Why is rugby/the Irish rugby team so popular?

I wonder if there's a row going on tonight in New Zealands Boards AH over today's result.

New Zealand scored 104 points against USA just a few weeks ago. 104 points. USA have been at every Rugby World Cup bar one since it's inception.

Imagine thinking that there's any meaningful competition in rugby.

That is just the rules of Rugby as they currently stand. England do the very same thing. That is not a problem Ireland created but an exploit on the current representative rules on Rugby - which is looser than Soccer. Jack Charlton was laughed out of it all those years ago when he exploited the Granny Rule. it brought success. Why begrudge it if other nations do exactly the same thing with cohorts of players from Fiji/NZ/Australia etc? The rule is the problem not the IRFU.

Also your example on the Brazilian young lads who the FAI could get to play in the LOI is gas.

1) Because if the LOI struggle to get Irish people to watch the league what hope have Brazilians to go to the LOI

2) The Brazilians have many other choices across Europe for decent money - even Eastern Europe

3) The FAI would not be able to afford to pay the Brazilians plane ticket - even if there was interest.

Going to the rugby is a chance to relax and enjoy the pleasant company of people who look like me and act like me and whose kids are like mine and who have a common life experience to me.

There's an easy affluence to it, whether your coat is Barbour or Boss or even Helly Hansen, everyone is welcome and great conversations about ski destinations are struck up in the queue for the hot Bushmills stand or at the post-match Price Waterhouse Cooper's buffet, waiting for the special guest player to arrive and perform like a dancing monkey for those present, who got their tickets for free.

You could meet your lawyer, your dentist or even your wealth manager from the Private Banking division, the branch with no signs and no queues.

The sport itself is rough, but not too rough. Competitive, but not hostile. Fans of both sides mix easily and exchange good humoured joshing and swigs of different types of small-batch whiskey from silver flasks. It pays to keep your ears peeled, you'll never know when you might overhear the best kept secret in Costa Rican Airbnb's or the scoop on when the new BMW will be available to order for priority customers.

You can drink out of glass on the street, you won't have to worry about pickpockets on the DART as its too full of bearskin hats, or you can just park for free at that Garda station where your Golf Club friend is the Chief Super and, of course, not have to be worried about drink driving.

Rugby is the middle class at play, the Elite looking for recruits, the comfortably off enjoying the fruits of their 33 hour civil service week without any discretion and of course the biggest refuge for white male privilege this side of Augusta National.

I 💚 it.

I know, his mother is from Cork. While playing for the Gungahlin Eagles and going to school at Daramarlan he dreamed of pulling on the Irish jersey??

Dirtbag

There is no difference between tests in rugby and friendlies in football.

Tests count to world ranking points which ultimately decide seedings for the world cup group draw.

Friendlies count to world ranking points which ultimately decide seedings for the qualification group stages for both world cups and European championships.

So no real difference, other than rugby's sense of self importance that is pressed home by aggressive marketing.

Yeah Doris is from Mayo.

But here's the thing, he went to school iin Blackrock, that famous rugby establishment.

Again, regardless of where you are from you can play international rugby, but you have a much, much, much better chance if you go to one of the right schools.

I disagree with the last 3 words. They no longer mean nearly as much, especially when the same few teams play each other every year.

Eh, what? GAA schools in every county?

Indulge me, and take Mayo as an example where there is no sport other than GAA to speak of. What is/are the GAA school/s in Mayo?

Ireland played Portugal this week in soccer ball and the mouth breathers who attended that mind numbingly boring match spent their time booing probably the best player in the world every time he got the ball. Compare that to yesterday’s fan behaviour for opposition kicks.

There is a referees strike in Dublin soccer due to the behaviour of players and fans.

Rugby might be inclined towards the middle classes in the cities, but I can live with that if it keeps the plebs away. They can spend their weekends squeezing replica premier league jerseys over their ample guts as they roar and shout abuse at English clubs with mainly foreign players in the pub.