How do YOU get tickets for Ireland games?

CatFromHue

I'm not talking about you relating to the general public I'm talking about you the person reading this post.

When I was in school I used to go to he Ireland games and obviously I was in the school boy stand. I could get tickets for any game then and I could even get tickets for other places in Lansdowne, this is the mid to late 90's here. If my memory is right tickets for the North and South Stand for games were £20 or so and the tickets for the East and West Stands were much more.

When I left school I could apply to get tickets through my club. There was always a big queue and in the end I never got tickets through the club.

The only time I've been to an Ireland game since was a friends friend had two spare tickets to Ireland v Wales in Croker in 2010 and they were about 50 or 55 euro to stand in Hill 16 i.e. ****e tickets.

So how does anyone here who goes to Ireland games get tickets? Though your club? Via the Supporters club? You hop over the back wall after hiding up a tree by the Dodder all night?

The reason I ask is that Quinlan and Thornley were referring to "Ticketmaster" fans last night on Off The Ball but I didn't think many or any tickets for Ireland v England/France were on sale via Ticketmaster. They were also mentioning that the IRFU were pricing the tickets out of reach of "ordinary" fans but £20 in 97 wouldn't be far off 35-40 euro (a pint was about £2.50 then and a bag of chips £1 or £1.30) now and the East and West stand tickets were £40-£50 I think so you can do the maths on that one. So in my mind it's always been expensive to go to Ireland games.

awec

CatFromHue wrote: »

I'm not talking about you relating to the general public I'm talking about you the person reading this post.

When I was in school I used to go to he Ireland games and obviously I was in the school boy stand. I could get tickets for any game then and I could even get tickets for other places in Lansdowne, this is the mid to late 90's here. If my memory is right tickets for the North and South Stand for games were £20 or so and the tickets for the East and West Stands were much more.

When I left school I could apply to get tickets through my club. There was always a big queue and in the end I never got tickets through the club.

The only time I've been to an Ireland game since was a friends friend had two spare tickets to Ireland v Wales in Croker in 2010 and they were about 50 or 55 euro to stand in Hill 16 i.e. ****e tickets.

So how does anyone here who goes to Ireland games get tickets? Though your club? Via the Supporters club? You hop over the back wall after hiding up a tree by the Dodder all night?

The reason I ask is that Quinlan and Thornley were referring to "Ticketmaster" fans last night on Off The Ball but I didn't think many or any tickets for Ireland v England/France were on sale via Ticketmaster. They were also mentioning that the IRFU were pricing the tickets out of reach of "ordinary" fans but £20 in 97 wouldn't be far off 35-40 euro (a pint was about £2.50 then and a bag of chips £1 or £1.30) now and the East and West stand tickets were £40-£50 I think so you can do the maths on that one. So in my mind it's always been expensive to go to Ireland games.

Ireland v Wales in 2010 was also the last game I was at. I was also on Hill 16.

Since the move back to the 50,000 seater Aviva my chance of a ticket for a 6N game has been nil.

You can get them on Ticketmaster for the AI's usually.

irishbucsfan

I have a 10 year ticket but before that it was through whatever club I was playing for and before that it was school.

JustinDee

The "ticketmaster fans" moniker is in reference to what some fella from Clonmel RFC said in a comment on that piece. Personally I'd find it insulting if I took his aloof name-calling to heart. It seems that some folk have such a superiority complex over others attending games that they subscribe to the delusion that they're somehow more deserving to be at that game than others. What they appear to want is a closed shop. Either that or some form of entrance exam, which given some of the depressingly low knowledge of the game's laws I witness on the sidelines at club matches of all levels would be nothing but ironic and/or hypocritical.

I was a member of a club until my last year of McCorry Cup in 1989. I then left the country and had no access to tickets save for some school contacts, if I was lucky. Club's allocation went to highest bidder outside if not to a chosen clique within.

