30,000 went to see it the Gaelic Grounds in 2011, 60,000 went to see it in Croke Park. Standard attitude to the International Rules series? "It's a farce, nobody cares, we have to scrap it."
Nowadays a couple of hundred show up to watch the inter-provincials. Standard attitude to the Railway Cup? "Och sure we have to keep it going, it's a great tradition altogether."
I think the attitude is exactly the same to both, actually. Certainly among the die-hard GAA supporters. The Aussie Rules series has far more public interest though and more attempts to find the right balance between physicality and skill need to be made to ensure it doesn't end up in the same cul-de-sac as the Railway Cup.
Ditch both of them.
International Rules gets a crowd because it's a novelty, loads of kids go and the media get behind it.
This should be its last year though I'd say.
Sweet mother, not another one of these threads? The Railway Cup is dead as a spectator competition. The Gaa season is already crowded with competitions all in a mad rush to be tied up in September/October/November.
The Aussie muck, well!
The Railway Cup was big when there was shag all football on telly and it allowed people to see all the best players in action.
It's not longer relevant/needed.
The Railway Cup was a serious competition until the 70s when the senior club championships began.
The popularity of the latter took everybody by surprise and so did the demise in interest in the Railway Cup series. There was a definite link between them as if people suddenly decided to look inwards instead of out- or something like that.
The only reason that the interprovincial are still being played seems to be that intercounty players are still keen to them going. That's the official HQ line anyway.
Personally, I have no strong views one way or another.
Same with the International Series.
You'll get fairly big crowds alright but I've yet to see a solitary kid wearing a series jersey or groups of them playing their version of this game on the streets or in the parks. People go along for the novelty and in the hopes of seeing a good scrap or two but, as far as I can see, there is little or no public interest in the games in between series.
It's always amazed me that it took the GAA until the 70s to realise that, y'know, clubs might might to find out who is the best in the country too.
The later stages of the club championships are one of the absolute highlights of the GAA calendar.
Quote from: Syferus on July 06, 2013, 09:33:58 PM
It's always amazed me that it took the GAA until the 70s to realise that, y'know, clubs might might to find out who is the best in the country too.
The later stages of the club championships are one of the absolute highlights of the GAA calendar.
The Irony is that the Senior AI series was originally a club competition. But there was so much cheating by the clubs that came out of each county as champions that they had to go intercounty with the competition.
I think the distance plays a part in the lack of interest in the RC. Ulster fans would hardly travel if a semi was in Cork, and vice versa. I'm a big fan of the RC, and was at this years semi and final. Two cracking games.
I do attend the Rules usually too, but mainly to take the youngsters to a big game, more than anything. It is usually a great atmosphere and some of Ireland's best players on show. I wouldn't be too disappointed if the Rules were scrapped, but I would be disappointed if the RC was.
Quote from: BennyCake on July 06, 2013, 10:51:09 PM
I think the distance plays a part in the lack of interest in the RC.
A lot more reasons than that.
Connacht played a Semi in Kiltoom a few years ago and I think the official attendance was 93.
As a spectator sport the InterPros are long since gone off the radar.
The IR has the novelty value plus it's a chance for real GAA people ( as oopposed to those who follow the 2 garrison games :P) to shout for Ireland.
Quote from: Rossfan on July 06, 2013, 11:14:11 PM
Quote from: BennyCake on July 06, 2013, 10:51:09 PM
I think the distance plays a part in the lack of interest in the RC.
A lot more reasons than that.
Connacht played a Semi in Kiltoom a few years ago and I think the official attendance was 93.
As a spectator sport the InterPros are long since gone off the radar.
The IR has the novelty value plus it's a chance for real GAA people ( as oopposed to those who follow the 2 garrison games :P) to shout for Ireland.
In BOD we trust, lad.
Just hope Roscommon aren't playing the weekend of the Wales
ruggers game or I may have to betray the county, Ross.
Quote from: Rossfan on July 06, 2013, 11:14:11 PM
A lot more reasons than that.
Connacht played a Semi in Kiltoom a few years ago and I think the official attendance was 93.
As a spectator sport the InterPros are long since gone off the radar.
The IR has the novelty value plus it's a chance for real GAA people ( as oopposed to those who follow the 2 garrison games :P) to shout for Ireland.
Two pensioners and a greyhound watched a reserve match at our local club one night. Does that mean it should be scrapped? There's many a fan doesn't care about reserve games, yet matches continue.
Kenny Archer wrote an article in the Irish News a few weeks ago. He said crowds were poor at lower level hurling games (Meagher, Rackard, NHL 3 and 4 etc). He said rather than charging £5 or £6 or whatever the fee, let people in for free, so they can experience hurling. Bring the kids, let them witness a game. Get people interested basically. If the GAA lose €1000 for letting in 200 souls for free, is it really a big deal?
I'm sure there's been such games where there's been less than 93. Is that really a reason to scrap the competition? If the players, managers want the RC to continue, that's good enough for me, even if nobody turns up. The fact that it's been fitted into the GAA calendar this last two years, suggests there is room for the competition. And there's no reason why it shouldn't continue.
Benny, most of the "usual crew" around here tell us the IR should be scrapped because there's no interest in it. Attendances prove otherwise, unlike the Railway Cups which have no public interest.
However I was making the point that distance is not the reason people don't go to Railway Cup games.
But you went off on a rant on a different point.
One good point you made was the bit about free admission to these low crowd/non crowd games.
Charging â,¬25 to the Ring/Rackard/Meagher finals was absolute madness.
