"The GAA at local level is the very heart of the Irish person"

[thewobbler]

Have been saying the same thing about rugby since I met Lomu in Ravenhill in 2008 and he was one of the smaller players to stand beside, that and awareness of the life expectancy of NFL players.

Rugby needs to make its pitch 10-15 yards wider, to free up lateral space and re-invoke a need for lighter, more dexterous players. If it doesn't do this, the game will be uninsurable by 2035.

[seafoid]

Clifden seem to have a few boys that play or have played rugby too and Darragh Kennedy currently plays for Galwegians. Was Rugby always popular in that part of Galway?

There is a Connemara rugby club based in Clifden
https://www.connemararfc.ie/

[seafoid]

Have been saying the same thing about rugby since I met Lomu in Ravenhill in 2008 and he was one of the smaller players to stand beside, that and awareness of the life expectancy of NFL players.

Rugby needs to make its pitch 10-15 yards wider, to free up lateral space and re-invoke a need for lighter, more dexterous players. If it doesn't do this, the game will be uninsurable by 2035.

I don't think professionalism has worked for rugby union. The downsides are stronger than the upsides imo.
TV money pays wages.
TV likes collisions but they don't suit players.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrWDOZmhqmg&t=34s

Concussion costs will bankrupt unions.
Maybe semi pro would work. But it would have to be coherent because rugby currently isn't.

[Itchy]

Well if it does die like you boys are predicting, where will the big alps across the country go for sport then - tug o war?

[seafoid]

Well if it does die like you boys are predicting, where will the big alps across the country go for sport then - tug o war?

They won't be Alps any more. Wicklow mountains

Rugby split once before. Could happen again.

[Eire90]

rugby 7s probably less brutal on players.

[Heshs Umpire]

Sport in Ireland is really about different tribes. Especially in the North, but also in the South.

Dublin is an interesting example. Pre Kevin Heffernan, Dublin teams were usually backboned by people from the country.
Dublin now is probably majority culchie so the GAA side is self propelling.

Rugby has made some inroads beyond its traditional bastions. Eg Tullow

It's hard for non traditional soccer teams to stay in the Premier Division. Even Cork soccer has gone through a number of reorganisations over the years.
The League of Ireland roll of honour probably wouldn't surprise anyone from a century ago.

The biggest problem facing all male sports is not lads choosing to play a rival sport. It's general disinterest and laziness among a lot of the "Playstation generation".
And to add to that you can factor in the amount of lads who just want to play sport casually (e.g. 5 a side on the astroturf) or do their own thing as in gym, running, cycling without actually joining a club in any sport.
I wouldn't have figures to hand but just anecdotally in my home county Laois, there's a huge drop off in the number of junior soccer clubs, the two local rugby clubs now struggle to put out a second team whereas they used to have thirds and sometimes fourths and GAA clubs that used to have three teams have two or had two teams and now have one.
Women's sports actually seem to be doing quite well and growing.

[tonto1888]

Hopefully that awful sport will fade away.
If they want to keep afloat the first thing they should do is get rid of them scrum thingys.
Like bullocks pucking at a ditch.

league is a much better game anyway