I know people who are new to the game and they are as deserving as the club member I'm speaking of. My own mother is new to the sport and is basically rugby loopy now. Corporate ticket jaunters and general public have always been at internationals. They are who clubs sell their allocations to when not flogging them at a premium to visiting supporters.

My two cents anyway. My own view.

Edit: ticket prices started at €25 for the England and France games.

mfceiling

awec wrote: »

Ireland v Wales in 2010 was also the last game I was at. I was also on Hill 16.

Since the move back to the 50,000 seater Aviva my chance of a ticket for a 6N game has been nil.

You can get them on Ticketmaster for the AI's usually.

Same...i was at the ireland v wales 2010.

Probably could get tickets for the aviva if i wanted to but with the debacle of the ticket pricing i've decided not to bother. I really don't think any ticket for any 6 nations game should be more than €50 tbh...

opinionatedfan

frankly i don't, last game i went to was in the old landsdowne versus SA.

can't afford it anymore.

KERSPLAT!

I was at the Argentina match. Seats were pretty sh!tty but got the pair for free so happy out That was my only international match so not sure how I'd go about it for the next one

danthefan

I don't. I might do again when Kidney is gone and I might leave the stadium not feeling like it was a complete waste of money.

cee_jay

I got my ticket for this years France 6N game through the Munster Supporter's Club. However, I didn't see any tickets for the England game available through there.
It is pot luck if they get offered through the supporters club or not.

vkid

used to be a member of the irfu supporters club thing, but haven't bothered since the first few games in the Aviva. Last time I went to all the Irish games was in Croke Park. Just really really do not like the Aviva at all. The last game I was at there was a leinster Munster game in 2010 i think and was right up the top of one of the stands with a big metal truss in front of us. Haven't gone back since and no intention of. Too much hassle coming up from Clare, too expensive all told for crap seats and crap atmosphere. Each to their own though. Stick to thomond park these days and watch Ireland on the box.

awec

Price is a big factor too. I could have gone to one of the AI's but when I saw the prices and saw how much it would be for 2 tickets I thought it just wasn't worth it. Then you have to take in to account all the extra costs around it (food and drink).

I am not overly impressed with the Aviva either having been there a few times. The view from the north stand is absolutely awful. I would rather watch the game on TV than pay to be in that north stand, even if it does mean losing out on the atmosphere / experience.

Podge_irl

awec wrote: »

I am not overly impressed with the Aviva either having been there a few times. The view from the north stand is absolutely awful. I would rather watch the game on TV than pay to be in that north stand, even if it does mean losing out on the atmosphere / experience.

They should really have an option to make the north stand a terrace. View is poor anyway and a terrace would be good craic. You could fit more people in too.

The Guardian

Step 1: Join your local rugby club.
Step 2: Put a request in for tickets.
Step 3: Buy some of the older dudes the odd pint every now and then.

awec

At some point in my life I'll get to an Ireland v England 6N game.

I'll probably have to wait until Ireland are muck and nobody wants the tickets, but I'll be there! :pac:

The Guardian

ah but shure you're a moderator on boards.ie
dont feel too bad

CatFromHue

Interesting points.

Does anyone know how much a ticket used to be for the East or West Stand in Lansdowne Road?

I see price is being mentioned but from my memory tickets for these Stands were always expensive except for a game against Canada or Romania.

Taco Corp

Have been getting tickets via supporters club for 5-6 years. Only missed out on a game I wanted to see a couple of times, which is a good return on the membership. Been pretty lucky with some of the seats I've had too. I always go for upper tier because you see so much more. In terms of bad seats, aisle seats are the worst

awec

The Guardian wrote: »

ah but shure you're a moderator on boards.ie
dont feel too bad

I know, I reckon my life has now peaked and it's all downhill from here!

awec

Captain_Hindsight wrote: »

Have been getting tickets via supporters club for 5-6 years. Only missed out on a game I wanted to see a couple of times, which is a good return on the membership. Been pretty lucky with some of the seats I've had too. I always go for upper tier because you see so much more. In terms of bad seats, aisle seats are the worst

Best seats IMO are the first few rows of the upper tier.

