Would be a strange model to follow since club rugby been completely destroyed
5 Likes
Rugby provides a good sporting and social
outlet and plenty of games at a recreational level for itâs club players.
2 Likes
Nobody plays rugby as the great Gerry Thornley once said
In the last week the Split Season has served up All Ireland Hurling Quarter finals reduced to graveyard shift lunchtime kick off time
on a Saturday to avoid a clash with South African Currie Cup rugby in Cape Town. A first ever penalty shoot out in a Championship game - which even the manager of the team that advanced in the penalty shoot out has called a disgrace and now a recent President of the GAA labelling the split season and in particular moving the Championship out of August and early September an ill advised decision.
Why exactly has club rugby fallen away, do you think?
The north tipp championship is serious business. Folks up there care as much about that as tipp in munster. Tipp championship is like the AI.
Fuck tipp
1 Like
Clubs typically have 6 nations weekends off (or local cups played off) AIL 1A would have a lot of players involved in URC (yes they sre workomg aorund 6 nations now) under 20s and ireland club internationals. Out of the 40 weekends in a season the 22 to 28 games are spread out tonavoid the clashes.
Split season is workimg well for botb club and county players. Club players can plan holidays/weddings/life around a defined wondow of games between the end of july and October. Not many fellas would be too worried about missing a club league game.
Fellas love to give out about anything and the split season is one of them. Worrying about watching united or liverpool in april/may instead of going to an IC match. It would sicken you
3 Likes
The GAA is not pro and a bandwagon top heavy organisation. Overall the effect of loss of the big name players isnt what destroyed the club game but the emphasis and promotion of product that is available. Both club gaa and rugny is and never will be the same top level but offers a highly competitive and entertaining product.
The club all iteland series gets great attention and should be. The AIL final had a lot of people shocked at how high level it is as they actually saw it. @Ralphie can confirm the passion of terenure this year, great stuff to see
If thereâs a key Premier League game in April/May clashing with an early season championship fixture, as happened when the 2-2 draw between West Ham v Manchester City clashed with Waterford v Cork, and when the final day of the Premier League season clashed with the final round of the Munster hurling round robin, itâs an easy decision to watch the football.
Similarly if thereâs a clash between an All-Ireland semi-final or final in August or September and an early season Premier League clash, such as when Liverpool v Manchester United clashed with the 2012 All-Ireland football final, itâs an easy decision to concentrate on the GAA match.
I was in a pub in Ennis at the time Cork v Waterford was on.
West Ham v city was on one screen in the corner with a handful of people watching it, the rest of the pub was jointed with multiple screens showing the hurling.
1 Like
I watched the tipp clare match on a phone in a bar abroad. With the soccer on in the background. Along with 3 or 4 tipp men. People will watch their preference regradless. An AIF with kk vs cork in September would have the same amount of pubs if not more showing united vs Liverpool on the telly in dublin/limerick/galway if on the same time. Its a terrible arguement.
The loss of international and provincial players absolutely is what destroyed club rugby in terms of spectator interest.
Because the best players in the country werenât playing, media interest fell away too and gravitated towards the newly-beefed up professional provincial teams instead.
In club GAA only club championships attract any sort of spectator or media interest, club league games carry no spectator or media interest.
Therefore it makes no difference in terms of spectator or media interest if county players donât play club league games.
All this is pretty simple. As a sporting organisation it is in the GAAâs own interest to maximise spectator and media interest in its showpiece competitions as much as it can. These are the competitions that keep the GAA at the centre of Irish life.
Much spectator interest in the GAA championships is of the floating general sports fan variety. You want to these people to attend, watch, and engage with the GAAâs showpiece competitions as much as is possible. They are the people who fill stadiums, make atmospheres, make television companies want to broadcast matches live, who entice sponsors to pay big bucks to sponsor competitions. If they turn up in lesser numbers, the product is diminished.
The old time window for the championships maximised the scope for that floating sports fan interest. The new one does not.
Intercounty pays the bills and split season facilites more games giving IC players more meaningful championship games as opposed to training all year to be bate twice. It also goves cluns something to build to while the westher is good. Win win if you ask me
Has the Split season been a success so far?
- Yes
- No
- I want to moan
0 voters
@Cheasty picked a bad example here as Man City donât have a huge following in Ireland. The following weekend however was a different story. The final day of the premier league season with Liverpool having a tangible chance of the title overshadowed the final day of the Munster hurling championship. I wouldnât say there were many casuals watching the second half of that Clare v Waterford game and the Tipp v Cork game wasnât even televised was it? Maybe it was on RTE news now or GAA Go.
There needs to be another option there - Yes but with it being pushed back by 4 weeks or so.
1 Like
The problem isnât with the split season. Itâs with the timing of the inter-county championships.
Fair enough, the timing is a bit early ill push it back 2 weeks. 1 week off in round robin. Week off before provincial final. Premlim qf week after, qf then semi and 2 weeks to final. Going backdoor means you play every week theres probably 3 weeks that can be cut
The real issue is this obsession with trying to play the Club finals pre Christmas when there is absolutely no need.
The flow to the 2021/22 season was wonderful.