Ireland's Greatest Sporting Moment RTE 2

[Esmarelda]

It's RTÉ so it'll  be a rubby game that wins - probably the time we bailed out the homeless IRFU by letting them play England in Croke Pk.
They seem to have an obsession with that in Dublin 4.

PS - haven't watched any of this thing and have no intention of doing so

Are you implying that it's fixed? The most watched sports events on RTE last year were mainly GAA and soccer so I don't follow your logic.

So no GAA representation and likely no GAA moment to decide greatest moment tonight... a joke of a programme. 

Well a hurling event couldn't possibly be expected to win. The Liam McCarthy is only played between a handful of teams and it's not a worldwide sport. Did you not read the lads' opinions on rugby below.

Soccer it is so.

Ireland have never won the major prize in rugby, in fact they've never even made in past the last 8.

And in soccer they've won what? I get that you don't like rugby, neither do I. But your arguments make no sense to me.

The same they have in rugby and football in a global sport which is the no. 1 sport all over the world. Being 8th in a game around 8 countries take half seriously is no great achievement. Being in top 8 in a sport hundreds of countries take very seriously is a far greater feat.

You don't seem to be getting it in any case so I'll try once more.

Rugby, very small, very limited global participation.
Football, very big, massive global participation.

I get it, I just don't see how that matters in a contest to see what the Irish public rate as their favourite sporting moment

On the global participation point, I give you G.A.A.  Should it not be considered as it's only played in Ireland? Should hurling be further disregarded because so few counties take it seriously?

With regards to our first point on your most recent post, you're comparing the two World Cups only. Looking down a level, I'd have thought that the Tri-Nations and the Six Nations are the next level of competition. Compare them to the Euros perhaps. Ireland won the Six Nations AND beat ever team en route. The Irish soccer team came nowhere near to doing that.

Another point you made previously (at least I think it was you, apologies if it wasn't)is that many Irish people that watch rugby only do so when it's popular and that many of them don't participate in the sport. What does that matter? Again, it's a question of what do you think is the greatest sporting moment of all time? I don't see how a viewer's non-viewing interest in the sport matters in the slightest.

[longballin]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

[Owen Brannigan]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

They slag off rugby but eat and drink the other British game of association football including following Premier League teams.  Not many of them have ever been to a minor league game in their local areas or supported such teams.

[tonto1888]

The Grand Slam was easily the sporting moment of the 00s. Not even close.

Grand slam? Beating 5 other teams in a non-world event?? Get a grip. Harrington was the correct choice.f**king egg chasers is right. They beat 3/4 of a New Zealand team last year in a FRIENDLY and the country was in meltdown. They get far too much hype whereas Harrington didn't get enough

In Euro 88, Holland had five games in a non-world event, didn't even win them all and still were champions. Still, I'm sure they had a better sporting achievement that year too.

But football is a global sport, it survives by itself due to its global appeal.

Scoring a last minute equaliser against one of football's superpowers in the dying minutes of a group game at a World Cup may seem trivial but when you view it in its context it's a whole lot more than winning an annual 6 team tournament in a sport where only about 8 countries take semi-seriously.

If truth be told the Irish team are one massive set of over-hyped, under achieving fun boys. They've never been past the last 8 in the World Cup in a sport only 8 teams take seriously. They're the only one of the 8 sides that take it seriously that have never been in the last 4 of a World Cup.

It's popularity in this country is more to do with its social outing culture and the increased chance of success given the small competition pool, there's a disproportionate amount of women at rugby matches compared to other sports. Most lads who attend rugby matches these days have never played an organised game of rugby in their life, that's an odd association with the game.

Im curious. Who are the 8 teams that take it seriously?

South Africa
New Zealand
Australia
France
Ireland
Wales
Scotland
England

Only New Zealand have it as their main sport.

and whats the criteria for taking it seriously?

What about Tonga, Samoa, Fiji?
Why not Argentina or Italy?
Whats the main sport in Aus/SA?

[longballin]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

They slag off rugby but eat and drink the other British game of association football including following Premier League teams.  Not many of them have ever been to a minor league game in their local areas or supported such teams.

True supping on the tit of Rupert Mordock and SKY TV Super Sundays

[Rossfan]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

For the record I wasn't and haven't watched rubby on TV since I was about 8.

[stew]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

Mainly Liverpool, Man United and Celtic fans slag off Rugby, i think its a brilliant sport.

Anything less than absolute victory in a sporting event should not even be considered!

Carruth, McGuigan and O'Sullivan are three examples, I would add Roche but that may or may not be tainted.

O'Sullivans run against the doped up Chinese was absolutely brilliant, to keep going knowing you were being fucked with every stride showed tremendous character and class.