Worst seats are easily north stand.

The front rows of the lower tier I can't imagine are much use either.

Nor are the seats underneath the overhang in the lower tier (where you are sitting underneath the upper tier).

jamiedav2011

Short answer is I don't go to Irish games anymore. Too expensive for what you're getting and don't feel as close to the team as I do with Leinster for various reasons.

Not affiliated to a club so previously it was a nightmare trying to source.

ulster_Beef

awec wrote: »

Price is a big factor too. I could have gone to one of the AI's but when I saw the prices and saw how much it would be for 2 tickets I thought it just wasn't worth it. Then you have to take in to account all the extra costs around it (food and drink).

I am not overly impressed with the Aviva either having been there a few times. The view from the north stand is absolutely awful. I would rather watch the game on TV than pay to be in that north stand, even if it does mean losing out on the atmosphere / experience.

What atmosphere lol?

Ive been to a few games and thankfully I was at one when my team one, that was the Ulster QF. Apart from that it has been a rather depressing affair.

rje66

The Guardian wrote: »

Step 1: Join your local rugby club.
Step 2: Put a request in for tickets.
Step 3: Buy some of the older dudes the odd pint every now and then.

Step 1a: play a bit on the social team
Step1b: if you dont play then help coach/manage an under age team. Clubs need you

Step4 : become a branch referee..

.ak

I usually am lucky enough to get tickets through the Leinster season ticket lottery almost every year. Although the last tickets I took was the Ireland v England 2011.

I have refused every one since then, on the basis I don't want to support the IRFU keeping Kidney on. As petty as it sounds (and yes, it is petty) I believe the IRFU are solely interested on how many bums are put onto seats, not results. Probably a clever bit of business too, in fairness.

ulster_Beef

Podge_irl wrote: »

They should really have an option to make the north stand a terrace. View is poor anyway and a terrace would be good craic. You could fit more people in too.

I said that to people all along. I agree... rugby and terraces go together in my opinion. I think football had their say their.

However, this is the 21st century and they could easily have some sort of quick release/ refit seating system that could be put back up after a terrace has been used.

Thankfully Ravenhill will have terracing all round each of the 4 stands at the base.

Heroditas

CatFromHue wrote: »

Does anyone know how much a ticket used to be for the East or West Stand in Lansdowne Road?

Almost positive I have a ticket up in the attic for the Italy game in 2006 for the West Stand and it was €55. Games against England etc would have been about €65 though.
It was when the games moved to Croker that the prices went up quite a bit because the GAA were also looking for a share of the proceeds.
Then once the games moved back to Lansdowne, there was the redevelopment to be paid off.


Anyway, never any issues getting tickets for matches nowadays. I'm the club's Ticket Secretary.

However, it's actually pretty hard shifting tickets the last couple of seasons. Demand isn't there anymore. Two things are the cause:
Price and performance.
If prices were lower, people would go despite the performance and if the performances were better, people would go despite the price.
Also, people are spoiled for "big games" nowadays with the HEC.

Sundy

I know what your saying here but the clubman who gives up two nights a week and a day one the weekend deserves a chance to buy a ticket before the before the ticketmaster fan.

And as for your opinion on clubs who flog them to the highest bidder is a typical wool over the eyes IRFU view. Haha how do you think clubs have been keeping enough money in the coffers? By flogging the tickets to english travel agents. A lot of clubs in the country would be gone under only for the fact england come here every second year.
So dont blame the clubs for selling some of their tickets to stay afloat.

awec

Sundy wrote: »

I know what your saying here but the clubman who gives up two nights a week and a day one the weekend deserves a chance to buy a ticket before the before the ticketmaster fan.

