GAA World Cup

Thatsfootball

Just an idea I read about a while back. Some managers (Micky Harte I think) were speaking about the potential of staging a World Cup of GAA in the future.
Personally I feel this idea has great potential. Obviously this is many years down the line yet, but do you feel the GAA should be focusing on developing this idea from now on?
Think about it: Ireland, Australia, USA (maybe 2 teams), Canada, Britain, Iberia, Parts of Asia too, could all field teams in the future.
One idea that surely has great potential, while still keeping the amateur ethos and being a serious global promotion of GAA.
Might sound a bit daft, but I'm sure the first soccer World Cup did too and look where they are now!
Comments anyone?

http://www.joe.ie/gaa/gaa-news/screw-you-sepp-were-setting-up-a-gaa-world-cup-0017663-1

Lapin

Spain will hammer us.

Hammer Archer

Not a daft idea to be honest. There's an Aussie Rules world cup (of sorts) held in Australia every three years. Though you would have to make it so that Irish emigrants who aren't citizens of the countries they're living in could not compete. Also, I'd doubt it if allowing an Irish team compete would be worthwhile. Australia don't compete in the Aussie Rules championship.

Roger Sterling

Well if we can't win that one...

fiddler09

Thatsfootball wrote: »

Just an idea I read about a while back. Some managers (Micky Harte I think) were speaking about the potential of staging a World Cup of GAA in the future.
Personally I feel this idea has great potential. Obviously this is many years down the line yet, but do you feel the GAA should be focusing on developing this idea from now on?
Think about it: Ireland, Australia, USA (maybe 2 teams), Canada, Britain, Iberia, Parts of Asia too, could all field teams in the future.
One idea that surely has great potential, while still keeping the amateur ethos and being a serious global promotion of GAA.
Might sound a bit daft, but I'm sure the first soccer World Cup did too and look where they are now!
Comments anyone?

http://www.joe.ie/gaa/gaa-news/screw-you-sepp-were-setting-up-a-gaa-world-cup-0017663-1

It's a fine idea; however, the amateur ethos is far from reality in GAA circles in the USA. The incentives (I wont go so far as to call it a salary) that are being used to lure GAA players at some of the bigger clubs are pretty impressive!

Syferus

Insane idea. It's like building the church before you have a congregation. The game simply isn't at a standard to support a world cup, just look at how New York, by far and away the strongest team outside of the UK and the hammerings individual counties hand them on a regular basis.

We'd have no place in our own world cup.

It's a well-meaning idea but I don't think you're grasping how threadbare and marginal most international territories are - you'd just be getting a bunch of expats, most of whom wouldn't even be fit enough for junior club level here, in international jerseys. That's no advertisement for our game, if anything it would make a mockery of the sport.

Put the money into improving the interest in important territories, not in costly big gestures.

Hammer Archer

Syferus wrote: »

Insane idea. It's like building the church before you have a congregation. The game simply isn't at a standard to support a world cup, just look at how New York, by far and away the strongest team outside of the UK and the hammerings individual counties hand them on a regular basis.

We'd have no place in our own world cup.

It's a well-meaning idea but I don't think you're grasping how threadbare and marginal most international territories are - you'd just be getting a bunch of expats, most of whom wouldn't even be fit enough for junior club level here, in international jerseys. That's no advertisement for our game, if anything it would make a mockery of the sport.

Put the money into improving the interest in important territories, not in costly big gestures.

I don't think you could call it an insane idea. I point you to the Aussie Rules International Cup. Last years competition (according to wikipedia) brought 18 teams from Nauru to Ireland to East Timor to South Africa and no Australian emigrants were allowed compete for these nations. Also, Australia don't compete in it.
I think a World Cup similar to this where only natives of the competing countries could play, as well as having no Irish team, would definitely be feasible. Yes the quality of the games wouldn't be spectacular but it's the same with the Aussie Rules tournament. There are GAA communities in the UK (obviously), Netherlands, Belgium, France, USA, Canada, Argentina, Middle East, Asia etc.
Now I do think that they would have to try and get more "natives" of these counties playing the game before it would be worthwhile, but I think the prospect of having the chance to represent your country would be a tempting one for any of those thinking of playing GAA.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Apart from expats I presume the number of indigenous players in foreign countries is very low. The game never took off and got world wide recognition like Aussie Rules did.

Spiderpig92

would it not be better for ireland to be split into the 4 provinces and then face the other countries??? would it not be too easy for an irish team???

ArmaniJeanss

Thatsfootball wrote: »

One idea that surely has great potential, while still keeping the amateur ethos and being a serious global promotion of GAA.

Highly unlikely Croke Park and amateurism (in particular) would be able to keep control if such a competition actually worked in a meaningful way.

Much like the way England 'the home of soccer' lost control of the game in the first decade of the 20th century.

Justin10

We cant even get a good crowd at the inter pros, or decent interest in the compromised rules series.