What’s your most controversial opinion? **Read OP** **Mod Note in Post #3372**

If we took that approach, you'd need to be English to support the Irish team.

Some people just don't enjoy seeing other people happy. They find their reasons, but the reasons aren't the point.

You dislike rugby because of the national team sponsor's slogan? Yeah, right.

I know you're not interested because you haven't engaged with any of the points put to you. This is for the rest of the readers.

Rugby requires basic costs to play which aren't there for more popular sports. Soccer, for example needs a minimum of a ball and a wall for a game. 2 people can play with each other. And all you need is jumpers for goalposts and you can scale it up.

Rugby Isn't a solo game. It needs a few people and some skill and knowledge of the rules. So it needs some organisation to play. That's a barrier. It's not a conspiracy, it's just a barrier. So Rugby isn't as popular and it takes conscious effort and organisation to get a game of rugby going.

Scale that up and you have pockets of people who know and want play rugby where everyone could play soccer. Then at school level you have schools that make the decisions about which sports the prioritise and fund. The private schools tend to prioritise rugby. Still not a conspiracy.

The provinces pick underage teams and naturally prioritise scouting in the places where they focus on rugby - the schools. The scouting follows the players and picks its academy prospects. Still no conspiracy.

So, where is the conspiracy?

As others have stated, money plays a role in access to many sports and activities. While I'm not a massive rugby fan and much prefer football I don't get the need to feel represented by the footballers or see myself in them.

Regardless, anyone can join both a rugby or football team and work their way up hoping to get scouted. Football is a lower class sport and I don't see middle/upper class folk turning their nose down on the sport in the same way some people comment on the likes of rugby, tennis or sailing just because it's more common with the middle/upper.

... until.your taxes go.up.tp pay for the prisons...

I recall reading about Jews originally having the upperhand in some cities in Asia Minor and being just as cruel against the Christians. There was often running battles between the two, I suppose the sense of animosity never dispersed and got worse over time.

Personally, I'd rather they put it into.the HSE than use it for jailing hippies .

Widen that to mental health generally. Shocking lack of attention right there.

Rugby was associated with prestigious, fee-paying schools right from its inception because it was invented at Rugby School in Warwickshire and then spread to other public schools.

Rugby School is also famous for having Tom Arnold as one of its headmasters, and it's where "Tom Brown's School Days" (Victorian novel) is set.

There was a great documentary on RTÉ called ‘The Story of Rugby’ that covers the game’s history very well.

It doesn’t shy away from its early, and overt, elitism through its fight against going professional and onto its present day. Well worth watching.

…dark web…

Same way they buy anything illegal.

I have an almost pathological hatred of Judge Judy.