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

cunnifferous wrote: »

I don't mind rugby, wouldn't be my favorite sport but I still watch a good bit of it. One of the most annoying things is this kind of condesending attitude of some (not all) rubgy supporters who feed the need to assert rugby is the greatest sport above all others and any other sport that doesn't have 18st men crashing into eachother is for 'sissys'. If you want to judge a sport by the amount of physical contact in it then surely freestyle wresting, judo or mma are 'better' sports.

As for 'rolling on the ground like sissys' I presume you are referring to Ronaldo et al. Cheating happens in all sports, it's detestable but it's just a fact of life unfortunately. I mean no one touched Tom Williams and he had 'blood' pouring out of his mouth but I wouldn't condemn all rubgy players as cheats and sissys because of this.

Hardly I'd consider myself a big rugby fan played it in School and all but Hurling and Football are seriously physical games. I don't think anyone could call them sissy.

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

While physicality may appeal to some viewers, shows of skills in sports that are non physical can be appreciated nonetheless. For example anyone who plays golf regularly can testify to the fact that it is a really difficult game and can appreciate players that ply to a really high level.

Rugby can be quite technical too. It's not just a bish bash bosh job. Scrums, line outs, rucks, mauls, tackling, kicking, catching all require skills.

But nothing like golf.

I haven't read all the posts but is this thread simply a bit of class bashing with some over the top stereotypes thrown in for good measure?

sullivlo wrote: »

Rugby can be quite technical too. It's not just a bish bash bosh job. Scrums, line outs, rucks, mauls, tackling, kicking, catching all require skills.

But nothing like golf.

I don’t doubt the technical skills needed for Golf but I don’t think it’s fair to compare them with sports that require people to be technical in a variety of vastly different areas, using different parts of the body.

The idea of thread is a so stupid, ‘how dare any other sports be in the media besides the ones I like’.

MICKEYG wrote: »

I don't think OP was saying that. I think his point was the disproportionate amount of attention it is given.

No Irish professional sports come close to the same attendance/viewing figures and it doesn’t really clash with high GAA season so there’s space to fill. If you look at the amount of press given over to leagues based in other countries (EPL) I don’t think out of proportion at all.

It’s just down to the fact that they don’t like the sport so notice a lot more when there’s media focus on it. I never got into GAA and because I’m not interested in it I notice how much media attention it gets because I’ve to skip the page, change the channel than someone who is interested in it. I’m however not going to come on here and have a moan that the media are talking about it, they wouldn’t be showing/printing stuff on the sport if there wasn’t a demand.

There will always be pissing contests, especially among men when it comes to different sports.

I couldn't care what school the players go to not in the slightest and i admire people that dedicate themselves to things and excel in them, i also admire people who rain or shine will be in the stands cheering on their teams regardless of the sport. My main problem with Rugby are two types of people who it attracts.
1 The clueless Female rugger hugger fan who actually know **** all about the sport but watch because they fancy some of the players, They also denigrate other sports and athletes calling them not real men ect When actually they haven't a ****ing clue about the sports they are judging as being lesser, There is a definate element of saying they follow rugby because it's the "in thing atm"

2 The career climbing **** who fake an interest in Rugby to appear upper class or elite in reality they haven't a notion of the game and likely can only name the international players, They than go to games hardly watch the thing and spend half the time at the bar talking **** trying to suck up to the company executive ect.
Rugby can be a very good game and has some real fans who love and follow the game, but their is an element were people praise it ect to gain credibility socially and in reality if the Irish team fell way down in quality they would be nowhere to be seen. I think it's fair to say with things like GAA and Soccert ATM their are far less people feigning interest, the people who go to GAA matches are doing so to see the game and because they like the sport that isn't the case IMO with a section of Rugby so called fans.

Dick phelan wrote: »

I couldn't care what school the players go to not in the slightest and i admire people that dedicate themselves to things and excel in them, i also admire people who rain or shine will be in the stands cheering on their teams regardless of the sport. My main problem with Rugby are two types of people who it attracts.
1 The clueless Female rugger hugger fan who actually know **** all about the sport but watch because they fancy some of the players, They also denigrate other sports and athletes calling them not real men ect When actually they haven't a ****ing clue about the sports they are judging as being lesser, There is a definate element of saying they follow rugby because it's the "in thing atm"

2 The career climbing **** who fake an interest in Rugby to appear upper class or elite in reality they haven't a notion of the game and likely can only name the international players, They than go to games hardly watch the thing and spend half the time at the bar talking **** trying to suck up to the company executive ect.
Rugby can be a very good game and has some real fans who love and follow the game, but their is an element were people praise it ect to gain credibility socially and in reality if the Irish team fell way down in quality they would be nowhere to be seen. I think it's fair to say with things like GAA and Soccert ATM their are far less people feigning interest, the people who go to GAA matches are doing so to see the game and because they like the sport that isn't the case IMO with a section of Rugby so called fans.

They both happen in both soccer and GAA very regularly. You see both sets of those characters when it comes to all Ireland time and the same when Ireland get into a major championship.

MICKEYG wrote: »

I don't think OP was saying that. I think his point was the disproportionate amount of attention it is given.

How does it get a disproportionate amount of attention?

If nobody wanted to watch it then it would not be in the interest of tv stations to put it on the telly.

bennyl10 wrote: »

Come to thomond for a heineken game then say that...
Not everywhere is the Aviva

Maybe a few years ago, its like a ****en britney spears concert these days. There was always an atmosphere at Thomand park. I dont know why they felt they needed to create a fake one.

There's no doubt that rugby is a small, fringe, minority sport in world terms.

It's unknown in the vast majority of countries on earth and is well down the pecking order of sports popularity in the few countries it has any relevance in.

It's also something of a minority sport in this country in terms of participation numbers, number of clubs etc.

People's opinion of the sport is irrelevant as it relates to the question at hand, which is if it gets a level of media attention in this country disproportionate to its popularity.

The answer is clearly yes, and the fact that many of those commenting here consider it a big world sport and seem to think that it's an amazing achievement for the Irish team to reasonably compete against relatively little competition is evidence of that.

That's just to address the question at hand and not to criticise Irish rugby/the Irish rugby team who i enjoy watching and wish well.