Rugby is grand for kids up to a certain age. It actually adds to their hurling ability because of the focus on footwork and an ability to go into contact. The more team sports kids play, the better.
That’s true but im not sure any responsible parent would let their kid play rugby tho?
What would they have them playing during the GAA off-season? Play Station? XBox? Or worse still, soccer?
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100% soccer… at least they’d be playing a game of high skill instead of just walloping heads like rubby.
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I think people are starting to realise that too. For all the talk of it sure Portumna rugby club struggle to field 1 adult team, and I don’t think the school there have a rugby team for leaving certs anymore.
Connacht teenagers bursting themselves to get an academy contract, they get paid €9k a year and when they turn 23 generally get cast aside for some lad who didn’t make the grade in Leinster.
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You obviously have not had much exposure to mini rugby, but walloping heads is not a thing.
I know a poor chap went this route with Munster - a very promising hurler but went with the Munster academy — hours and hours of training and the poor mother spending huge money on shopping for him to eat right/more- all he got from it was multiple concussions and then dropped after 3 years. No right minded parent would let their child play rubby.
They are the alpha males as regards city ladies though.
The Shannon Basin by and large is rubby country
Similar experience to a young fella that I know. Alot of sacrifices but ultimately fuck all return. Trying to reinvent himself now.
No right minded parent would do anything but support their children in any accessible team sport really.
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That’s it. Don’t even need to do a Tiktok dance to snare the best of the women.
You dont introduce the kid to rubby — if they find their own way there well then fair enough. But what kind of sick bastard would bring their little kid down to a rubby club at 6/7/8 knowing what they are potentially setting the child up for later in life.
That’s it exactly.
As an aside, there are lots of lessons to be learned from rugby. Connacht Rugby has invested far more in Galway than the Galway County Board has, and until the County Board follow a similar suit they’ll always be in the ha’penny place.
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Rugby is a fantastic way of letting out aggression.
It’s also a fantastic way of showing up a bully. They never make it.
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Galway county board hasn’t two beans to rub together though. Not sure urban/suburban clubs in Galway have got the same bounce that Dublin clubs have had in the last 15 years.
Post pandemic I can see Connacht rugby struggling. Belts will need to be tightened in the IRFU and the bastard child will likely suffer.
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He lived the dream and tried to kiss the sky. Cant blame him either.
Its all morkeshing really at the end of the day. Monkey see, monkey do. Galway had the most marketable hurler in the game EVER, I truly hope they used him right.
If the Galway county board would open up the books to scrutiny, draw a line under it, and , rumour has it, call the bluff of certain current sponsors, they would have plenty of money going forward.
Its not all about money. Its hearts and minds. Joe was both.