There are a couple of things have been eating away at me for a few days.
The first one is that if this trial had involved two Leinster or Munster players and we had the same trial outcome in Dublin or Limerick, with the case heard in camera, the public would be none the wiser and you can be sure they would have resumed their careers with barely a word said. This case has certainly made me wonder about sports stars unexplained absences or injuries that last longer than they seemingly should!
The other thing that was eating at me was the incident involving two very high profile Munster players a couple of years ago that saw a video emerge before the story (and video) was buried and the incident swept under the carpet. The same players are lauded now and their morals haven't been discussed or called into question. There was no hint that their activities on the night in question were anything other than consensual I should add.
That is a huge difference though. There was more than a hint of non- consensual in the Ulster case. A girl reported she had been raped and was prepared to go through a terrible trial ordeal, when it would have been easier to walk away.
That is now being forgotten of course and the emphasis is back on the legends and their future careers.
Rugby is a small enough world. I doubt they will have much luck getting a gig anywhere else tbh. French clubs have standards too and Macron is backing reviews about age of consent and consent in general. The Frenchies might be laissez-faire about sex/adultery/ age, but they are not into non-consensual sex - or any hint of it. They are classier than that.
