The People's Game

[Dinny Breen]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2018/0305/945243-is-the-ireland-rugby-team-the-new-jacks-army/

The insufferable Daire O'Brien intimated that rugby was now the people's game on Against the Head the other night. I say he is delighted that such click bait provoked the response it did.

While it's pretty obvious to anyone that rugby is nowhere the people's sport, it's the strongest professional domestic game by a mile and it's international dimension ensures good ratings and nationalistic pride every spring and once every 4 years so as far as a good bandwagon goes yep it's well up there on the people's game ratings.

However as regards playing numbers and partcipation levels god no, Cork would have more GAA clubs than there is rugby clubs in all of Ireland and Kildare has roughly the same number of GAA clubs as there is Rugby clubs in all of Leinster.

But most intelligent people know all this so yet I was still amazed at the social media response and the amount of on-line polls that sprung up. Are people really that insecure about their own sport and passions that they need to take the pitch forks out?

We're a country that loves sport, sorry watching it as participation numbers are dropping across all levels, that's where the ire should be not whether rugby is the people's game..

[longballin]

I don't get why people need to run down other sports - smacks off insecurity. Room for them all and i like most.

[Shamrock Shore]

These rugby boys get lost up their own holes sometimes.

Look - I am a fan of rugby and would rate my passion for the Irish team ahead of the soccer boys. But my passion is in the ha'penny place when compared to Longford GAA, county and club.

How many go to see club games in rugby? Blackrock RFC is dying a slow death here near me. Seapoint is, well, whodefuk knows?

The international team gets good support, as do the provincial pro teams. Prob a fair few bandwaggoners in all these camps including the usual ditzy blonds who would go cos "Gavin got me a ticket loike. I haven't a clue whots going on, loike,  but the craic ofter waaaaaaas mental, loike".

But the people's game?

ME ARSE

[seafoid]

These rugby boys get lost up their own holes sometimes.

Look - I am a fan of rugby and would rate my passion for the Irish team ahead of the soccer boys. But my passion is in the ha'penny place when compared to Longford GAA, county and club.

How many go to see club games in rugby? Blackrock RFC is dying a slow death here near me. Seapoint is, well, whodefuk knows?

The international team gets good support, as do the provincial pro teams. Prob a fair few bandwaggoners in all these camps including the usual ditzy blonds who would go cos "Gavin got me a ticket loike. I haven't a clue whots going on, loike,  but the craic ofter waaaaaaas mental, loike".

But the people's game?

ME ARSE

Beating Galway or Tipp or Derry reaches the parts that minority sports can't. 

https://youtu.be/1q6otO_GLTY

[Avondhu star]

These rugby boys get lost up their own holes sometimes.

Look - I am a fan of rugby and would rate my passion for the Irish team ahead of the soccer boys. But my passion is in the ha'penny place when compared to Longford GAA, county and club.

How many go to see club games in rugby? Blackrock RFC is dying a slow death here near me. Seapoint is, well, whodefuk knows?

The international team gets good support, as do the provincial pro teams. Prob a fair few bandwaggoners in all these camps including the usual ditzy blonds who would go cos "Gavin got me a ticket loike. I haven't a clue whots going on, loike,  but the craic ofter waaaaaaas mental, loike".

But the people's game?

ME ARSE

Plenty of dumbo get tickets for the all Ireland's too that haven't a clue

[Jim_Murphy_74]

Plenty of dumbo get tickets for the all Ireland's too that haven't a clue

All that that proves, as with Jackie's Army, Munster Rugby and Ireland Rugby is that Paddy loves a bandwagon.

/Jim.

[magpie seanie]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2018/0305/945243-is-the-ireland-rugby-team-the-new-jacks-army/

The insufferable Daire O'Brien intimated that rugby was now the people's game on Against the Head the other night. I say he is delighted that such click bait provoked the response it did.

While it's pretty obvious to anyone that rugby is nowhere the people's sport, it's the strongest professional domestic game by a mile and it's international dimension ensures good ratings and nationalistic pride every spring and once every 4 years so as far as a good bandwagon goes yep it's well up there on the people's game ratings.

However as regards playing numbers and partcipation levels god no, Cork would have more GAA clubs than there is rugby clubs in all of Ireland and Kildare has roughly the same number of GAA clubs as there is Rugby clubs in all of Leinster.

But most intelligent people know all this so yet I was still amazed at the social media response and the amount of on-line polls that sprung up. Are people really that insecure about their own sport and passions that they need to take the pitch forks out?

We're a country that loves sport, sorry watching it as participation numbers are dropping across all levels, that's where the ire should be not whether rugby is the people's game..

Agree. Well put and very measured and accurate.

Social media reaction and on-line poles should be counted as meaningless. The fact they're given any weight is a sad (but true) reflection of where we are today.

"The people's game" - people mainly use terms like that to wind other people up. Best ignored.

[rosnarun]

WELCOME TO RUGBY COUNTRY