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Try saying that anywhere now! I'd say a very high percentage, if not the majority, of underage club players in Ulster are from working class nationalist background. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone from a GAA background in Derry or Armagh make the Ireland senior team within the next few years.

Bizarre logic.

How many Catholic schools even play rugby in the O6?

https://twitter.com/spksport/status/791694698717085696

Not an answer to my question.

You only need to look here at a list of partaking schools to see the level of inroads that rugby has made in the O6 nationalist communities.

http://danskebankschoolscup.com/fixtures-results/results/

If rugby does seep into nationalist communities in the O6, it will be done similar to the way the AFL target GAA players. They will target the physically overpowering players at around 16/17/18 who have never played rugby before and train them up to speed rather quickly as the game itself requires little skill or instinct, just repetitive drills of smashing into big oafs.

Of course rugby will attract the impressionable and naive people to the game, the likely reality is that most people who are attending rugby matches and following the fortunes of the West Brit rugby team never played the game and probably had little to no interest in it until 15 years. The game is being pushed heavily by a sector of society and idiots who can't think clearly for themselves are being caught hook, line and sinker.

If you were ever thinking about starting a ponzi scheme, the new generation of rugby football fans should be your first port of call.

Try saying that anywhere now! I'd say a very high percentage, if not the majority, of underage club players in Ulster are from working class nationalist background. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone from a GAA background in Derry or Armagh make the Ireland senior team within the next few years.

Bizarre logic.

How many Catholic schools even play rugby in the O6?

Kilcoo will have too much craft for Maghery.
Be interesting to see if Slaughtneil have the legs for a buoyant Killyclogher.

Once the Slaughtneil lads put in a few tackles the buoyant Killclogher lads will be less buoyant, Derry club teams have done really well in this competition over the years as they come through a tough championship, as do Tyrone, but why they don't do well is certainly a strange one..

Killyclogher have come through a traditionally tough Tyrone SFC so I'd say they will be well fit for any physicality that Slaughtneil will throw at them.

Like i said earlier they have a tough championship so why do they falter in the club series ?

Do they really?

Cross have dominated Ulster club over the past 15 years or so.

Galls have picked up a couple of titles in that time.

Errigal Ciaran have picked up a title and a three Derry clubs have won singular titles in that time.

I think what benefits a team is having a comfortable county title which doesn't need too much exertion and allows them to peak for Ulster and also having experience at provincial level. You see the likes of Kilcoo who have about 5 on the trot now? Possibly more? Slaughtneil have their third Derry title on the trot? Scotstown have three of the last four in Monaghan. Having the experience of provincial championship and knowing what to expect is a big advantage.

In terms of Tyrone club performances in recent years, they haven't been far off. Trillick were edged out by Scotstown by a couple of points last year,  Omagh were beaten in the final by a point the year before against Salughtneil, Clonoe the year before that went down by 4 to eventual Ulster champions Ballinderry. Errigal going down to eventual All Ireland Champions Cross by 6 points in 2012 and Dromore losing to Ballinderry by 2 in 2011 etc.

It's not as if they are turning up and getting the floor wiped with them or anything. They are generally very competitive but have been a little bit short in what it takes get over the line. Would the likes of Cross, Scotstown, Kilcoo or Slaughtneil be putting back to back titles together with such ease in Tyrone? I very much doubt it. The last 7 Tyrone Championships have been won by 7 different sides - would you find that anywhere else in the country?

I think Killyclogher have a great chance against Slaughtneil and it should be a very close game. Slaughtneil quite rightly go in as favourites as they are a proven side who has been here and done it over the past few years.

McNulty's line of business is f**king rotten to say the least.

Another well thought out unbiased contribution from the bushes.

Care to unburden your well thought out and unbiased contention to that point?

Or is it in fact you, who offers nonsense from the bushes?

Give it a rest, bomber. You made your point several days ago. I understand you are not a fan of rugby.

How does the GAA treatment of the residents around Croke Park fit into your moral universe ?

So I should be censured because rugby lads don't like the facts?

No chance.

Are you comparing GAA's treatment of residents with support of apartheid in South Africa?

McNulty's line of business is f**king rotten to say the least.

Yeah they play in the high profile O'Fiaich Cup instead,

That's a competition.

I wouldn't be getting worked up over winning one in any case.

It's about context and the rugby fellas are getting worked up about winning a friendly and becoming hypersensitive when this pointed out.

How come you don't refer to the ROI soccer team as the West British soccer team?

They don't line out under a bastardised flag and belt out a pub song written by the son of a peeler.

Ironic that you feel this way given that the Ireland rugby team is probably the one team that represents and is supported by everyone in the 32 counties of Ireland.

It's not supported by me.

Some of us don't forget how they supported apartheid in South Africa.

Maybe you should jog on back to TFK where your bitter small-mindedness fitted in more comfortably.

I haven't posted on TFK in around 2 years and have not intention of.

If people are going to laud the rugby side because they draw from 32 counties (something the football team also do - only in football there is a requirement to accept the tricolour and Amhran na BhFiann) then they shouldn't try and sweep their grubby past under the table.

