The IRISH RUGBY thread

[yellowcard]

Boring,? U watch much soccer?

yes. It is boring but less boring than rugby union

Rugby is a game based primarily on physical strength and brute force. There can't be many sports where the level of technical skill required is much lesser than rugby. Massive amounts of hype, sponsorship and clever marketing shouldn't cover up that fact. The reality is that for an awful lot of supporters it's just about the big occasion rather than the actual game itself. Otherwise the game would be flourishing at club level. I'd say the majority of people tuning in for the big internationals watch very little, if any rugby in between.

Soccer can be boring but the balance is much more towards technical ability rather than physical attributes.

Is that phenomenon really unique to rugby in Ireland? What percentage of Irish soccer viewers are making their way to Oriel, the Brandywell, or the Showgrounds of a Friday evening?

The League of Ireland is in a much better place than it has been in a long time. Attendances are up across the board and it is much more authentic than what you see in the big League across the water. No doubt there are plenty who just follow the big English sides but as a proportion I'd say there are significantly more LOI match going fans following the Irish soccer side than AIL fans following Irish rugby.   

https://www.extratime.com/articles/32963/loi-attendances-2024---growing-pains-in-the-league-of-irelands-increase-in-popularity/

[JoG2]

Boring,? U watch much soccer?

yes. It is boring but less boring than rugby union

Rugby is a game based primarily on physical strength and brute force. There can't be many sports where the level of technical skill required is much lesser than rugby. Massive amounts of hype, sponsorship and clever marketing shouldn't cover up that fact. The reality is that for an awful lot of supporters it's just about the big occasion rather than the actual game itself. Otherwise the game would be flourishing at club level. I'd say the majority of people tuning in for the big internationals watch very little, if any rugby in between.

Soccer can be boring but the balance is much more towards technical ability rather than physical attributes.

Is that phenomenon really unique to rugby in Ireland? What percentage of Irish soccer viewers are making their way to Oriel, the Brandywell, or the Showgrounds of a Friday evening?

The League of Ireland is in a much better place than it has been in a long time. Attendances are up across the board and it is much more authentic than what you see in the big League across the water. No doubt there are plenty who just follow the big English sides but as a proportion I'd say there are significantly more LOI match going fans following the Irish soccer side than AIL fans following Irish rugby.   

https://www.extratime.com/articles/32963/loi-attendances-2024---growing-pains-in-the-league-of-irelands-increase-in-popularity/

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

[yellowcard]

Boring,? U watch much soccer?

yes. It is boring but less boring than rugby union

Rugby is a game based primarily on physical strength and brute force. There can't be many sports where the level of technical skill required is much lesser than rugby. Massive amounts of hype, sponsorship and clever marketing shouldn't cover up that fact. The reality is that for an awful lot of supporters it's just about the big occasion rather than the actual game itself. Otherwise the game would be flourishing at club level. I'd say the majority of people tuning in for the big internationals watch very little, if any rugby in between.

Soccer can be boring but the balance is much more towards technical ability rather than physical attributes.

Is that phenomenon really unique to rugby in Ireland? What percentage of Irish soccer viewers are making their way to Oriel, the Brandywell, or the Showgrounds of a Friday evening?

The League of Ireland is in a much better place than it has been in a long time. Attendances are up across the board and it is much more authentic than what you see in the big League across the water. No doubt there are plenty who just follow the big English sides but as a proportion I'd say there are significantly more LOI match going fans following the Irish soccer side than AIL fans following Irish rugby.   

https://www.extratime.com/articles/32963/loi-attendances-2024---growing-pains-in-the-league-of-irelands-increase-in-popularity/

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

Not sure but I would imagine the soccer would have more over the course of a season but I can't be sure. But then you're not exactly comparing like with like. One is mostly based on a domestic league with smaller regional teams while the other is based on 4 larger provinces and which has an international dimension to it. Also factor in that the number of games in rugby are likely to be significantly less over the course of a season than soccer. 

[seafoid]

Boring,? U watch much soccer?

yes. It is boring but less boring than rugby union

Rugby is a game based primarily on physical strength and brute force. There can't be many sports where the level of technical skill required is much lesser than rugby. Massive amounts of hype, sponsorship and clever marketing shouldn't cover up that fact. The reality is that for an awful lot of supporters it's just about the big occasion rather than the actual game itself. Otherwise the game would be flourishing at club level. I'd say the majority of people tuning in for the big internationals watch very little, if any rugby in between.

Soccer can be boring but the balance is much more towards technical ability rather than physical attributes.