And as for your opinion on clubs who flog them to the highest bidder is a typical wool over the eyes IRFU view. Haha how do you think clubs have been keeping enough money in the coffers? By flogging the tickets to english travel agents. A lot of clubs in the country would be gone under only for the fact england come here every second year.
So dont blame the clubs for selling some of their tickets to stay afloat.

I think his point was more aimed at clubmen who look down their noses at the people at games who got their tickets off ticketmaster.

As if the real fans are the clubmen and the rest are just rowdy blow-ins.

chupacabra

Was a supporters club member for years. Didnt renew my membership in 2010 and havent since. Not the biggest fan of the Aviva and its extremely expensive to travel up from Tralee. I still go to as many Autumn Internationals as I can though because its easier to get tickets and im usually in or around Dublin that time of year. Last 6N game I was at was Italy in 2010, those were also the last tickets I got via the supporters club.

CatFromHue

Heroditas wrote: »

Almost positive I have a ticket up in the attic for the Italy game in 2006 for the West Stand and it was €55. Games against England etc would have been about €65 though.
It was when the games moved to Croker that the prices went up quite a bit because the GAA were also looking for a share of the proceeds.
Then once the games moved back to Lansdowne, there was the redevelopment to be paid off.

You're right, I found the below on the IRFU website for the 2003 6N:
Six Nations 2003 (France and England). Stand - EUR57.00. Stand - EUR48.00. Uncovered Stand - EUR40.00. Touch & Goal Line - EUR35.00. Terrace - EUR21.00. Schoolboy/girl - EUR5.00
http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/12326.php

The current prices are for England and France are:
Premium Level € 125.00
Category 1 € 90.00
Category 2 € 80.00
Category 3 € 65.00
Category 4 € 50.00
Schoolboy/girl € 15.00
http://www.irishrugby.ie/tickets

Category 1 and Category 2 tickets in the Aviva are by far the most common (http://www.irishrugby.ie/tickets/aviva_stadium_map.php) and would compare roughly to 57e and 48e stand in the old Lansdowne Road. That's a jump of 1.58 to 1.6 and not incl the Ticketmaster charge would be another 5+ euro at least.

The tickets for the AI's this year are listed here:
http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/26698.php

Munstermissy

Normal procedure for me is to BEG :-). Last international in Dublin for me was England 6 Nations game 2011. First time in the Avivia and won't be rushing back, 110 euro for ticket and was seated at the very last row at the top of the stand:-(.

Went to the Fiji game in Thomond, 10 minutes in the road from me and 20 euro for the ticket.

TheGoldenAges

Been to a few Ireland matches, bought a Leinster season ticket for the first time this year and the atmosphere is a whole lot better at the RDS. Didn't have any luck with 6 Nations tickets in the draw (figures) but probably wouldn't have claimed them anyway.

For what you get it's sooo not worth it not to mention Kidney out!
At least it's under 100 days now http://kidneyclock.net/

As for the atmosphere woes, there was a thread on that after the Boks game in November where I blamed it on the PA interference much like in Murrayfield (Don't get me started on that guy :rolleyes:) I was at that match and a supporter who tried to get the atmosphere going was sneered at and told to "sit down" by others who weren't interested in contributing to the atmosphere

Wish they would release some tickets to the public, maybe 10,000.

I consider myself a diehard fan who rarely comes home with my voice and I know some of my college friends are much the same and are increasingly frustrated at how they don't have access to tickets. Most students who aren't involved with clubs at home have no access to tickets and lets be honest are the most likely to contribute towards an atmosphere (Not a dig at any of you fine gentlemen who I'm sure can match us )

JustinDee

Sundy wrote: »

I know what your saying here but the clubman who gives up two nights a week and a day one the weekend deserves a chance to buy a ticket before the before the ticketmaster fan

That isn't who I was referring to. Within a club itself, there are cliques. No such thing as a "ticketmaster fan" was also my point. Not everyone who followed or follows rugby is a member of a club and that's why I gave myself as an example. It's also why I gave the example of an alleged knowledgable person at a game actually being ignorant to basics such as the laws of the game, especially laws involving advantage once an infringement takes place.