I think you will find the small minded people are those who like to pick and choose who are what actions represent them and the IRFU's support of apartheid South Africa is the most disgraceful moment in Irish sport.

Some background info for the uninformed.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/answering-apartheids-call-29839040.html

Yeah they play in the high profile O'Fiaich Cup instead,

That's a competition.

I wouldn't be getting worked up over winning one in any case.

It's about context and the rugby fellas are getting worked up about winning a friendly and becoming hypersensitive when this pointed out.

How come you don't refer to the ROI soccer team as the West British soccer team?

They don't line out under a bastardised flag and belt out a pub song written by the son of a peeler.

Ironic that you feel this way given that the Ireland rugby team is probably the one team that represents and is supported by everyone in the 32 counties of Ireland.

It's not supported by me.

Some of us don't forget how they supported apartheid in South Africa.

Some great footage of the 'friendly': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC-tpy9E0hs

Long walk from the dressing rooms.

No need for the ' ', mate.

That's makes a lovely smiley actually.

It's the concept of the 'test' that people seem to be struggling with. Until the 4 Nations started Rugby was basically like Cricket in that there were no international 'competitions'. Every game was an international test. Rugby does not really do 'friendlies', although now with the World Cup established, you could say that the pre-World Cup tests are basically that, friendlies. However the autumn internationals are a series of old style test internationals, and are certainly not friendlies.

If you understand that the concept of friendlies in the Soccer and GAA worlds does not really exist in Rugby at International Level, then you begin to understand why this is a big deal.

However, to be fair, there is no comparison between winning this game and beating them in a World Cup.

Glorified friendlies, in other words.

Yeah they play in the high profile O'Fiaich Cup instead,

That's a competition.

I wouldn't be getting worked up over winning one in any case.

It's about context and the rugby fellas are getting worked up about winning a friendly and becoming hypersensitive when this pointed out.

You did get quite excited when tyrone won by your criteria a niche competition this year, ie the ulster championship. There are only 9 teams in it and none of them had to qualify. Also only 3 or 4 of them really take it seriously so it didn't really mean all that much and wasn't worth getting excited about.

A competition, not a friendly. I think you'll find 8 of the counties in Ulster take it seriously - some of them just happen to not be very good.

Please take this on board: the criteria for what qualifies as success is set from within the sport.

The criteria is quite a low base when it comes to rugby so.

As it is in every sport until success becomes commonplace.

When England finally won the Ashes in 2005 (I think that was the year) it genuinely was an historic occasion... but more importantly it set a new bar for English cricket.

When Europe won the Ryder Cup in 1982, it "changed golf forever".

Beating Derby County or Notts Forest while staying up used to be enough to make a Leicester City fan's season.

Watch what happens the next time Meath or Down wins a provincial title to see how teams realign their goals according to what is achievable.

Cricket is another commonwealth game.

Golf, a past time for pensioners and the affluent.

I find it hard to understand the hype that goes with the national side of a country (where rugby is about the fourth of fifth most popular played sport and the game itself has a limited gloabal reach) who continue to fail to meet expectations on the world scene - never won a knockout game.

The football side constantly are criticised and ridiculed for punching above their weight which is far and above the most popular sport across the globe. Yet football is far and away the most popular sport in the nation. It's bizarre but probably due to the fickle, glory chasing  streak of the Irish.

Yeah they play in the high profile O'Fiaich Cup instead,

That's a competition.

I wouldn't be getting worked up over winning one in any case.

It's about context and the rugby fellas are getting worked up about winning a friendly and becoming hypersensitive when this pointed out.

You did get quite excited when tyrone won by your criteria a niche competition this year, ie the ulster championship. There are only 9 teams in it and none of them had to qualify. Also only 3 or 4 of them really take it seriously so it didn't really mean all that much and wasn't worth getting excited about.

A competition, not a friendly. I think you'll find 8 of the counties in Ulster take it seriously - some of them just happen to not be very good.

Please take this on board: the criteria for what qualifies as success is set from within the sport.

The criteria is quite a low base when it comes to rugby so.

Lads, stop comparing apples with oranges.

If you have any examples of friendly wins being blown out of proportion in other sports please put them up for comparison.

In the meantime:



Ireland has the seventh highest rugby playing population in the world yet has never made it past the last 8 in the sport.

Ireland also includes tag rugby players in their total playing numbers. LOLZ.

Yeah they play in the high profile O'Fiaich Cup instead,

That's a competition.

I wouldn't be getting worked up over winning one in any case.

It's about context and the rugby fellas are getting worked up about winning a friendly and becoming hypersensitive when this pointed out.

You did get quite excited when tyrone won by your criteria a niche competition this year, ie the ulster championship. There are only 9 teams in it and none of them had to qualify. Also only 3 or 4 of them really take it seriously so it didn't really mean all that much and wasn't worth getting excited about.

A competition, not a friendly. I think you'll find 8 of the counties in Ulster take it seriously - some of them just happen to not be very good.