see why my wanting to know the perception of the sport I play is an indication of my insecurity but if you think so fair enough.

It's just the fact that you get so defencive if anyone even remotely mentions anything which can be interpreted as offensive to rugby players despite their own personal experiences.

Being from Limerick and having gone to a rugby playing secondary school, I don't see rugby as being any different a sport as hurling football etc. With each sport, as with all walks of life, having their fair share of muppets.

Monty - the one and only

moved...

tomED

Can I ask why was this thread was moved?

This thread is more about people's thoughts on stereotypin of rugby players and different classes of society.

The mention of Rugby doesn't mean that this is about sport - It's not about sport at all.......

Just my opinion anyway.............

Dave

I have to say I'm with tomED here. The topic has nothing to do with the sport, more to do with societies perception. If every topic was handled this literally then they'd be hardly any threads on after hours.

Doc

This is probably the worst place for this tread to be moved to as no one but rugby enthusiasts will look in here.

Trojan

Sorry Shane, but the Rugby board is an inappropriate place for this thread - it's not discussing the sport, but society. I personally think AH is the correct place for this.

Cheers,
Al.

Trojan

My opinion? I'm a rugby player who played down the country originally. I'm now back in Dublin, and have recently started playing again.

I think that particularly in Dublin there's a negative image associated with guys who play rugby here. And it's not necessarily untrue either - there are guys out there like Ross O'Carol-Kelly (surprised noone mentioned him yet). I find that disturbing, and don't like to be associated with that aspect of rugby.

Al.

Amz

If you're talking about preconceptions about Rugby players I've recently started playing rugby and when you tell people (mainly girls) their initial reaction is "Oh my god I never thought you'd play rugby" this then moves to a sort of admiration "I'd love to play it but I'd be too scared" and then onto the whole I wonder if she's gay thing as lots of people have this stereotypical vision of the butch dyke, rugby playing, beer swilling, man hating player.

I dunno how guys feel about women rugby players (most seem to find it laughable...) *shrug*

I don't care what people think really I enjoy it and it's keeping me fit.

Macseamusa

i went to a rugby school, and i played rugby for a while, but i hated it( playing that is, i dont mind watching it). I found that most of them were all ' yeah my daddy bought me a new merc, only a one litre engine tho, lets get pissed and fight and smash somthing with our heads' I thought that they might change over the years but they didnt. There were only about 3 of them(60 ish) that werent like that. i'd call them jocks, but i wudnt call the 3, jocks cos they werent ...well, jocks. there are probably a lot of ppl like that but are just hard to pick out from the rest of the jocks. I have no problem with women playing rugby, fair play to u amz and to any other women who play rugby. are there many female teams?

Emboss

I'm sure something simillar has been mentioned all ready, I can't see what a sport has to do with ones personality, I do joke about rugby players being all the things said on the thread as much as someone would joke about me being from Tallaght.

Arseholes are everywhere it doesn't matter what school you go to what college you go to where you work or what sport you play Arseholes are everywhere.

maybe private/rugy schools have slightly more? maybe they're brought up differently? money changes _everyone_ imo and alot of kids that go to these schools their parents have vast amounts of it some are just normal joe's

all this leads to different lifestyles, ways of thinking and different ways of behaving.
they're just different types of people but you get this everywhere

When I was alot younger I worked in the terenure rugby school as a barman....

I was a bit shell shocked to be fair at some of the attitudes of people who came in some were really f*cking obnoxious players and fans.

But I don't think it had anything to do with Rugby. Just born arseholes.

Some were very pleasant nice genuine people.

Agent Smith

Originally posted by SheroN
It's only in dublin where rugby has the ****head element attached to it. "down the country" it's just like any other sport.

it's true

it's an great sport to watch, but the girl in my year (6th john scottus school) are totally obsessed with the rugger bugger's and that what pissed me off about it...



(agent smith needs loving too!)

TheSonOfBattles

Originally posted by Emboss
Arseholes are everywhere it doesn't matter what school you go to what college you go to where you work or what sport you play Arseholes are everywhere.

Everyone's an arsehole in someone's eyes.

blondie83

Originally posted by agent smith
it's true

it's an great sport to watch, but the girl in my year (6th john scottus school) are totally obsessed with the rugger bugger's and that what pissed me off about it...



(agent smith needs loving too!)

Smith I went to Teresians, and I can tell you the girls there weren't into the whole rugger bugger thing, they were more into guys that made them laugh. So get on down there!:D