Sundy wrote: »

And as for your opinion on clubs who flog them to the highest bidder is a typical wool over the eyes IRFU view

My view had nothing to do with anything else but my own experience so what you say here is out if order and is in fact, baseless.

Sundy wrote: »

Haha how do you think clubs have been keeping enough money in the coffers? By flogging the tickets to english travel agents. A lot of clubs in the country would be gone under only for the fact england come here every second year.
So dont blame the clubs for selling some of their tickets to stay afloat.

If you want to start a discussion on club finances, in particular on how money has been spent over the last couple of decades, by all means start a thread on it.

ednwireland

i reckon the only way i'll get tickets is to see ireland australia in november (rugby league)

Riskymove

I have been to most Ireland home game for about the last 5 or 6 years and regularly attended back as far as 2001 or so

My tickets have come through 2 avenues:

The Irish Rugby Supporters club

Munster Rugby Supporters club

There was an issue with prices being expensive but there have been efforts to improve that.

In relation to the curent debate about fans in the stadium, I have certainly seen examples of such problems - people who clearly dont know rugby or people more interested in chatting to each other than watching the game.

I have also experienced games with great atmosphere but in recent years this has been lacking. I am afraid the bottom line is the game in front of you , there are only so many games you can attend and ignore a poor spectacle, eventually it is going to affect your mood and attitude. The England game was extremely frustrating for fans and the idea they should just keep cheering and signing is ridiculous imo.

I also think there's a level of apathy and pessism towards Irish Rugby that I have never really seen before. Perhaps its because we had a spell of success and our provinces have done well. But, imo, the current "debates" about the team, players and coaching is having a serious affect on fans frame of mind going to games.

pc7

As a kid my dad got the tickets through a guy in work, that dried up early 2000's and he hasn't gotten a ticket since, I bring him to games now if he fancies it but he rathers watch at home now.
Last few years I get mine through the supporters club and a friend who is in a rugby club.
Got tickets for Edinburgh next week from SRU direct, English game through my friend and French game through the supporters club (€55 which at the start of the tournament I was chuffed about as I thought I'd be seeing some smashing rugby! but we'll see how it looks when they arrive) and considering I paid €80 last year for Stadt De France and the game that never was.

justsomebloke

*warning rambling post alert so you have been warned

Truthfully couldn't get 6 nations tickets for years as I came from a non rugby area so didn't have any contacts. Managed to one 6 nations game in the old landsdown road which was against Italy. During this period period though I had been a Leinster season ticket holder for a few years and so that was keeping my fix for live Rugby going.

With the move to Croker tickets became a little easier to get as the IRFU started giving IRFU supporter members guaranteed tickets if they bought autumn internationals so the first year I paid my €50 member fee and then end up with the €70-€80 a match ticket on top of that. So basically working out at over a €100 a ticket just to get tickets on the 22.

The following year I got tickets from the Leinsters supports club. It ended up that Leinster seemed to have been given the drags of the tickets and we endend up in the top corner of the stadium even though we had to top ticket prices

At that point Leinster where the main team that I supported and the having to pay nearly €800 for 2 tickets each to 4 games pretty much cemented the fact that I had no real interest in going to Ireland game.

However during this period I don't think I was the only one who had lost their effection for 'team Ireland'. I think a lot of people's first proper chance of the 6 nations Rugby was during this period however the cost of experience V the level of rugby on show soured the experience for a lot of people and this became very evident come the first autumn internationals in the new Aviva.

So where am I now? Well put it this way justsomebaby was born during the summer so it's harder to make games. We still renewed our Leinster season tickets and generally we this is the extent of our social lives at the moment. So this week we will be trying our hardest to get babysitters for the excitement of what is Leinster V Tresivo. You may ask what has that to do with Ireland tickets? Well I Was offered free tickets to either autumn international by 02 (signing new corporate account around the time) and I had so little interest in them I didn't even look into the possibility of getting a babysitter and turned the offer down on the spot.

