The D4 Media/ Posh Boys and Irish Rugby – Spoon feeding the masses

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 02:46PM

The rugby's beloved Leinster Senior Schools Cup.

Blackrock College, St Michaels, Gonzaga, Belvedere, St Gerards, St Marys, Terenure College, Castleknock College, Clongowes Wood, Kilkenny College, Wesley College, Newbridge & Roscrea play in it. Every single one of them is fee paying and would be middle to upper class. That's Leinster rugby for you. Why are there no non fee paying schools in it?

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 02:48PM

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Rugby teams are a bit more diverse than people here say. The likes of Tommy Bowe, the Kearneys, Horgan, Toner etc. all come from "out the country" (in the "anywhere except Dublin" sense) and played Gaelic football before concentrating on Rugby,The difference being though that they'd have gone to private schools.

Before I went to college my only knowledge of South Dublin types were the Ross O'Carroll Kelly books (obviously didnt take them seriously now). Once I went to college and started meeting people who went to Blackrock and other private schools I was surprised to hear how many of them played hurling/football before.

Most had given up playing and only followed now, but it seemed that they had given up every other sport too. Seems to be a high drop off rate in sport in the city.

It doesn't matter what county they're in. The Kearneys went to Clongowes which is about €10k+ a year. I doubt they're the normal "down the country" type

Guy:Incognito · 13-02-2014 02:51PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

The rugby's beloved Leinster Senior Schools Cup.

Blackrock College, St Michaels, Gonzaga, Belvedere, St Gerards, St Marys, Terenure College, Castleknock College, Clongowes Wood, Kilkenny College, Wesley College, Newbridge & Roscrea play in it. Every single one of them is fee paying and would be middle to upper class. That's Leinster rugby for you. Why are there no non fee paying schools in it?

Are there any good enough to play in it? There are lower tier cups in areas for lower tier teams.

Why are scunthorp not in the premier league? Why are conference teams not in the league cup?

Inspector Coptoor · 13-02-2014 02:52PM

Clongowes is €20k+ as it's a boarding school.

Rugby gets the coverage it gets as it's a professional sport.
It provides a platform for people to get behind their country.

Gaelic football & hurling are not pro games and do not have a properly organised international outlet.
People stick to their parish pumps and their counties

drkpower · 13-02-2014 02:53PM

It is somewhat depressing that people get excited about non-issues like this.

Tox56 · 13-02-2014 02:54PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

It doesn't matter what county they're in. The Kearneys went to Clongowes which is about €10k+ a year. I doubt they're the normal "down the country" type

Well there we go then, that's the really important thing here.

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 02:59PM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Are there any good enough to play in it? There are lower tier cups in areas for lower tier teams.

Why are scunthorp not in the premier league? Why are conference teams not in the league cup?

Your comparison is completely wrong. You can't even compare the two.
Why aren't non fee paying schools good enough?

Heroditas · 13-02-2014 02:59PM

Tox56 wrote: »

Well there we go then, that's the really important thing here.

I find it amazing that someone who has been registered for over 4 years and only made a handful of posts back in 2009 before this thread was created suddenly decides to wade in and rip into this particular subject.

Riskymove · 13-02-2014 02:59PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

It this notion that the Ireland Rugby team can do no wrong whilst slating the national soccer team and other teams is what grinds my gears.

oh FFS...for about 15-20 years the Irish Soccer team were put on a pedestal by the country...thinking we'd win world cups etc...we had crowds and open top buses for the players returning

just as big a bandwagon developed while they were (moderately) succesful

the same is happening for rugby (over last 10 years or so), especially due to the Heineken Cup wins

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 02:59PM

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Clongowes is €20k+ as it's a boarding school.

Rugby gets the coverage it gets as it's a professional sport.
It provides a platform for people to get behind their country.

Gaelic football & hurling are not pro games and do not have a properly organised international outlet.
People stick to their parish pumps and their counties

I think you'll find the highest rated sporting event on TV last year was GAA. Not rugby

Guy:Incognito · 13-02-2014 03:01PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

Your comparison is completely wrong. You can't even compare the two.
Why aren't non fee paying schools good enough?

Because they don't have the players?

Why are Chelsea better than Scunthorp?

Inspector Coptoor · 13-02-2014 03:01PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

I think you'll find the highest rated sporting event on TV last year was GAA. Not rugby

And?
What had that got to do with anything?
Gaelic games are the most popular in this country - news flash

Inspector Coptoor · 13-02-2014 03:02PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

Your comparison is completely wrong. You can't even compare the two.
Why aren't non fee paying schools good enough?

Facilities?
Coaching?
All funded by fees coming in.

It's all to do with cash

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 03:03PM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Because they don't have the players?

Why are Chelsea better than Scunthorp?

Because a Russian Billionaire owns Chelsea and pays a fortune for players.

Why are only fee paying schools good at rugby? Does a Russian billionaire own Blackrock College?

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 03:04PM

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Facilities?
Coaching?
All funded by fees coming in.

It's all to do with cash

So therefore rugby is a middle to upper class game at grass roots then?
An ordinary guy from a working class family in Tallaght can't really play at a high level at school because his parents couldn't afford school fees?

Guy:Incognito · 13-02-2014 03:05PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

Because a Russian Billionaire owns Chelsea and pays a fortune for players.

Why are only fee paying schools good at rugby? Does a Russian billionaire own Blackrock College?

