Why is rugby/the Irish rugby team so popular?

Blue4u

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118163871#Comment_118163871

No idea. I don't live in Mayo.

mariaalice

Best trolls in a long time. Although you could take the view its not fair to mock the afficlated.

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118161324#Comment_118161324

Top 10 out of how many that actually take it seriously? 10, 12, 15? Definitely no more than 20.

mariaalice

Blue4u

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118163922#Comment_118163922

How many countries take American Football seriously? or baseball? or ice hockey? or basketball?

Wait till Superbowl and you have lots of pleb jumping around about American Football but that doesn't seem to get the same reaction as an IRISH rugby team playing a sport in Ireland with Irish fans

Mind boggling how people get so upset about this.

If you don't like it, don't watch it.

pgj2015

Not a Rugby fan but the Country would go nuts if Ireland won the world cup in Rugby, we are the biggest bandwagon supporters out there. We even tried to support our Cricket team back at the world cup about 15 years ago when Ireland beat Pakistan, even though no one watching knew the rules. And we were all big Hockey fans a couple of years ago when the Irish women's team got to the world cup final.

Blud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118163920#Comment_118163920

You claimed every county has GAA schools though.

"No idea" is the truest thing you've admitted to on this thread.

Blue4u

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118163976#Comment_118163976

You saying Mayo hasn't a GAA school?

Quick google and I find the following

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connacht_Colleges_Senior_Football_Championship

Seems to be the same few schools in the finals a lot. The one who are constantly in the finals are the GAA schools. Same as Blackrock would be classed as a rugby school 👍️

Blud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118163983#Comment_118163983

You really don't know what you're talking about.

Blue4u

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164029#Comment_118164029

I guess you are from Mayo and you seem to have no idea about St Jarlaths history? two quick googles and it is not just one of the top GAA school in Mayo but in all of Ireland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogan_Cup

I live in Cavan, St Pat in Cavan is a famous GAA school and a lot of players go to that one. Google "top gaa school in cavan" and see whats at the top.

Best to leave it now. Continue with the faux outrage at other people enjoying a sport

Blue4u

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164049#Comment_118164049

Most people have played the sport at some level. Some haven't but I don't think any sport should have guidelines or requirements to allow people to support it. Hence why we have so many Irish people running around like pleb about English Premiership teams and then next minute telling everyone they "hate the English"

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164067#Comment_118164067

Jarlaths is in Tuam, Co. Galway

Blue4u

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164099#Comment_118164099

Opp's sorry

Blue4u

https://www.gaa.ie/football/news/st-gerald-s-college-castlebar-mayo-s-football-academy/

This is at least one of Mayo GAA school. Again a quick google and found it.

Blue4u

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164107#Comment_118164107

The only people I see complaining about rugby is other fans. I never went to a match and got questions about schools or what part of Ireland you are from or anything of the sort.

The problem seems to reside with people who don't like rugby, they want to put everyone into a bracket and get annoyed when they are proved wrong.

Anyone can support whatever sport they want to, if you don't like the sport they pick move on. Simples. Shouting and roaring at someone because they don't like the same sport you do is insane

Blud

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118162832#Comment_118162832

This was your original post. GAA schools that the better players head to.

Believe it or not, Gerald's in Castlebar has a team made up of players from Castlebar and its hinterland. It is not done mecca that players from around the county head to, there's no-one from Belmullet playing for Gerald's. It is a large school and has had some success, but that's about it.

Your post is trying to make an equivocation between the Dublin rugby schools that attract fee paying students to play rugby, with large schools around the country that happen to be good at GAA. Jarlaths used to do that but not any more, Flannan's in Ennis possibly still do. "Every county"? No.

As I said, you haven't a clue. I'm out of discussing with you on that basis, so feel free to have the last word, I'm sure there's more noise knocking around that empty vessel.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164049#Comment_118164049

While I think your point is extreme, I do think it holds some merit when it comes to rugby.

When it comes to sports most Irish people get exposure to either or both of the GAA sports and soccer in school, or with a club local enough to them.

They get to play from very young until whatever age they decide to, and many come back later and play again just to stay fit.

They also get to see games in the flesh with their local club, or in the case of GAA at inter county games.

Also when it comes to soccer there is a long history of following English teams that is handed down through generations, and the EPL is very prominent in the media.

But rugby is far far more low profile. There is not the exposure in school, there are far less clubs so it's not local to many.

Very few get the opportunity to play.

Plus there is very little opportunity to go and see the game live. Ticket prices to international games are out of reach for many.

So people's main exposure to rugby is through watching international matches on TV.

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164193#Comment_118164193

I have zero interest/exposure to gaa sports. This is despite going to state primary & secondary schools. Gaa was played in them but never entered my world. I couldn't tell you who won the national finals of any year.

I played rugby and was into athletics. Sometimes the 'reach' of gaa can be overestimated. It does not permeate every household in the country. It is not a measure of your Irishness.

"There are presently 60,000 (approx.) players in total in Ireland. 56 clubs are affiliated to the Ulster Branch; 71 to the Leinster Branch: 59 to the Munster Branch and 19 to the Connacht Branch. In addition there are 246 Schools playing rugby, Ulster (107), Leinster (75), Munster (41) and Connacht (23)."

It is definitely not as common as football or gaa but it's not like it's an exotic or rare sport.

