We wont be allowed go up against the US.
most popular sport in Ireland in terms of viewing numbers and participation rates and this is without the anglo oirish old money being pumped into it like rogbee and without the land commission and corrupt politicians giving it everything like the GGA
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One thing I admire about the Irish rugby fraternity is their optimism. They don’t be long dusting themselves down to prepare for another inevitable crushing defeat.
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its because they are lukewarm fans
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Australia just beat France in the rugby world cup this morning
seems to be very little interest in it from the rugby fraternity
probably focusing their attention on the weekend’s AIL fixtures,
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Rugby League. But you knew that didn’t you.
It’s funny that you mention the AIL regularly. The pre-match lunches are often attended by boring cunts who like to drone on and on and are mainly there because they want to get away from their wives. You’d be surprised at how well you’d fit in.
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The bid grading/rating process seemed to become very politicised which left the Irish camp led by Dick Spring, Leo Varadkar and Shane Ross floundering.
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Seems like a job for a top top wheeler dealer.
This needs the two Michaels, Lowry and Healy Rae.
I think people are often unfair to soccer in terms of facilities. Yes, the FAI were a shambles, but I suspect that soccer would always have struggled to pay for their own place.
The IRFU were amateur and always could funnel their money into Lansdowne Road. Backed up by that, they had a wealthy enough supporter base and the best players stayed at home (with their clubs). That meant rugby had a strong HQ in terms of Lansdowne Road (up until the 90s, when other countries streaked ahead in terms of facilities) and clubs with great facilities.
Soccer on the other hand was a pro sport where the best players were sucked over to the UK to play. Funding a stadium is hard, the FAI were always going to struggle when their only revenue stream was paid attendances a few times a year (before tv money exploded).
Plenty of elements of the FAI were indeed a shambles and the whole structure was a shambles, but I do think often times rugby fans and more so GGA fans are too quick to snear without appreciating the challenges that the sport faced. It’s like the challenges AIL clubs were faced with professionalism. Once upon a time, players played for their club out of loyalty. Player costs might have been a coach or one southern hemisphere bluffer like Brent Pope coming up for a year. Aside from that, they could throw money at their clubhouses and pitches.
When professionalism hits, the top players start looking for money which is an automatic drain, but then competition ensues which drives the costs up. Then the IRFU decides to change the whole structure and over time the best players are gone from the club game. Casual fans lose interest, but clubs keep chasing them to come back and pay guys they shouldn’t to play. That leads to 18 year olds being given a grand or two to play. So you have a declining revenue base but increased costs, that just leads to capital rationing and then debt. Soccer has had this problem for decades now at a local level.
Though @dodgy_keeper et al should never forget that Irish rugby gave them a place to play for a couple of decades when they had nowhere to go. The number of rent disputes were minimal. The IRFU charged them a relative pittance to play there. DK might be a Limerick GGA and Manchester United fan, but he should remember the reasons why one side of that coin wouldn’t let his other sport use their grounds for years. Bigotry and pettiness. They looked down at him for cheering every Cantona goal, and they still do today.
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there are two types of rugby??
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Rugby World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
Not that difficult.
Where does tag rugby fit in?
Where does hurling sevens, 5 a side soccer or whatever fit in?
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Very nicely.
Oh my
Probably more significantly, French head honcho Bernard Laporte came out yesterday and tore into the report - effectively questioning the independence and competence of the authors. If that mood takes hold it could assist delegations in downplaying the reports significance.
We’re going to do it 
Yeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Great news
You can tell them now, we’re still fighting for this title