Do you have similar issues against schools with good GAA or soccer teams?

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 03:06PM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Do you have similar issues against schools with good GAA or soccer teams?

No because good GAA schools aren't fee paying. Likewise with soccer. Everyone is equal. There is no equality in grass roots rugby. You basically need to have gone to a fee paying school to succeed. If not then you're screwed

Riskymove · 13-02-2014 03:07PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

An ordinary guy from a working class family in Tallaght can't really play at a high level at school because his parents couldn't afford school fees?

so?

he could play for Tallaght RFC all he wants

Whiplash85 · 13-02-2014 03:07PM

I would compare the whole rugby thing to the scenes we witnessed when Gareth Brooks announced he was playing 5 concerts in Ireland.

It is just one massive media driven bandwagon.

Ever been to a rugby match in the Aviva? There is very little atmosphere. The crowd chit chat amongst themselves. You have queues of people waiting to get a pint of Guinness or a hot toddie. No one knows or understands what is going out on the pitch. There might be one fella with a portable radio who relays "hands in the ruck" or "in from the side" from Michael Concorans RTE commentry to the rest of the clueless people beside him. Its laughable really.

Will someone please tell the postmen and dockers of Limerick who attend Munster rugby games that Athenry is in Connaught as well.

Guy:Incognito · 13-02-2014 03:07PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

So therefore rugby is a middle to upper class game at grass roots then?
An ordinary guy from a working class family in Tallaght can't really play at a high level at school because his parents couldn't afford school fees?

He doesn't need to. Rugby has a club structure that allows for players that don't go to those schools. My own son plays for St Marys . He goes to a school in CLondalkin where they are only let play Gaelic football and hurling. Much like a lot of primary schools. Presumably you have issues with that too? Seems very selective of them to deny other sports.

I'm from Tallaght and went to a private school. Just not a rugby one.

Fratton Fred · 13-02-2014 03:07PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

The rugby's beloved Leinster Senior Schools Cup.

Blackrock College, St Michaels, Gonzaga, Belvedere, St Gerards, St Marys, Terenure College, Castleknock College, Clongowes Wood, Kilkenny College, Wesley College, Newbridge & Roscrea play in it. Every single one of them is fee paying and would be middle to upper class. That's Leinster rugby for you. Why are there no non fee paying schools in it?

Who cares? My local fee paying rugby school is CBC Monkstown. For its size it has an excellent rugby record.

It's latest sporting hero is a guy called Michael Fitzsimons....

Methinks you have an inverted snobbery chip on your shoulder.

recylingbin · 13-02-2014 03:07PM

smcgiff wrote: »

Rugby gets the attention it deserves. A tough, manly game with no players rolling on the ground like sissys if they get their ankle tapped.

Don't they eat each other's semen off digestive biscuits? it doesn't get any manlier than that imo.

fox_1973 · 13-02-2014 03:08PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

The rugby's beloved Leinster Senior Schools Cup.

Blackrock College, St Michaels, Gonzaga, Belvedere, St Gerards, St Marys, Terenure College, Castleknock College, Clongowes Wood, Kilkenny College, Wesley College, Newbridge & Roscrea play in it. Every single one of them is fee paying and would be middle to upper class. That's Leinster rugby for you. Why are there no non fee paying schools in it?

Kilkenny are not fee paying

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0220/368730-kilkenny-college-fees/

Heroditas · 13-02-2014 03:08PM

Riskymove wrote: »

so?

he could play for Tallaght RFC all he wants

If he's good enough, he'll get a scholarship to the likes of Belvo or Blackrock.
In fact, Belvo alays ensure that a certain % of their students come from families who can't afford the wages.
But I'm sure he already knows that because he's stringing everyone along.

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 03:08PM

Riskymove wrote: »

so?

he could play for Tallaght RFC all he wants

Schools im talking about

Balmed Out · 13-02-2014 03:08PM

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Gaelic football & hurling are not pro games and do not have a properly organised international outlet.
People stick to their parish pumps and their counties

That's exactly the attitude that causes so many people to unfairly dislike rugby.

If for whatever weird reason you feel the need to belittle sports you don't like it says more about you then anyone else. That goes for both sides of this argument.

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 03:09PM

fox_1973 wrote: »

Kilkenny are not fee paying

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0220/368730-kilkenny-college-fees/

Up until very recently it was. Stop being pedantic

everdead.ie · 13-02-2014 03:09PM

HooohRaaah wrote: »

No because good GAA schools aren't fee paying. Likewise with soccer. Everyone is equal. There is no equality in grass roots rugby. You basically need to have gone to a fee paying school to succeed. If not then you're screwed

Grass roots rugby like soccer is not supported by Schools but by clubs.....

homemadecider · 13-02-2014 03:10PM

I love rugby!

Big muscley men in tiny shorts, running around touching each others bottoms.

What's not to like?!

HooohRaaah · 13-02-2014 03:10PM

Balmed Out wrote: »

That's exactly the attitude that causes so many people to unfairly dislike rugby.

If for whatever weird reason you feel the need to belittle sports you don't like it says more about you then anyone else. That goes for both sides of this argument.

Exactly. The amount of times i've been belittled for being involved in a GAA club in a fee paying school stronghold in south Dublin is ridiclous

The D4 Media/ Posh Boys and Irish Rugby – Spoon feeding the masses

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