To get back to the core issue........
In west Galway rugby is making huge inroads. In the last 10 years 3 new clubs have been formed. Oughterard, Barna, and in Carroroe all strategically located to ensure all kids in the West can access the game. Some of these clubs are used as feeders to city well established clubs. Many of the football clubs in the region are now struggling to hold senior status. I would predict in 5-7 years all clubs will be in intermediate or junior.
They gaa blame soccer or dare I say it their first cousin hurling for this gradual demise of football in the region but they are blind to realy smart strategy of aConnacht Rugby who are now focusing on the schools. Time is ticking and by the way, Connacht rugby are perfectly entitled to complete for members in these regions.
northbouind (Galway) - Posts:98 - 20/12/2016 21:26:44 And NUIG have started fielding underage teams for kids in Newcastle, westside area city..
Connacht like all provinces are focusing on schools and to get these kids into clubs then.

ormondbannerman

Ormondbannerman

Tomsmith from County Cavan here

I take your point that Galway has a proliferation of Rugby Clubs on its outskirts. B ut always remember that tyhe GAA is our National game n and any other game dressed up as the oval or beautifil game is not our National game. We in the GAA have strived to remain amurtuer for a long time and I do hope that it will long continue. I remember in Cavan you have one Rugby club started by a few Rugby fellows and now because its the thing on a CV more are playing ir.

tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 3857 - 24/12/2016 10:27:06    1941985

Anyone see this article on the independent website (under travel)? "The Irish Bucket List: 30 things to do in Ireland before you die". At number 11 they have " attend a rugby match in Thomond Park" (Croke Park is given a throwaway "while you're at it...." mention!

If I was drawing up a bucket list of 3000 things, attending Thomond Park or any other rugby ground for that matter wouldn't make the list !!!

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 24/12/2016 10:55:16    1941989

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7344 - 24/12/2016 12:46:41    1941995

You do realise that all strength and conditioning coaches learn the same thing, the human body doesn't change because you put the word pro in
hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts:11527 - 22/12/2016 17:44:54 My point still stands.

But sceptical implying physical growth is by action other than hard physical work which is very dangerous to imply.

First of all that is the typical rugby response when cornered. Sure it happens in the gaa it's not just us etc! That statement is also rubbish. Yes an occasional concussion occurs in football. However they are rare events
They are not rare events in rugby. every tackle in rugby is potentially damaging to the brain. It is madness that parents allow young children play it.
sceptical (Cavan) - Posts:436 - 22/12/2016 17:49:48 That is pathetic. sceptical. WTF is a typical rugby response as if my post was a typical rugby response then your posts are typical immature bigoted foolish posts. Every tackle in rugby isn't potentially damaging to the brain. Stopping people from playing rugby is ridiculously bitter

I take your point that Galway has a proliferation of Rugby Clubs on its outskirts. B ut always remember that tyhe GAA is our National game n and any other game dressed up as the oval or beautifil game is not our National game. We in the GAA have strived to remain amurtuer for a long time and I do hope that it will long continue. I remember in Cavan you have one Rugby club started by a few Rugby fellows and now because its the thing on a CV more are playing ir.
tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts:2851 - 24/12/2016 10:27:06GAA is Irelands national sporting organisation but that doesn't mean people cant play any other sport. How many lazy generalisations and clichés can you fit in a post tom as I see 3/4 at least which is rather pathetic.

Anyone see this article on the independent website (under travel)? "The Irish Bucket List: 30 things to do in Ireland before you die". At number 11 they have " attend a rugby match in Thomond Park" (Croke Park is given a throwaway "while you're at it...." mention!
If I was drawing up a bucket list of 3000 things, attending Thomond Park or any other rugby ground for that matter wouldn't make the list !!!
PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts:535 - 24/12/2016 10:55:16Thomond will interest lots of tourists. World Famous ground home of a regional side who's beaten 2 of the 3 traditionally strongest countries in the world

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 24/12/2016 14:02:10    1941999

pkboher (Cork) - Posts: 49 - 24/12/2016 17:17:34    1942014

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 24/12/2016 17:48:29    1942018

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 24/12/2016 21:05:57    1942029

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7344 - 25/12/2016 11:16:57    1942047

tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 3857 - 25/12/2016 11:29:54    1942048

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 25/12/2016 12:41:32    1942052

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 26/12/2016 17:08:20    1942088

Rugby is nice and I like to watching the off season but European teams in general are bottom of the rankings compared to southern hemisphere teams who toy around with them
in tournaments. The GAA on the other hand can handle the likes of Australia. How can Rugby be a threat to anything? Would soccer be more of a "threat"? hardly.

