Connacht Rugby treated like dirt by IRFU

tomombo

Connacht rae treated like muck by the IRFU tried to close us down and all. Could this be the year?

http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/2010/01/connacht-rugby-2010-pivotal-year/

thomond2006

tomombo wrote: »

Connacht rae treated like muck by the IRFU

Never heard that accusation before.

JDeegan

Tag chippy that piece.

"They have been unfortunate in the league thus far, putting in some impressive performances but failing to capitalise on possession"
- Who's fault is that?

thebossanova

I hope it is their year in the Challenge cup anyway!

As a Leinster fan I have never seen Connaught as a burden on Irish rugby. Quite the contrary, they are a necessity and give top fringe players game time in a pro-rugby environment that they would not get otherwise.

I understand the fans want their team to be seen as equal, and they are in a lot of respects, but the fact that all the other provinces have conveyor belts of locally trained talent means that Connaught are already a step behind the other Provinces(a few exceptions obv.) and to change this requires a ****load of investment at grassroots level which just won't happen unfortunately.

Trojan

I am so tempted to change the title of this thread to:

Connacht Rugby treated like dirt by Connacht Branch IRFU.

thomond2006

Trojan wrote: »

I am so tempted to change the title of this thread to:

Connacht Rugby treated like dirt by Michael Bradley.

Fixed.

Trojan

thomond2006 wrote: »

Fixed.

I smiled, but I honestly do believe it's a more institutionalised problem than the team coach. My suspicion is that the blazer wearers are the problem here. They should hire Michael O'Leary as President/CEO of the branch and see what he does with them.

Let's take some of the issues in the article:

The side is designated as a ‘development team’ by the IRFU, who actually tried to close them down altogether to save costs several years back.

I don't know the ins and outs of "development status" but I understand the business reasons behind trying to close them down, even if I vehemently disagree with them.

This essentially means that it receives half the budget of the three other provinces

WHAT? A perennial bottom finisher in the Magners League is getting a whopping 50% of the budget that 3 Heineken Cup winning teams are getting (each)... and...

and recruits largely youth players from the rest of Ireland,

.. their wage bills and expenses are *far* lower than the rest of the provincial sides.

But let's assign some blame here...

in part due to the low playing population of its area.

In this day and age of massively increased participation in the sport, there is only one place to lay the blame for low playing population, and that's Connacht Branch. Develop the game gawddamnit!

Due to funding inequalities, any local talent that does emerge is eventually recruited by the other provinces or teams abroad.

... providing them further funding to develop their facilities to the point where they can start to retain talent.

Sorry for ranting, but I actually do care about Connacht and wish they were being run better - there is fantastic potential there.

Borders no.2

In fairness Trojan the work being done in Connacht in developing the game over the past number of years has been brilliant and the game has increased massively in popularity and some of the young talent in the province is coming through and may make more of an impact when Bradley leaves.Connacht have more than held their own with the other proivnces at underage level.

I agree about the professional team not being run properly. I have said for years that we should appoint a CEO with a real business background e.g Padraig O Ceidigh who is given responsibility for turning Connacht around and given free rein to make the necessary decisions.

In fairness while the likes of Gerry Kelly is doing his best and getting in some reasonable sponsorship deals his hands are tied by the IRFU in relation to the big decisions and basic things such as the development of the clubhouse side of the sportsground has been painfully slow even allowing for the convoluted planning system in this country. If his hands aren't tied by the IRFU he doesn't see whats being happening in front of his eyes for the past number of years.

There needs to be someone in charge with a business head and who won't be blinded by personal loyalty however much they try not to be.

Trojan

I agree 100% there with you borders.

I think it's really telling that Connacht are holding their own at underage - they have even won the InterPro series recently (maybe several times). Back in my day that was unheard of - it was consistent losses to Leinster and Munster, and beating Ulster maybe 40-50% of the time.

I guess we'll see if a) a new coach comes in b) they win the HEC position and c) they get some more business oriented talent at the top. Maybe it's just a matter of time, but if there was any way to influence it, do it - write to the papers, get a realistic discussion going on GBFM etc, get those ideas into the heads of the right people.

And quit blaming everyone else

Podge_irl

Trojan wrote: »

WHAT? A perennial bottom finisher in the Magners League is getting a whopping 50% of the budget that 3 Heineken Cup winning teams are getting (each)... and...

.. their wage bills and expenses are *far* lower than the rest of the provincial sides.