Captain_Crash

@Fr Tod Umptious I’d have to disagree with this to a point, rugby is available to anyone who wants to play! There are a couple of hundred clubs around the country and all of them would be happy to have new players come along and try it out! There are probably very few areas in the country that isn’t some way accessible to a local club be it by bus/car/bike

As for the cost of going to a game! My Leinster season ticket cost me less than a weekend to Liverpool or Manchester to see a premier league game!

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164250#Comment_118164250

I'm not saying they would not be welcome.

I'm saying that the opportunity for a person toget coaching in and to play rugby is a million times smaller than their opportunity to get coaching in and playing the three major sports.

As a result rugby is a game that people only are familiar with through the media and most have no idea about the rules, the tactics and nuance of the game.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164177#Comment_118164177

Not sure what you are trying to say .... there are always "big" schools that do well in GAA and that players interested in that sport would gravitate to. There can also be an ethos and tradition and reputation that feeds into that. While they may have some ups and downs over time, it takes longer for the tradition to disappear.

In rugby, it may be even more pronounced because their schools competitions appear to be a premier event for them. Those schools are/were also boarding schools and probably viewed sport as just another part of the overall education and development of the kid.

I remember it used to be said that, in Colm O'Rourke's school school in Navan, footballers were having to priortise playing for the school over everything (even their studies). I am sure there are a few schools in Navan. One would imagine that if you are a young lad who is mad into GAA and you could choose between that school and another school that doesn't really have a strong sporting ethos, then you would go for the one that does.

Whereas with soccer in contrast, you're probably not too worried about school competitions. If you kid is big into soccer at 12, then your choice of school doesn't really matter. For a number of reasons. First being that the schools competition probably rank below outside club competitions. When I was in seconday school we had a player who played underage for Ireland and he didn't always play in the school games from what I remember correctly. I didn't play the soccerball but I remember others used to be talking about whether they'd have him available for the next game or not. Secondly, the child probably isn't going to be in school that long anyway. If the child played a lot of soccerball and had a bit of talent they would probably have been historically taken out and shipped off to England at 14-16 to get chewed up and spit out by the system there. If they didn't have that talent then they were likely to have left school by 16 anyway to go on the dole or having been put into a residential institution for young offenders*

*half joking

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164350#Comment_118164350

The opportunity is there tho, for anyone! I don’t know where in the country your based but you almost certainly have a club nearby and if you fire an email off to them now you’ll be togged out training this Tuesday! That opportunity is there for everyone!

Your right regarding exposure tho, if a kid is only exposed to GAA, then they’ll wanna play GAA first and foremost! Ironically, I havnt got a breeze about the rules of GAA because I had no exposure to it growing up and never got into it as an adult!

Ave Sodalis

This thread sure has brought out a lot of strong opinions!

I'm a fan of rugby. I played as a kid, and because I was the only girl, played with the boys and it was only an issue for the GAA heads on the team. I played GAA as a kid too and never got to play because of political reasons. I lived in the wrong area, but all my friends went to this team so obviously I wanted to.

My brother played rugby extremely well and was head hunted for the province but injury put him out of contention, not the fact he was from a lower class upbringing.

The reason I stay a fan is because, although this point was mocked earlier, the people are generally sounder. A certain very well known rugby player walked into the restaurant I worked at. There was no fuss. He sat with his family, ate, waved at whoever waved at him, talked to a kid who was freaking out about him being there but otherwise acting like anyone else would. A certain GAA county player walked in and swanned about the place, interrupted other people's eating and acting like he was gifting us with his presence. A well known soccer player wouldn't be caught dead in the place.

Don't get me wrong, I still somewhat enjoy GAA and occasionally go to matches, but the fan base and players push me much more into being a rugby fan, despite my lower class upbringing (which I wouldn't have even noticed being a thing until the strongly opinionated anti rugby crowd here made it a thing).

B2021M

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164378#Comment_118164378

But no snobbery by rugby fans at all...

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118162551#Comment_118162551

Top clubs in Europe?? You mean the top clubs in the British Isles and France. It is nothing like the Champions League

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164399#Comment_118164399

Well I'm not a rugby fan. I just understand logic

GAA, boxing, and then maybe athletics for me

You do realise the impact that good facilities might make on a child's sporting development? A relatively wealthy school with access to resources is going to develop the child's sporting potential better than the local DEIS school that is concentrating on stopping disadvantaged children from going down wrong routes in life, such as taking up heroin or soccerball.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164247#Comment_118164247

I also wouldn't have a clue about GAA. I went to work after the weekend one time and didn't know that Dublin had won the football on the weekend (I am from Dublin). None of my friends would be particularly into it either, part of the reason why I didn't hear about it.

I wasn't aware that there was such a hatred of rugby by some people. Don't watch it if you don't like it. I don't really watch a lot of football myself, normally only the internationals. I find the idea of picking an EPL team and supporting them a bit strange. I even know a 2 guys who get real into the Manchester derby, one being a MU supporter and the other supporting MC. That's really laughable stuff. It would be great to see the salt of the earth real supporters that football supposedly attracts supporting the league of Ireland sides.

Blue4u

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164401#Comment_118164401

It's the top clubs in Europe. How is this confusing?

Rugby has two European competition Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge cup, similar to Soccer with the best teams in the HC and the others in the Challenge CUp.

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118163871#Comment_118163871

What a ridiculous statement, no other sort other than GAA in Mayo? 🤣

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164425#Comment_118164425

Isn't Ballina big for the basketball? Used to be anyway I think.