Truthfully I think a lot of people are in the same boat as me, some are still going to games but I think a certain level of apathy in now instilled in fans and this is what is leading to the lack of enthusiasm being shown by fans at the games.

I really think the IRFU distribution methods though aren't helping. As mentioned above club tickets aren't necessarily going to those in the club that would get behind the team and the fact that there is still no public allocation generally on sale from the start.

The IRFU will state that they do a public offering via the supporters club. But sorry if you have to pay €50 just for the privilege of entering a draw to have the chance of tickets, isn't a public offering. This just goes to show that the IRFU come the 6 nations are still trying to shaft people when it comes to tickets and then are mystified when games don't have an atmosphere.

Couple this will the underwhelming performance by the National squad coupled with the fact that nothing seems to be changing and it is no wonder you aren't getting people singing.

I was actually pretty shocked when I was the article posted up by the IRFU on their facebook account during the week. It smacked of them biting the hands that feeds them while trying to lay blame at everyone else's doorstep bar their own. So untill they realise that if they want to create an atmosphere they will have to target a crowd that are willing to provide one or until changes are made on the field then nothing is going to change.

totallegend

justsomebloke, that is an excellent post and it could actually have been written by me, so similar are our attitudes.

I never had any problems with tickets in the old Lansdowne, got them either through school, various contacts or a couple of pro players I was friendly with. I was probably sitting near you in the nose-bleed section of Croke Park courtesy of the Leinster lottery.

Now, the combination of poor quality rugby, high prices and the better-quality fare on offer from the provinces means I just don't care enough to be shelling out €100 to attend. I was offered a ticket to Ireland v England on the morning of the game; ten years ago my reaction would have been "where do I meet you?", this time it was "if you can't get rid of it, come back to me"

Just as an aside, the IRFU are currently selling five and ten-year tickets. A premium level ticket in the south stand costs €5,500 for five years or €9,500 for ten years.

Based on five games per year, that works out at a staggering €220 per game (5-yr ticket) or €190 for a 10-yr ticket.

pc7

totallegend wrote: »

Just as an aside, the IRFU are currently selling five and ten-year tickets. .

Yeah I got the brouchure this week, the seats are in the south stand too, I've sat in those seats at a supporters club match day event, I wouldn't want those seats all the time. I've a friend who's 10 year runs out this year but their seats are West and in a great spot I wonder will they go on sale cheaper then?

.ak

justsomebloke wrote: »

I was actually pretty shocked when I was the article posted up by the IRFU on their facebook account during the week. It smacked of them biting the hands that feeds them while trying to lay blame at everyone else's doorstep bar their own. So untill they realise that if they want to create an atmosphere they will have to target a crowd that are willing to provide one or until changes are made on the field then nothing is going to change.

What was this about?

JustinDee

justsomebloke wrote: »

I was actually pretty shocked when I was the article posted up by the IRFU on their facebook account during the week. It smacked of them biting the hands that feeds them while trying to lay blame at everyone else's doorstep bar their own.

The Facebook page is for chatting about the senior team, rep teams, provinces, clubs and the sport in general. There was nothing in posting about that article except for generating some chatter on the subject (81 comments so far). Posting it doesn't mean agreement with everything in it is a given.

Grats on justsomebaby, by the way. Exciting times!

justsomebloke

JustinDee wrote: »

The Facebook page is for chatting about the senior team, rep teams, provinces, clubs and the sport in general. There was nothing in posting about that article except for generating some chatter on the subject (81 comments so far). Posting it doesn't mean agreement with everything in it is a given.

Yes I am all for encouraging chat but I think groups on Facebook should always to careful about how the information they post is perceived.

In this case it is seldom that the IrishRugby page will reference 3rd party pages for their content so when something like that is posted people will assume that it is something that the IRFU are thinking about themselves

JustinDee wrote: »

Grats on justsomebaby, by the way. Exciting times!

