Why is rugby/the Irish rugby team so popular?

8 teams with qualification. It ensured that only the top, top teams turned up. The number of teams allowed has obviously been expanded in recent years but even in Euro 2020 some of the best players in the world were absent - Erling Haaland, Jan Oblak, Milinkovic-Savic to name 3. That's because teams are not guaranteed entry, they have to qualify.

Ireland football has unfortunately had to deal with mismanagement on literally a criminal level for over 20 years and more if you go back to Joe. The IRFU is far more competently run.

Again if Ireland football team were able to just rock up to world cups, they couldn't really do much worse than the rugby team who have that privelege and still haven't managed to win a competitive knockout game.

Yeah when you have actual competition in a sport, over the literal handful of half decent teams in rugby, you'll find the wins don't come as easily.

Funnily enough only one sport has a team with a knockout win at a world cup and it isn't rugby, despite free entry.

And obviously the criminal level mismanagement is something to be laughed at(?) as it has only stolen opportunity from thousands of young lads who unfortunately don't have the option of paying €41,000 for a football education like rugby players do.

That's the whole point! Fewer teams are competitive in rugby.

There were only 8 teams in Euro 88

Yeah just sing a sh*te song before the match so everyone can feel included.

James mc clean. 2 teams on 1 island. Celtic/Rangers bullsh1t. We all know guys that can't talk about anything but English soccer. They were gas during lockdown. They didn't know what to do with themselves. I think they are like children with the banter and the love ins.

How many Catholics have played rugby for Scotland?

Winning will always bring bandwagon fans and if rugby wants to grow then that growth starts at the bandwagon! I’ve spend many a weekend afternoon either playing myself of going and watching an AIL game or watching Leinster at the RDS, so I’m far from a bandwagon fan myself, but I know at any given Ireland game the person beside me may well be at their first ever game, and as a fan they are no less important than me at my 100th or so! Infact for growth, engaging that new fan is more important!

The difference re test match is the result has an impact to the teams placement down at the line regarding World Cup groups/seedings, whereas a soccer friendly is just a one off game with no impact regarding seedings or qualification (although I understand world ranking points still apply for soccer friendlies)

I couldn't care less what rugby do as it is an anti-competitive, elitist, exclusionary sport, propped up in this country by a legion of event-junkies.

The point is that football has the competitiveness beyond the 5-8 half decent teams that rugby has. That competitiveness creates more meaningful tournaments and more meaningful victories. It means that even qualifying for them can be a difficult task. Reigning Euro 2020 Champions Italy didn't qualify for the World Cup in 2018. Imagine that, a team had to qualify for an international tournament - they had to earn their spot rather than be handed it. That scenario could never be replicated in rugby. Never, ever. Having such a wide pool of teams who are capable of doing well is something that should be aspired to, not laughed at.

I'm not really sure what the second paragraph is waffling on about but maybe one of the rugby lads can decipher it for the normal people.

Wouldn't have a clue. Couldn't care less to be honest. Just remember all the violence between Celtic/rangers years ago. Sickening. And all these Irish lads going around with Celtic jerseys. I used love telling them on nights out that I was a rangers fan and they'd be all squaring up to you and mouthing but that's all.

The point is that rugby is a sectarian sport in Scotland.

Mack Hansen has been in Ireland 20 minutes and he has been called up.

He’s an Irish aul dear… he’s eligible anyway!

There's a strong Rangers contingent who hate Ireland, indeed only 2 or 3 months ago they were marching the streets singing anti-Irish songs related to the famine. Celtic has strong roots in Irish people who had to flee the country to escape starvation, it's only natural that many Irish people would have an affinity for them.

But you took pride in telling people that you were part of that Rangers support as a joke.

I that says a lot more about you than the people you thought you were better than.

There's a word for lads like you.

I would not describe myself as a Rugby supporter -

But looking at it logically there are three main sporting organations in Ireland

1) GAA

2) Football/Soccer

3) Rugby

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Only two of those organisations have been well run since the 1960's - the odd one out is football/soccer.

The main reason for this is education and business acumen - which is viewed more in the GAA and Rugby than Football. As football is viewed as the working class sport. So there was no one there to take advantage of Football's popularity in the 1960's in club game in Ireland. Also the GAA and Rugby have supporters who are proud of their local heroes.

Rugby like the GAA have shown foresight. Also those involved in Rugby very acutely aimed at building/jazzing up the provincial Rugby game. To such an extent since the professionalisation of Rugby Provincial Rugby is now a brand. Also the old stereotypes of Rugby been just for of a certain socio-demographic are been eroded. Munster Rugby goes across all demographics and areas such as Monaghan, Kildare, And the rise of Connacht Rugby.

Again, I would not class myself as Rugby supporter, but I do admire an extremely well run organisation. All I can say is fair dues to them.

And whether people like it or not Irish rugby is the sole chance of international success in a global team sport. Well done all concerned to have gotten to this point. It seems to be ready to take off.

This is why Rugby is so popular in Ireland OP - It is a very well run organisation.

Edit - Also the players by and large are very articulate and polite lads. With the ref miced up you can hear it. How would the ref been miced up fare in other sports????