Congress to Consider Rugby World Cup Role

[onefaircounty]

having thought about it, I'm now not so sure.

when would the World Cup be played? During the GAA season?

what sort of funding would the event get?

What benefit would it have for the GAA?

What would the GAA do with any profit?

when would the World Cup be played? During the GAA season?
Yes, maybe we'll get some Kiwis at a few GAA games. Perfect chance to market our sport as well.

what sort of funding would the event get?
Lots.

What benefit would it have for the GAA?
Exposure, income.

What would the GAA do with any profit?
Well seeing as they pump so much back into clubs, it would likely be that. Would be great.

[brokencrossbar1]

having thought about it, I'm now not so sure.

when would the World Cup be played? During the GAA season?  No, the Rugby WC is generally in October

what sort of funding would the event get?  We don't know but wait until that is made known before making a judgement
What benefit would it have for the GAA?  Improved facilities around a number of stadia, potential financial investment and potentially improved and wider exposure.
What would the GAA do with any profit?  Financial input into the grass roots you would hope but once again save judgement until indicated

[Redhand Santa]

I'm not totally against the idea but there is some myths when it comes to the opening of gaa grounds to rugby. I don't think the gaa get anything out of the extra exposure talked about. I don't believe there were any significant additional members,players or supporters as a result of croke park being opened up. I can't see a rugby world cup doing anything to sell the gaa.

It would be the greatest shot in the arm and pr boost rugby would ever get in this country. The gaa may be mentiond briefly at the start of the competition in relation to the grounds but it would me extremely tiny in comparison to the exposure rugby would get during the tournament.

The one benefit the gaa would get would be a financial one. But I'm not convinced the money would be used in a way to promote the games properly.

[IolarCoisCuain]

You know Santa, I'm not even sure there'd be that much money in it.

I think everyone agrees that if the GAA are to do it, they should ask for a big ball of money for the use of their stadia. But when they do that, the IRFU can then go on a PR offensive and say that everything is in place for Ireland to host the Rugby World Cup except the money. The exhorbitent price being charged is breaking the camel's back. They talk to Joe about it, they get the Minister for Sport onside, they do the works. Will the GAA be able to face them down?

On the exposure thing, you're right of course. Rugby World Cups promote rugby. Nothing else. The GAA will mean the same as leprechauns and the Blarney Stone. Gas local colour, but not to be taken seriously.

[thewobbler]

When will the GAA and its members stop worrying about other sports? We're a paranoid organisation.

Agreed fully. It's almost like these people think Gaelic Football is a weaker sport, and we have to stop anyone else from finding out. Paranoid loons.

I'd also like to know why so many GAA fans want to market an Irish-only sport to a foreign audience. Who really gives a toss about what Max from Austria thinks about hurling? Inless he's got a holiday home in Bundoran, he's not going to be spending money on it anytime in the future.

[Redhand Santa]

When will the GAA and its members stop worrying about other sports? We're a paranoid organisation.

Agreed fully. It's almost like these people think Gaelic Football is a weaker sport, and we have to stop anyone else from finding out. Paranoid loons.

I'd also like to know why so many GAA fans want to market an Irish-only sport to a foreign audience. Who really gives a toss about what Max from Austria thinks about hurling? Inless he's got a holiday home in Bundoran, he's not going to be spending money on it anytime in the future.

As a gaa supporter my main concern is for the gaa. I'm just not convinced that bringing a rugby world cup to Ireland would do anything for our games. I think anyone who doesn't believe that giving another sport access to huge positive publicity and a free PR blitz would help sell their games to youngsters are naive in the extreme. I can only imagine the hype the Irish media would create over it. Rugby already gets a helping hand from the Dublin press but this would be a different scale.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Lads it all comes down to the benjamins as Kenny Egan would say. Or money in laymans terms.

Airy fairy notions of "what does it do for our games?" will be considered for about 5 minutes tops.

[Eamonnca1]

I'd also like to know why so many GAA fans want to market an Irish-only sport to a foreign audience.

An "Irish-only" sport? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnszZJLdJHQ

Who really gives a toss about what Max from Austria thinks about hurling? Inless he's got a holiday home in Bundoran, he's not going to be spending money on it anytime in the future.

A certain number of "Max from Austria" type people are going to take the sport up once they see it.  For others, it's a spectator sport that can become a tourist attraction. 

Only in defeatist Ireland would people play down the value of the greatest games on earth.

[Hound]

No brainer for the GAA to agree to this.

Money for nothing.

Very good for the country as well, given then number of visitors we'll get.

Will of course give rugby a boost in this county, but nothing substantial or long lasting. Unless Ireland win it! But I don't think that's going to happen.

The success of the provinces does far more for rugby in Ireland than the holding of a world cup will. We are losing some elite players to rugby, but few and far between. There's more provincial rugby supporters now, but most of them are GAA supporters too. I'm a "massive" Leinster supporter, go to all their Lansdowne Road Heineken Cup games, been there to see them lift 2 of their cups (and was overjoyed in doing it). But I've never been inside my local rugby club, even though I must have walked, cycled or driven past it well over a thousand times, and my kids are highly unlikely ever to go into it either.

While there are certainly things we can and should learn from rugby, we've nothing to fear from it.

[Tubberman]

Anger and thrust here - eejits. How many after this post are so certain that they are getting angry/upset or certain they will be here by the time a third world war is over/busted post conflict or relying on GM Potatoes area would be able to host these post war/basic survival games.
Maybe it will be just a big long happy crawl through life as it is now in the interim with little interest in other Countries as survival normally is.
We'll all be a long time dead.
Try and enjoy the interim if it is possible.
These Celtic Tiger boys writhing in a bath of money does not seem to have gone away you know.
Sad scum thinking only about money in a future they may well not see.
Think of the family and the craic and those closest first and enjoy every day.