Thank you, however I think you got the words exciting and tiring mixed up

JustinDee

justsomebloke wrote: »

Yes I am all for encouraging chat but I think groups on Facebook should always to careful about how the information they post is perceived.

In this case it is seldom that the IrishRugby page will reference 3rd party pages for their content so when something like that is posted people will assume that it is something that the IRFU are thinking about themselves

It is seldom done but done nonetheless. The original article received much attention so it was raised purely in an effort to generate talk on the subject. The summary of the article's responses in the paper next day mostly showed just one side of the story, omitting any views contrary to those in disagreement in the first place. The only editing on the Facebook page is mainly for swearing or repeated trolling.

Regarding distribution of tickets, I'm still of the belief that the rugby community should precede others. What the clubs don't move, gets sold on through to the Irish Rugby Supporters Club. What the Supporters Club doesn't sell, goes on public sale. The fee a supporters club member pays goes back into the game and obviously also funds the supporters club.
I, and this is my own personal view, don't want tickets disappearing into the hands of a scalping organisation who obtain large numbers via extremely sophisticated purchasing systems.

pc7

JustinDee wrote: »

It
I, and this is my own personal view, don't want tickets disappearing into the hands of a scalping organisation who obtain large numbers via extremely sophisticated purchasing systems.

+1 I've always been lucky with the supporters club and its fair that the year its eng/france at home you can only choose one game that way more members who aren't affilated with clubs get a chance. The amount of touts around the stadium Sunday trying to sell tickets was unreal, its big business especially when its England here.

totallegend

justsomebloke wrote: »

Yes I am all for encouraging chat but I think groups on Facebook should always to careful about how the information they post is perceived.

In this case it is seldom that the IrishRugby page will reference 3rd party pages for their content so when something like that is posted people will assume that it is something that the IRFU are thinking about themselves

Indeed, I can't see any other external links on their facebook page so it is interesting that they chose to post just Quinlan's article out of the thousands that are floating around on the internet. It's hard to believe that it's a coincidence...

awec

Does anyone have a link to the IRFU facebook?

totallegend

awec wrote: »

Does anyone have a link to the IRFU facebook?

You lazy b*stard...

http://www.irishrugby.ie/facebook

justsomebloke

awec wrote: »

Does anyone have a link to the IRFU facebook?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/IrishRugby/226968790694389

Actually I would encourage people to like it on Facebook if you are on facebook as it does provide a whole heap of information on different levels of the game that people may other wise miss other wise

JustinDee

totallegend wrote: »

Indeed, I can't see any other external links on their facebook page so it is interesting that they chose to post just Quinlan's article out of the thousands that are floating around on the internet. It's hard to believe that it's a coincidence...

Its a coincidence and of no agenda bar keeping the page busy. In hindsight, a good move. Was just linked because it was a hot topic and a little different to the usual type of rugby article out there.

.ak

What article is it btw? The Quinny one?

justsomebloke

.ak wrote: »

What article is it btw? The Quinny one?

ye, http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2013/0213/1224329981475.html

j8wk2feszrnpao

Haven't gone to an Ireland match in ages, have also stopped going to a lot of the Munster matches. I find the AIL matches provide more value and a better experience.

The Ireland games get a lot of the 'just want to be at the match' crowd. Little interest in the game, i.e. team losing but hoping to get picked up on the big screen

That's also there at some of the Munster matches. At that last Munster match I was at, a Munster player was clearly offside, and 3 people behind me f**ked the ref out of it for awarding a penalty. I can understand not knowing the rules, but at least learn the basics before having a moan.

The reason for going to the AIL matches is probably the crowd knowing their stuff, you get a better view of the game (close to the sideline), and that grass-roots feeling. Plus, it's good to see some of the players that come through for the Munster team.

I can understand that it's not for everyone, as the big match days are more appealing to some as they are great days out. Each to their own really.