Carruths Gold was incredibly unexpected and McGuigans victory over pedroza was brilliant, if only for a moment.

2002 AIF final was our nations finest moment in my opinion, with Sonia second and Carruth third.

[Bord na Mona man]

Anything less than absolute victory in a sporting event should not even be considered!

Carruth, McGuigan and O'Sullivan are three examples

How many Olympic golds did Sonia win?

[tonto1888]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

Mainly Liverpool, Man United and Celtic fans slag off Rugby, i think its a brilliant sport.

Anything less than absolute victory in a sporting event should not even be considered!

Carruth, McGuigan and O'Sullivan are three examples, I would add Roche but that may or may not be tainted.

O'Sullivans run against the doped up Chinese was absolutely brilliant, to keep going knowing you were being fucked with every stride showed tremendous character and class.

Carruths Gold was incredibly unexpected and McGuigans victory over pedroza was brilliant, if only for a moment.

2002 AIF final was our nations finest moment in my opinion, with Sonia second and Carruth third.

I think rugby is a very good sport though I prefer League.
Fully agree with your last sentence

[longballin]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

For the record I wasn't and haven't watched rubby on TV since I was about 8.

too busy watching Man U?

[Dinny Breen]

I am amused when people criticise sports they don't like because it doesn't fit the model of the sports they do like. Imposing a soccer model on top of rugby is pointless. They are completely different sports, with a different ethos regarding the meaning and values of international competition and indeed club competition. How would you impose the soccer model on International Test Cricket, the second most popular sport in the world as that seems to be a barometer of meaning, apart from the Ashes it has no meaningful trophies or tournaments and indeed a whole Test series can end in a draw, what kind of sport allows that!!!!

For the record Italia 90 is a great moment but as an achievement it sucked, we didn't win one game.

[rosnarun]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

Mainly Liverpool, Man United and Celtic fans slag off Rugby, i think its a brilliant sport.

Anything less than absolute victory in a sporting event should not even be considered!

Carruth, McGuigan and O'Sullivan are three examples, I would add Roche but that may or may not be tainted.

O'Sullivans run against the doped up Chinese was absolutely brilliant, to keep going knowing you were being fucked with every stride showed tremendous character and class.

Carruths Gold was incredibly unexpected and McGuigans victory over pedroza was brilliant, if only for a moment.

2002 AIF final was our nations finest moment in my opinion, with Sonia second and Carruth third.

I think rugby is a very good sport though I prefer League.
Fully agree with your last sentence

my one great Rugby pleasure in life is the IRFUs team letting egg on all their cheerleaders faces every time they fuckup when the stakes get big.

[BennyCake]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

Mainly Liverpool, Man United and Celtic fans slag off Rugby, i think its a brilliant sport.

Anything less than absolute victory in a sporting event should not even be considered!

Carruth, McGuigan and O'Sullivan are three examples, I would add Roche but that may or may not be tainted.

O'Sullivans run against the doped up Chinese was absolutely brilliant, to keep going knowing you were being fucked with every stride showed tremendous character and class.

Carruths Gold was incredibly unexpected and McGuigans victory over pedroza was brilliant, if only for a moment.

2002 AIF final was our nations finest moment in my opinion, with Sonia second and Carruth third.

I think rugby is a very good sport though I prefer League.
Fully agree with your last sentence

As do I (the first bit of it).

Not about his first sentence though. Rugby is a stupid stupid game. On a par with American Football.

[laoislad]

So many slagging off rugby and is most likely they were glued to the TV watching those big games...

Mainly Liverpool, Man United and Celtic fans slag off Rugby, i think its a brilliant sport.

Anything less than absolute victory in a sporting event should not even be considered!

Carruth, McGuigan and O'Sullivan are three examples, I would add Roche but that may or may not be tainted.

O'Sullivans run against the doped up Chinese was absolutely brilliant, to keep going knowing you were being fucked with every stride showed tremendous character and class.

Carruths Gold was incredibly unexpected and McGuigans victory over pedroza was brilliant, if only for a moment.

2002 AIF final was our nations finest moment in my opinion, with Sonia second and Carruth third.

I think rugby is a very good sport though I prefer League.
Fully agree with your last sentence

As do I (the first bit of it).

How was Killkenny beating Clare in the 2002 All Ireland Final Ireland's greatest sporting moment?

[Cunny Funt]

For the record Italia 90 is a great moment but as an achievement it sucked, we didn't win one game.

Or you could say ROI reached the Quarter final without losing a game eventually going down to the hosts by the narrowest of margins. To reach the last in 8 in your first ever World cup will considered by most as fine achievement.