Quote from: BennyCake on July 06, 2013, 11:50:55 PM
Two pensioners and a greyhound watched a reserve match at our local club one night. Does that mean it should be scrapped? There's many a fan doesn't care about reserve games, yet matches continue.
Kenny Archer wrote an article in the Irish News a few weeks ago. He said crowds were poor at lower level hurling games (Meagher, Rackard, NHL 3 and 4 etc). He said rather than charging £5 or £6 or whatever the fee, let people in for free, so they can experience hurling. Bring the kids, let them witness a game. Get people interested basically. If the GAA lose €1000 for letting in 200 souls for free, is it really a big deal?
I'm sure there's been such games where there's been less than 93. Is that really a reason to scrap the competition? If the players, managers want the RC to continue, that's good enough for me, even if nobody turns up. The fact that it's been fitted into the GAA calendar this last two years, suggests there is room for the competition. And there's no reason why it shouldn't continue.
That's a silly comparison in fairness.
Reserves football provides an outlet for thousands of players all over the country.
Without it, they wouldn't be playing.
There are structured leagues and championships that give these lads the opportunity to represent their club without forcing them to train properly or give up beer.
The Railway Cup and IR series are essentially exhibition games.
Get rid of them and the small number (relatively) of elite players involved will still have plenty of teams to play for (in meaningful competitions).
Quote from: Jinxy on July 07, 2013, 11:11:57 AM
That's a silly comparison in fairness.
Reserves football provides an outlet for thousands of players all over the country.
Without it, they wouldn't be playing.
There are structured leagues and championships that give these lads the opportunity to represent their club without forcing them to train properly or give up beer.
The Railway Cup and IR series are essentially exhibition games.
Get rid of them and the small number (relatively) of elite players involved will still have plenty of teams to play for (in meaningful competitions).
I'm not advocating to scrap reserve games, as I agree with the reasons you said. I'm merely comparing the spectator interest with reserve games and the RC.
Reserve games give lads the chance to represent their club, while the RC gives players the chance to represent their province (or country through the IR). It's only 2 games maximum a year, which as we have seen, can be accommodated into the GAA calendar. Some of the country's best players have appeared in the RC this last 2 years (unlike with the IR series), which proves how highly the players hold the competition.
Quote from: BennyCake on July 07, 2013, 03:07:30 PM
Quote from: Jinxy on July 07, 2013, 11:11:57 AM
That's a silly comparison in fairness.
Reserves football provides an outlet for thousands of players all over the country.
Without it, they wouldn't be playing.
There are structured leagues and championships that give these lads the opportunity to represent their club without forcing them to train properly or give up beer.
The Railway Cup and IR series are essentially exhibition games.
Get rid of them and the small number (relatively) of elite players involved will still have plenty of teams to play for (in meaningful competitions).
I'm not advocating to scrap reserve games, as I agree with the reasons you said. I'm merely comparing the spectator interest with reserve games and the RC.
Reserve games give lads the chance to represent their club, while the RC gives players the chance to represent their province (or country through the IR). It's only 2 games maximum a year, which as we have seen, can be accommodated into the GAA calendar. Some of the country's best players have appeared in the RC this last 2 years (unlike with the IR series), which proves how highly the players hold the competition.
Eh??? The IR has always got the best players in the country, the RC has often been about who's available as opposed to who merits selection. It's a farce and needs ending asap.
Quote from: Zulu on July 07, 2013, 04:46:36 PM
Eh??? The IR has always got the best players in the country, the RC has often been about who's available as opposed to who merits selection. It's a farce and needs ending asap.
So, how many times has Colm Cooper played Rules? Daragh O'Se? Stephen O'Neill? Oisin McConville? Tomas O'Se? Paddy Bradley? Declan O'Sullivan? Not too many. Are these not some of the best players Ireland had this last decade? I'd say they've played in the RC more than in the IR. The Rules manager tends to go with bigger players that are more suited to taking big hits and standing up to the Aussies.
The RC has been played in February this last couple of years, therefore only the AI club semi finalists wouldn't be available. There would be more players unavailable in October for the Rules, as the club championships are in full flow then.
So the RC has been played when other more serious competitions are still on that players rate more highly, right?
I don't know how many times any player has played either competition but I do know one is highly regarded and the other is a run around. Neither are worth much to anyone but at least the IR are taken seriously but the RC is a farce by now.
It's amazing how the Railway Cup continues to ignite such passionate debate when it can't raise a crowd of more than a few dozen actually to watch the matches. Everybody seems either to want it scrapped or see it as a vital symbol of some kind that the GAA should preserve at all costs.
I'm completely indifferent to it. I don't care about it. I don't care enough to want to see it scrapped, either. I don't see why it should be scrapped, though, if the players, as seems to be the case, still value it. Fine - play it. But can we not find a happy medium where they play it without everybody whinging because nobody wants to go and watch it?
Live and let live. We don't mind you playing it. Try not to mind us not wanting to watch it.
The IR rubbish? That's a different thing altogether. A dangerous farce.
Quote from: Zulu on July 07, 2013, 07:17:57 PM
So the RC has been played when other more serious competitions are still on that players rate more highly, right?
I don't know how many times any player has played either competition but I do know one is highly regarded and the other is a run around. Neither are worth much to anyone but at least the IR are taken seriously but the RC is a farce by now.
Yes, AI club semi finalists obviously don't release players for the RC. But many players also don't play in the IR because they're also with their clubs. Obviously club football takes priority over the two.
You might think the RC is a farce, but the fact that the top players make themselves available for the competition, suggests otherwise.