Future of Irish Rugby

guapos

http://www.clontarfrugby.com/items_clontarf_dinner_speech_on_irish_rugby.php

rockman15

this speach/ manifesto makes sense. the logistics are something that should be worked on. having friends play in england their county system seems to be doing the job at schools level. "smaller then provinces but bigger then clubs/schools" is what one guy described it to me. it also gives the kids something to aim for. and the best of the "academies" as Mr. Walsh caled them could go onto provincial underage systems.

however, the thing he seems to be fogetting most is the fact most of these kids whether male or female are still in school. with the pressures of education, i cant see the kids nor the parents allowing them the time to train and play games at a high level and get into college aswell. it can be done but its is a very very very small minority that are capable of this.

i for one would strongly advocate a this type of system for youth development. keeping tabs on young kids, (14,15,16) getting them focused on a potential rugby career and out of nightclubs and drinking.

maybe a provincial underage system...literally through teenage years...U-13 -> U-18. get them in provincial jersies early on. whether its club or school you play for. this schools and youth system seems mad to me...dont know another sport that uses it, your either good enough or not, too many "good enough" players rotate them.

then again, we dont live in an ideal world do we!

Stev_o

rockman15 wrote: »

i for one would strongly advocate a this type of system for youth development. keeping tabs on young kids, (14,15,16) getting them focused on a potential rugby career and out of nightclubs and drinking.

maybe a provincial underage system...literally through teenage years...U-13 -> U-18. get them in provincial jersies early on. whether its club or school you play for. this schools and youth system seems mad to me...dont know another sport that uses it, your either good enough or not, too many "good enough" players rotate them.

then again, we dont live in an ideal world do we!

Provincial set up starts at U 17 and U 18 for youngsters as far as im aware for players coming through clubs. Before that you have your local development area eg West Midlands, Metro,East Midlands etc. I know many people who go through it and its the usual gym monkey stuff but rarely leads on. You have to go to trials for Leinster rather be specifically picked.

But regardless of our set up our downfall will always be that we have only 4 Provinces in which players can come through and thats not a huge production line when the likes of Wales are able to feed more through their professional teams

Pemba

Peter, I disagree about Eddie but thats irrelevant.

Your academy blueprint is excellent. Some day my son, some day!

Tim Robbins

Pemba wrote: »

Peter, I disagree about Eddie but thats irrelevant.

Your academy blueprint is excellent. Some day my son, some day!

I agree with one point in that article in that the way Leinster youth teams are treated by the branch is pretty poor.

The branch could easily help out and help organise the youth leagues and friendlies between schools and clubs, but they aren't really bothered. There's an auld boys inner core there that just want 16 - 20 private schools playing Rugby and keeping it that way.

They could easily allow players who go to Rugby schools play youths but they currently only allow this if the school gives the club a letter, which the school will rarely give.

Stev_o

Tim Robbins wrote: »

I agree with one point in that article in that the way Leinster youth teams are treated by the branch is pretty poor.

The branch could easily help out and help organise the youth leagues and friendlies between schools and clubs, but they aren't really bothered. There's an auld boys inner core there that just want 16 - 20 private schools playing Rugby and keeping it that way.

They could easily allow players who go to Rugby schools play youths but they currently only allow this if the school gives the club a letter, which the school will rarely give.

Id agree with this statement as iv experienced it first hand. If there is a school vs club match by god does it take some effort to organise the schools just dont want to play clubs at all which is a shame and thus we get a very snobbery image of the schools outlook on the clubs on terms of the quality when they really havent gotten a notion

thehighground

Tim Robbins wrote: »

I agree with one point in that article in that the way Leinster youth teams are treated by the branch is pretty poor.

The branch could easily help out and help organise the youth leagues and friendlies between schools and clubs, but they aren't really bothered. There's an auld boys inner core there that just want 16 - 20 private schools playing Rugby and keeping it that way.

They could easily allow players who go to Rugby schools play youths but they currently only allow this if the school gives the club a letter, which the school will rarely give.

So the schools are the problem, not the IRFU?

toomevara

How refreshing to read a genuinely measured, considered and well written piece on the reality of Irish rugby...as I've always said the fact that we are competitive and ranked among the major rugby nations is a minor miracle and we shouldn't loose sight of that..also great to see my old alma mater Nenagh CBS (that well known rugby conveyor belt...lol) getting a mention...

Sobering stuff but lots of food for thought in there.. RE; player dev and retention I hope to see Conor O'Shea back with the IRFU in a few years. His experience working as director of regional academies with the RFU will be invaluable.

Podge_irl

toomevara wrote: »

Sobering stuff but lots of food for thought in there.. RE; player dev and retention I hope to see Conor O'Shea back with the IRFU in a few years. His experience working as director of regional academies with the RFU will be invaluable.

He's working for the Olympic committee in England now isn't he? Or am I making that up?

Stev_o

Podge_irl wrote: »

He's working for the Olympic committee in England now isn't he? Or am I making that up?

No he is your dead right.

toomevara

Podge_irl wrote: »

He's working for the Olympic committee in England now isn't he? Or am I making that up?

He's joining the English Institute of Sport as National director next month...hope he'll wend his way back to Irish rugby as some point in the future.

Tim Robbins

thehighground wrote: »

So the schools are the problem, not the IRFU?

No the Leinster branch. They could easily give more support to the clubs but they just don't bother. It means that plenty of good players in the youths system go back to play G.A.A. / Soccer / Basketball etc.

In the Rugby schools they are made played Rugby so this isn't a problem. The clubs don't have this luxury.