The IRISH RUGBY thread

[michaelg]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

[RedHand88]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

The Japan captain is South African. He was presenting Sexton with a traditional Samurai sword despite being born in Pretoria and moving to Japan when he was 27.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Plenty of empty seats. Should have slashed the prices to fill the Aviva.

Cheapest ticket €65. For Japan. They deserve their impending bankruptcy

[Milltown Row2]

Be sold out next game

[seafoid]

Be sold out next game

I bet it won't
#covid

[screenexile]

Be sold out next game

I bet it won't
#covid

Against the All Blacks?? It's guaranteed a sell out lowest ticket price is €125 as well!

[Baile Brigín 2]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

More Aussies in squad than Munstermen.

But their grassroots model is to be followed?

[tiempo]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

More Aussies in squad than Munstermen.

But their grassroots model is to be followed?

A complete joke the eligibility rules

Irish fella with French heritage wants to experience a new setting and is cut out/penalised for making a career/life choice

Irish fella with no French heritage does similar but isn't cut out

Aussies and Kiwi's travel the 7 seas togging out for Ireland

Thoroughly embarrassing and it makes them a hard team to like

[seafoid]

The next World Cup is not that far off. Have Ireland improved since the last one ?

[JoG2]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

More Aussies in squad than Munstermen.

But their grassroots model is to be followed?

Just because you type it doesn't make it true!

[JPGJOHNNYG]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

More Aussies in squad than Munstermen.

But their grassroots model is to be followed?

A complete joke the eligibility rules

Irish fella with French heritage wants to experience a new setting and is cut out/penalised for making a career/life choice

Irish fella with no French heritage does similar but isn't cut out

Aussies and Kiwi's travel the 7 seas togging out for Ireland

Thoroughly embarrassing and it makes them a hard team to like

The rules are a mess and residential eligibility should be 5 yrs or more but you are being very harsh on Irish rugby. Most other countries are at and to a much greater degree. England have been taking the piss for yrs. Ricky flutey as soon as he qualifies for england then goes and plays club rugby in France doesnt even stay in England. Scotand and Wales are full of southern hemisphere lads. NZ and Oz have been taking their pick of the pacific islanders for yrs. It doesnt stop at rugby. Cricket athletics, tennis. Its the world we live in. Even football. Many countries are chancing their arm and their recruitment drives would make jack charlton blush. The republic in that sense have almost become quite insular compared to many.

[Hound]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

More Aussies in squad than Munstermen.

But their grassroots model is to be followed?

A complete joke the eligibility rules

Irish fella with French heritage wants to experience a new setting and is cut out/penalised for making a career/life choice

Irish fella with no French heritage does similar but isn't cut out

Aussies and Kiwi's travel the 7 seas togging out for Ireland

Thoroughly embarrassing and it makes them a hard team to like

Heritage completely irrelevant.

It's a pretty simple rule. You want to play for Ireland, then you play in Ireland, otherwise rugby in Ireland would become like soccer in Ireland. There was one exception made early on for a very special player. Such an exception is unlikely to be made again. The rule has worked extremely well in keeping the best players in the provinces.

[tiempo]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

More Aussies in squad than Munstermen.

But their grassroots model is to be followed?

A complete joke the eligibility rules

Irish fella with French heritage wants to experience a new setting and is cut out/penalised for making a career/life choice

Irish fella with no French heritage does similar but isn't cut out

Aussies and Kiwi's travel the 7 seas togging out for Ireland

Thoroughly embarrassing and it makes them a hard team to like

Heritage completely irrelevant.

It's a pretty simple rule. You want to play for Ireland, then you play in Ireland, otherwise rugby in Ireland would become like soccer in Ireland. There was one exception made early on for a very special player. Such an exception is unlikely to be made again. The rule has worked extremely well in keeping the best players in the provinces.

Heritage isn't irrelevant in the context of Zebo's move, its part of the reason he went, not simply to enrich himself and secure his family's future and certainly not to turn his back on Ireland. As you pointed out an exception was made, so its not really a rule at all then if it can be worked around to suit. Covered here and elsewhere many times no doubt.

Hypothetically if Furlong made the same move would the same exception be made? Short answer, yes.

Keeping the best players in the provinces via this method, making them choose a less prosperous day job and the opportunity to grow and evolve in a new setting in order to earn representative honors is piss poor philosophy, the players aren't slaves to the Irish system, well they are if they want to play for Ireland (unless your name is Jonny Sexton).

Ironically players moving if they want and picking up new routines, skills and best practice in a new environment is likely to improve Ireland's chances, but instead the IRFU invest in a global fishing expedition

And yes Eng, NZ, etc. are just as guilty, it pains me to watch Anscombe playing for Wales, a county with a much richer rugby heritage than Ireland.

[Baile Brigín 2]

One Ulsterman in the 23 but 3 Kiwis in the back line - Rugby eligibility rules are a nonsense!

More Aussies in squad than Munstermen.

But their grassroots model is to be followed?

A complete joke the eligibility rules

Irish fella with French heritage wants to experience a new setting and is cut out/penalised for making a career/life choice

Irish fella with no French heritage does similar but isn't cut out

Aussies and Kiwi's travel the 7 seas togging out for Ireland

Thoroughly embarrassing and it makes them a hard team to like

Heritage completely irrelevant.

It's a pretty simple rule. You want to play for Ireland, then you play in Ireland, otherwise rugby in Ireland would become like soccer in Ireland. There was one exception made early on for a very special player. Such an exception is unlikely to be made again. The rule has worked extremely well in keeping the best players in the provinces.

Fine. But it's no longer an Irish representative team. It's a league select.

And on the basis the Irish team are contracted and paid it's completely illegal.

This entire structure has one objective. Pay players less than their market vslue.

[Baile Brigín 2]

[




Ironically players moving if they want and picking up new routines, skills and best practice in a new environment is likely to improve Ireland's chances, but instead the IRFU invest in a global fishing expedition

This. The IRFU have made a clear and conscious decision to use the national team to supress wages for their provincial sides at the detriment to the national team. Irish players cannot go to the best leagues and improve and still play for Ireland, instead that talent is imported.

It's a farce and with two of the four provinces nearly going under it isn't even working.