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1196 - 26/12/2016 20:34:57    1942098

Been there wore the t shirt and had alcohol spilled all over it for the duration of the event.
hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts:11536 - 24/12/2016 17:48:29 Ive been in seats in Thomond for rugby, Croke Park for Hurling and Gaelic and Aviva for Rugby and been at many other sports and had booze spilled on me at all.

I have been to both too and the majority of the people around me in thomond were more interested in socialising and drinking than actually what was happening on the pitch.
Where as there's no better sight than a blue hill16 packed to the rafters in full voice.
hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts:11536 - 24/12/2016 21:05:57 Yeah and there isn't plenty who go to the hill to drink and to socialise and to ensure they can say they were "there" on any specific day.

Seems you are very good at making ill informed judgements. I'm not into rugby and would have no interest in going to Thomond Park or any other rugby stadium. Thats just me personally. If that offends you you must be a sensitive type. That doesn't mean that I have anything against rugby or people who are into it. Im not really into gaelic football either as it happens. But certainly I think any journalist who puts forward a bucket list of 30 things to do and puts Thomond Park at number 11 and has Croke Park nowhere on the list (except as a "while you're at it" aside) has a skewed view on things in my opinion. Happy Christmas!
PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts:536 - 25/12/2016 12:41:32 Whats askew about that particular opinion? Thomond Park Is known world wide in rugby and has plenty of history...

I am honest as they come il watch nearly any sport as enjoy nearly all them give or take. obviously GAA is my favourite and what I have always loved since a very young age, I have always felt a magic about it like no other sport. Im a huge horse racing man next and darts would follow that and then league of ireland soccer and champions league soccer. I have no time for our so called national soccer team as its a pharse, thats for another time though haha. rugby I felt was far better to watch in the 90s and early 00s I enjoyed the 5 nations and that then, you didnt have to listen to the stuff we are subjected to now(or maybe I was young and didnt notice it haha)
nowadays its just too much overhyping like the premier league, some of the rugby players in ireland think their movie stars, they have huge egos for some reason without any justification of it. theres so much media b.s. about it just puts me off it these days.
its never been played near where im from or I dont even know anybody who played it from dublin either growing up or now.
I wouldnt say im a supporter at all I just keep up to date with nearly all sports, I went with in laws to thomond as they are from limerick, I have never been to landsdowne road or a rugby ground in dublin full stop like.
Yeah id watch a game on the tv if I happen to be sitting down like I would most sports though.
hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts:11536 - 26/12/2016 17:08:20You make some ok points but ruined by your over use of cliché. This so called media bs is simply pr. There's plenty of it in GAA albeit to lesser degree due to amateur status of players/

Rugby is nice and I like to watching the off season but European teams in general are bottom of the rankings compared to southern hemisphere teams who toy around with them
in tournaments. The GAA on the other hand can handle the likes of Australia. How can Rugby be a threat to anything? Would soccer be more of a "threat"? hardly.
maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts:547 - 26/12/2016 20:34:57That's nonsense.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/12/2016 23:21:46    1942102

pkboher (Cork) - Posts: 49 - 27/12/2016 00:09:03    1942105

juniorjudge (Waterford) - Posts: 383 - 27/12/2016 07:52:04    1942109

ormondbannerman- I go to a lot of GAA matches and I never seen drink spilled on anyone- what GAA matches have you been going to? -were they the ones being played out in the pub? I like to watch Rugby but it is nowhere close to the atmosphere in CP even with the Dubs playing and winning!
On a national basis the GAA has little to worry about with respect to rugby. Ormond -where do you get the time to watch matches live with all the use you make of the 'reply' button.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 27/12/2016 13:14:53    1942120

There are almost certainly going to be big issues for Rugby to face in the future regarding concussion whether Ormond or anyone else wants to believe it or not.

If I had children I wouldn't let them near playing it there are plenty of other enjoyable sports to be played that don't ahve any negative side affects .

Really the GAA should be emphasizing how safe football and hurling are to play there are no long term negative effects from either of them.They're both safe sports to play which cannot be said about rugby.

Concussions are almost non existent in GAA and don't tend to be a consequence of executing a basic part of the game they generally happen due to accidental collissions.

Also long term damage can be caused by the collissions in rugby even if a concussion doesn't occur.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 27/12/2016 14:36:35    1942124

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7344 - 27/12/2016 19:16:52    1942136

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 27/12/2016 19:54:35    1942138

Just remember the News Media in Ireland is run mostly by ex Rugby playing types, or their friends. As stated Independent Newspapers are big sponsor of Rugby and are building or renovating Musgrave park. So they are not fans or supporters of the GAA.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 27/12/2016 20:04:35    1942140