Well that's a different outlook on the whole thing!

[oisinog]

It is a good idea to to open this up.

How many chances will we get to see a major international sporting championship in Ireland

[Hardy]

Let's take the low assumption all the way.

We can assume the same commercial deal will apply as before, with (worst case) a bulk discount for a large number of matches over a short period  - say 1 Million minimum per match in Croke Park, with proportionate rates for smaller stadiums.

Assume, given they have Aviva, Ravenhill and Thomond, that they only need Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Limerick, Pearse and Casement in addition to Croke Park (they'd probably need more, but let's be conservative). That's 8 stadiums for 40 matches, so we can assume 25 matches in GAA stadiums. Let's say it's just the final in Croke Park, so six matches each in the other four stadiums.


Croke Park
1 match, revenue = 1M

Cork
Capacity 40K, approx.
Fee per match, 1M*40/82.5 = .48M
6 matches, revenue = 2.9M

Limerick
Capacity 50K, approx.
Fee per match, .6M
6 matches, revenue = 3.6M

Galway
Capacity 36K, approx.
Fee per match, .44M
6 matches, revenue = 2.6M

Belfast
Capacity 40K, approx.
Fee per match, .48M
6 matches, revenue = 2.9M

Total revenue = 13 Million.

[magpie seanie]

If you're a sports fan you want to see this happen becase you want the RWC in Ireland. GAA get a few quid, we get the RWC in Ireland - everybody wins, right?

If you are a GAA person first there are other things to consider - like first and foremost, what is in the GAA's best interests. I said this the time of debate about CP being opened but the exposure rugby will get will be greater than anything they could do for themselves. The England game in Croke Park is/was the most talked about game of rugby in the history of our country - "the day we grew up as a nation" apparently. Imagine what a RWC would do for rugby in this country? How much cash is worth giving a competitor that advantage? Will the GAA get that cash and will it be used in a targetted way to maximise the benefit to the GAA?

To say rugby is not making inroads (in Connacht even!!!!) is complete horsehit. When I was growing up one lad played rugby that played on our U-12 team - his family were steeped in it and he lived next door to the rugby club. I never played one minute of rugby in my life, it wasn't really there. Now that same guy I played underage football with has a full time job going into schools coaching rugby (and doing a fine job - he's a good guy and good luck to him) and we have to schedule our U-8 training sessions to not clash with rugby or we'll be well down numbers wise when the seasons overlap. They are facts and that is in Sligo - hardly a rugby stronghold.

I've nothing against other sports - I love sport and follow most sports and enjoy them. But I'm a GAA man first and foremost. I don't believe the good (money) outweighs the negative (huge competitive advantage for competitor). I fully understand I'm wasting my time talking about it because the GAA will feel they have a gun to their head and it's a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Maybe the lesser of two evils is to agree to go ahead with the bid but don't tell me it's good for the GAA.

Rugby are spending their (considerable) resources at grassroots level on coaching and in 3 provinces (Connacht situation is scandalous really) which brings huge media attention. They got a sweetheart deal from the government for their new stadium and have not invested in bricks and mortar like the GAA have (GAA may have overdone it but that's not the point). They do not have the facilities to host a RWC and don't deserve to if we're being honest.

[Rossfan]

As a gaa supporter my main concern is for the gaa. I'm just not convinced that bringing a rugby world cup to Ireland would do anything for our games. I think anyone who doesn't believe that giving another sport access to huge positive publicity and a free PR blitz would help sell their games to youngsters are naive in the extreme. I can only imagine the hype the Irish media would create over it. Rugby already gets a helping hand from the Dublin press but this would be a different scale.

If the rubbyites want a "World " cup in Ireland let them build the stadia and pay for it themselves
They're well heeled enough 
Of course Varadkar being a politician will jump on any good news bandwagon while RTE and the Dublin based media will go all orgasmic over anything rubby.
As for exposure of GAA games  - don't make me laugh.  Those following this competition won't give 2 fcuks who owns the grounds in which the games are played.

[Hardy]

What is this "rubby" stuff supposed to mean?

Seánie, your argument is a good one. I don't like the gun-to-the-head feel of this either and there's no doubt it would be a massive boost for rugby in Ireland.

It comes down to whether supporting this will be positive, neutral or negative for the GAA and anyone who pronounces on this is pretending they can predict the future. Unfortunately, the consequences of refusing to support it are clear and certain - massive negative effects for the GAA. We are forced into adopting a measure with uncertain consequences in order to avoid the certain negative consequences of not adopting it.

So we just have to make the best of it. The money will be useful (I hate the nasty innuendo of some here that the GAA will not use it wisely). The whole occasion will be good for the country and it can't happen without us. The GAA is essentially a community development organisation. What's good for the country is good for the GAA, so we would be investing in our own objectives in a roundabout way.  And maybe the boost to the economy will bring home a few lads from Perth, Boston and Vancouver to their clubs.

And there are two ways of looking at competition - to fear it or to welcome it as a spur to improve ourselves. I remarked to the owner of my local, which was also the only restaurant in the village, that it was bad news when a competitor opened up next door to him. "Not at all", he says, "the more restaurants in the village, the more people come to the village to eat".

The more sporting options for youngsters, the more of them will put down their game controllers and try whatever sports are available to them.