Life is like a rugby ball. Weâre all just waiting to be converted. As John Kenny just said.
that was rugby where I come from.
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No, the USA.
Rugby is a working mans game in plenty of places, doesnât stop people calling it middle class.
Rowing is a high barrier to entry sport and thatâs reflected in the medals table. That doesnât mean that the âworking manâ doesnât get involved or that certain areas arenât into it, but it quite clearly is not boxing ffs.
What are the barriers to entry in rowing? Waterford boat club always seemed to be full of ordinary Joeâs.
I understand that but itâs not strictly middle class either and Iâd say the Irish squad might represent that, itâs a nice mix
There was no boxing club in the south side of Cork City when I was growing up, because I was close to the river in what had been a fishing community rowing was huge, lads who rowed didnât have the time to take part in other sports, thatâs why I never took it up though I did go along a few times and learned to row.
I went to one of the toughest secondary schools in Cork, when we gathered to celebrate great achievements on the sports field it was as often as not to celebrate lads rowing for Ireland or winning national titles, these were often fellas who hadnât a wage coming into the house, so I understand that itâs considered middle class but thatâs kind of lazy comment
It costs nothing to go rowing, the club has all the equipment
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Boats, access to facilities, indoor training equipment etc
Just like any other middle class sport, there are always going to be specific areas where it is common. But it is a middle class sport, I donât see why people would take offense to that. Most sports are.
No one took offence with all due respect.
Just pointing out that itâs not exclusively middle class
The piece de rĂŠsistance of the entire Games, the womenâs All Around Gymnastics final, is in progress, and in the absence of the heavy pre-competition favourite, itâs as wide open as the 2013 All-Ireland hurling championship.
At the end of rotation 2 it looks like a battle between Rebecca Andrade of Brazil (Brazil), Melnikova of ROC and Suni Lee from the US. One of the Gadirovas has just fallen off the beam.
Jerry Kelly is in the broom cupboard but Colm Smith is boring me.
I always assumed the clubs provided the boats. I also always assumed that the boat clubs in islandbridge were fairly proletarian.
The boats are provided as well as life jackets etc.
Commercial would be anyway.
The boats being circled here.
Paid for by someone. It is clearly a high barrier to entry sport, thatâs reflected in the countries who win medals at the Olympics. It doesnât mean âordinaryâ people donât participate or that it isnât popular in some areas.
Itâs very much a middle class sport though.
You had to stick your oar in.
Maybe where you come from. But itâs all salts of the earth rowing down the country.
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Countries with rivers and lakes?
Iâd say thatâs a prereq for producing rowers
Clubs raise money to pay for equipment. Some clubs are very good at that. I know the boat club in Waterford are. They have a renowned bar.
I also accept that rowing is big at university level as well which is probably where the perception that it is a middle class sport arises.
Id take a pm
Agreed