This is where I start to get slightly confused when talk of Connacht's budget comes in. Connacht do indeed have mostly young, up and coming players who are on far less than the established internationals. However, the established internationals are on central contracts and not paid by the branch. Is this taken into account when people take about the respective budget? If not, then Connacht are supremely boned.

mink_man

thomond2006 wrote: »

Fixed.

are you serious? do you know anything about connacht rugby? consistency is the only thing that stops connacht from being a pretty good team. any team who can beat munster and leinster at home in the same season yet lose to lower league teams the next week is all down to consistency which connacht dont have.

anonymous_joe

mink_man wrote: »

are you serious? do you know anything about connacht rugby? consistency is the only thing that stops connacht from being a pretty good team. any team who can beat munster and leinster at home in the same season yet lose to lower league teams the next week is all down to consistency which connacht dont have.

In fairness, man, that's unfair. Connacht always play better against their rivals. That's not a coaching thing.

They and the Dragons have much lower budgets and smaller squads than their opponents. That's the real reason they struggle.

Trojan

anonymous_joe wrote: »

They and the Dragons have much lower budgets and smaller squads than their opponents. That's the real reason they struggle.

To juxtapose a quote from a blazered Connacht gentleman I met a few years back:

Connacht Branch Official wrote:

Connacht have much fewer bums on seats than our opponents. That's the real reason we struggle.

That must be addressed through smart business practices. Forget about the sport and approach it as a business for a bit.

Borders no.2 mentioned some of the problems facing them in that arena (forgive the pun) but the time for excuses is past - now it's time to start solving the business problems they face.

Teferi

Connacht Rugby is located in the Connacht region; one of the most peripheral regions — both physically and economically — of western Europe

The first part is blatantly obvious.

The second part smells more than a bit. It conjures images of downtown Beirut circa 1990.

je suis awesome

But it is, it is probably one of the most peripheral regions of Europe.

Cosmo Kramer

je suis awesome wrote: »

But it is, it is probably one of the most peripheral regions of Europe.

Geographically, yes

Economically, there will be many parts of Britain, Spain, Portugal and other countries that are more 'peripheral' than Connacht. The comment is a throwback to 20 years ago really, a stereotype that because its always wet and windy and pissing rain, the economy must be crap as well.

Amazotheamazing

Teferi wrote: »

The first part is blatantly obvious.

The second part smells more than a bit. It conjures images of downtown Beirut circa 1990.

I disagree, outside of Galway city, large parts of Connacht are economic backwaters. Places like Roscommon and Leitrim aren't economic powerhouses.

It's a huge problem in Connacht that the Connacht Branch don't give a damn about any supporter not living within a 20 minute drive of the Sportsground. How is a Connacht fan from Castlebar, Ballina or Sligo supposed to make a 6.30 kickoff in the ML on a Friday night? The Connacht Branch love to cry about the IRFU but imo, they do it only to hide the fact that they're doing a crap job even with the money they have.

cailinardthair

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

I disagree, outside of Galway city, large parts of Connacht are economic backwaters. Places like Roscommon and Leitrim aren't economic powerhouses.

It's a huge problem in Connacht that the Connacht Branch don't give a damn about any supporter not living within a 20 minute drive of the Sportsground. How is a Connacht fan from Castlebar, Ballina or Sligo supposed to make a 6.30 kickoff in the ML on a Friday night? The Connacht Branch love to cry about the IRFU but imo, they do it only to hide the fact that they're doing a crap job even with the money they have.

i have to disagree with you there! the reason that most of the connacht matches are on a friday is down to a contract with the sportsground for the dogs! there is nothing the irfu can actually do about it.

anonymous_joe

Trojan wrote: »

To juxtapose a quote from a blazered Connacht gentleman I met a few years back:



That must be addressed through smart business practices. Forget about the sport and approach it as a business for a bit.

Borders no.2 mentioned some of the problems facing them in that arena (forgive the pun) but the time for excuses is past - now it's time to start solving the business problems they face.

Well you're not wrong. But like, sport isn't fair. Some teams are bigger than others. Usually, (think Liverpool, United, Boca Juniors, Flamengo, Milan, Bayern, Real, I can go on) the best teams tend to be based in large wealthy cities. Toulouse have dominated French rugby. Conversely, small areas suffer. Someone has to be bottom of the pile, and while a team like Leinster or Ulster would have the most potential wealth and fans in the ML, Connacht and the Dragons would have the least potential in both fields...

Amazotheamazing

cailinardthair wrote: »

i have to disagree with you there! the reason that most of the connacht matches are on a friday is down to a contract with the sportsground for the dogs! there is nothing the irfu can actually do about it.