   

That's the forwards. Rugby back play is about space and motion. Same as GAA or soccer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiJChmhe9A4&t=2845s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWr9Oz-cnzI

[yellowcard]

Boring,? U watch much soccer?

yes. It is boring but less boring than rugby union

Rugby is a game based primarily on physical strength and brute force. There can't be many sports where the level of technical skill required is much lesser than rugby. Massive amounts of hype, sponsorship and clever marketing shouldn't cover up that fact. The reality is that for an awful lot of supporters it's just about the big occasion rather than the actual game itself. Otherwise the game would be flourishing at club level. I'd say the majority of people tuning in for the big internationals watch very little, if any rugby in between.

Soccer can be boring but the balance is much more towards technical ability rather than physical attributes.

   

That's the forwards. Rugby back play is about space and motion. Same as GAA or soccer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiJChmhe9A4&t=2845s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWr9Oz-cnzI

There is very little that I see in a game of rugby that has the wow factor unless you are into heavy collisions and big tackles which I accept that some people do want to see.

But purely from a technical skill level, the sport does not require a great deal and that also includes the backs barring the rare exception like O'Driscoll. Most top level centres now are 15 stone and built like tanks.

[From the Bunker]

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

To measure like with like you'd have to exclude Ulster!

[JoG2]

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

To measure like with like you'd have to exclude Ulster!

Why?

[snoopdog]

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

To measure like with like you'd have to exclude Ulster!

34.5k attended all LOI games on opening weekend of the season. That's both divisions.

[Wildweasel74]

Wonder what the attendance is for a full round of Gaelic football and Hurling over a weekend.

[screenexile]

Wonder what the attendance is for a full round of Gaelic football and Hurling over a weekend.

There were 12k in Derry for the Dubs!

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

To measure like with like you'd have to exclude Ulster!

Why?

Only one LOI team out of 10 is in Ulster?

Do you combine it with the Irish Premiership attendances?

[Ed Ricketts]

Boring,? U watch much soccer?

yes. It is boring but less boring than rugby union

Rugby is a game based primarily on physical strength and brute force. There can't be many sports where the level of technical skill required is much lesser than rugby. Massive amounts of hype, sponsorship and clever marketing shouldn't cover up that fact. The reality is that for an awful lot of supporters it's just about the big occasion rather than the actual game itself. Otherwise the game would be flourishing at club level. I'd say the majority of people tuning in for the big internationals watch very little, if any rugby in between.

Soccer can be boring but the balance is much more towards technical ability rather than physical attributes.

Is that phenomenon really unique to rugby in Ireland? What percentage of Irish soccer viewers are making their way to Oriel, the Brandywell, or the Showgrounds of a Friday evening?

The League of Ireland is in a much better place than it has been in a long time. Attendances are up across the board and it is much more authentic than what you see in the big League across the water. No doubt there are plenty who just follow the big English sides but as a proportion I'd say there are significantly more LOI match going fans following the Irish soccer side than AIL fans following Irish rugby.   

https://www.extratime.com/articles/32963/loi-attendances-2024---growing-pains-in-the-league-of-irelands-increase-in-popularity/

Why compare with the AIL? The URC is the league competition for Irish rugby clubs.

Average ROI soccer international home attendance 2023: 42,000
Average total LOI round attendance 2023: 22,000
Drop off = 48%

Average Ireland rugby international home attendance 2023: 49,500
Average total URC round attendance for Irish clubs (- Ulster) 22/23: 37,500
Drop off = 24%

Both sports could do a better job attracting event junkies to lower profile club games, but there's clearly a very strong appetite for watching rugby in Ireland beyond the heavily marketed national side.

[JoG2]

Wonder what the attendance is for a full round of Gaelic football and Hurling over a weekend.

There were 12k in Derry for the Dubs!

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

To measure like with like you'd have to exclude Ulster!

Why?

Only one LOI team out of 10 is in Ulster?

Do you combine it with the Irish Premiership attendances?

There's 2 actually, still don't know why you'd leave out Ulster

[tonto1888]

Wonder what the attendance is for a full round of Gaelic football and Hurling over a weekend.

There were 12k in Derry for the Dubs!

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

To measure like with like you'd have to exclude Ulster!

Why?

Only one LOI team out of 10 is in Ulster?

Do you combine it with the Irish Premiership attendances?

There's 2 actually, still don't know why you'd leave out Ulster

Derry and who else?

[JoG2]

Wonder what the attendance is for a full round of Gaelic football and Hurling over a weekend.

There were 12k in Derry for the Dubs!

Yes, paid professional soccer players / clubs. Do the 4 professional rugby clubs pull in bigger crowds the the entire LOI combined?

To measure like with like you'd have to exclude Ulster!

Why?

Only one LOI team out of 10 is in Ulster?

Do you combine it with the Irish Premiership attendances?

There's 2 actually, still don't know why you'd leave out Ulster

Derry and who else?

Ah, premier. Div 1 not in the LOI?

[An Watcher]

How could you forget about the mighty Harps of Ballybofey