Of course they could change things, before this deal was made they used to play games on Saturdays and Sundays. The Connacht Branch gambled that the working folk of Galway city would come out on a Friday night for an evening of rugby and racing. They've been proved wrong, it's been a failure but they won't admit it. Basically the CB are saying **** off to any Connacht supporter not living in Galway city.

Course, in a larger sense, the IRFU should take advantage of the recession and buy land in Galway and build a proper stadium.

cailinardthair

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Course, in a larger sense, the IRFU should take advantage of the recession and buy land in Galway and build a proper stadium.

it would be nice if the upgraded the sportsground and have a proper stadium. it would give jobs to people that need it. and i love it if they had games on saturday and sunday. maybe when the contract ends they can sort it out!

tomombo

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

I disagree, outside of Galway city, large parts of Connacht are economic backwaters. Places like Roscommon and Leitrim aren't economic powerhouses.

It's a huge problem in Connacht that the Connacht Branch don't give a damn about any supporter not living within a 20 minute drive of the Sportsground. How is a Connacht fan from Castlebar, Ballina or Sligo supposed to make a 6.30 kickoff in the ML on a Friday night? The Connacht Branch love to cry about the IRFU but imo, they do it only to hide the fact that they're doing a crap job even with the money they have.

They are competing with Galway United who play their home matches on Fridays at 7.45, hence the earlier kickoff.

I agree though that the time should be later, it's right as rush hour ends.
The thing is, damn all people from Mayo or Leitrim would come to the matches at their is no rubgy tradition there, it's all gaa with may be a tiny bit of soccer. Rugby is a foreign sport! It will take years to instill that rugby philosophy, but isn't now the right time seeing the national and other provinces are going along well?

tomombo

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

Geographically, yes

Economically, there will be many parts of Britain, Spain, Portugal and other countries that are more 'peripheral' than Connacht. The comment is a throwback to 20 years ago really, a stereotype that because its always wet and windy and pissing rain, the economy must be crap as well.

I live here. The economy is crap, and was even before the session started

tomombo

Trojan wrote: »

I am so tempted to change the title of this thread to:

Connacht Rugby treated like dirt by Connacht Branch IRFU.

The Connacht Branch doesn't get the money in the first place

Size=everything

The idea of Connacht being underfunded just doesn't wash with me. They receive 50% of the funding that European Giants such as Leinster and Munster receive that should be perfectly adequate for a provincial team the size of Connacht considering Leinster and Munster would have substantially higher operating costs.

Where did this underfunded rumour orginate from?

tomombo

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/low/sports_talk/2654139.stm

The BBC public also appeared to agree at the time

je suis awesome

tomombo wrote: »

They are competing with Galway United who play their home matches on Fridays at 7.45, hence the earlier kickoff.

I agree though that the time should be later, it's right as rush hour ends.
The thing is, damn all people from Mayo or Leitrim would come to the matches at their is no rubgy tradition there, it's all gaa with may be a tiny bit of soccer. Rugby is a foreign sport! It will take years to instill that rugby philosophy, but isn't now the right time seeing the national and other provinces are going along well?

theres only a small overlap between galway and connaughts season and i think galway are going to saturday nights this season

Size=everything

tomombo wrote: »

Munster and Leinster are successful, and surly the fact they get double the funding to run their teams is one reason that they do so.

I don't think your quite grasping what I'm saying. Yes Munster and Leinster get double the funding but they also have double the operating costs. Connacht's lower operating costs are such that 50% of Leinster and Munsters funding should be sufficient to allow them to sign players. Which they do by the way. Connacht have NIQ signed players on high wages its not the IRFU's fault that Connacht wasted that money on poor signings however.

"The IRFU created this handicapped professional set-up. The attitude in Connacht is excellent, but financial assistance for recruitment and a constant supply of developing players from other provinces is simply not evident."

Simply not the case. Connacht have an abundance of NIQ players recruited on high wages along with players such as Cronin, Keatley, Fionn Carr supplied from other provinces.

_blank_

tomombo permanently banned

Trojan

After some consultation with the Rugby mods, I've cleaned up this thread and re-opened it as there was some interesting discussion going on earlier in the thread. Let's keep it constructive.

Hyperbullet

A quick question: How many players are currently on developement contracts from the Connacht clubs like Galwegians and Bucs? What efforts are being made to develop local talent? The youth setup proved last year that they can compete, the u-18s won the interpro. So why waste so much money on journeymen when it could be better spent on nurturing the talent that is there locally?