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Replying To thelongridge: "Possibly to represent the two traditions?" I know what you are trying to say but it was the Ulster Flag and Ulster does not = NI. The Union uses the 4 provinces emblems on their flag - I am not sure why there was a need to do anything else. The use of the Ulster flag to represent NI should not be allowed as anyone who knows their history about the creation of NI will know that the three counties exclusion was deliberate in order to ensure an apartheid regime could last forever. Quite ironic then that playing SA they should do it. I don't have any issue with only using the Union flag or Irelands Call but not what they did with the two flags. zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1905 - 25/09/2023 06:21:32 2505511 Link
Apparently IRFU only stopped flying union jack at Lansdowne in 1932!! BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3277 - 25/09/2023 09:50:30 2505529 Link
Punters tuning in to RTE news last evening would have heard it reported that Europe won the Solheim Cup for a third time in a row yesterday. Any of those punters who'd backed Europe to win the competition didn't collect of course, which does provide a very obvious clarity about this particular 'win', a clarity that wasn't replicated in certain news outlets, including RTE. Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3911 - 25/09/2023 10:04:15 2505532 Link
Replying To zinny: "I know what you are trying to say but it was the Ulster Flag and Ulster does not = NI. The Union uses the 4 provinces emblems on their flag - I am not sure why there was a need to do anything else. The use of the Ulster flag to represent NI should not be allowed as anyone who knows their history about the creation of NI will know that the three counties exclusion was deliberate in order to ensure an apartheid regime could last forever. Quite ironic then that playing SA they should do it. I don't have any issue with only using the Union flag or Irelands Call but not what they did with the two flags." You are correct saying there are 9 counties in the province of Ulster, 3 in the Republic. Northern Ireland is not Ulster, just a statelet created by Britain in 1920, prior to the Treaty negotiations. I personally feel the Unionists are indulged a little excessively by the Irish and UK governments. The only word they know is No to everything. The Irish tricolour represents peace between the Orange and Green communities, a point lost on the Unionists. Maybe the French organisers of the WC, should learn a littleIrish history. thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1879 - 25/09/2023 10:21:25 2505541 Link
very interesting and insightful comments and I appreciate the irony about playing South Africa. But fair play to all the stakeholders on the island of Ireland for putting out a 32 county team That is the most important thing and they got that right. If Ireland were to win the tournament the UK will claim the title as theirs I suppose. Germany claim World cup soccer trophies when they won in 1954, 1974 and 1990 even though they had 2 or 3 teams in the tournament at different points of qualification. I think the English tried to claim Sean Kelly in 1987 also. I really hope Ireland can win it though and best of look to them (us) and thanks for bringing the people of the island together. Come on Ireland. suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1706 - 25/09/2023 11:07:20 2505557 Link
Replying To thelongridge: "You are correct saying there are 9 counties in the province of Ulster, 3 in the Republic. Northern Ireland is not Ulster, just a statelet created by Britain in 1920, prior to the Treaty negotiations. I personally feel the Unionists are indulged a little excessively by the Irish and UK governments. The only word they know is No to everything. The Irish tricolour represents peace between the Orange and Green communities, a point lost on the Unionists. Maybe the French organisers of the WC, should learn a littleIrish history." Always reluctant to wade into anything politically-related, and especially related to Northern Ireland, but feel I have to address your point about the tricolour all the same. Yes, it was originally designed to represent peace between the communities. But unfortunately, the way it was used by a certain section of the Nationalist community throughout "The Troubles" meant that so far as the Unionist community was concerned, it came to represent something very different to peace. And surely even you can see that? Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2648 - 25/09/2023 11:13:03 2505561 Link
Will Joe Duffy be losing his mind today with videos circulating of Rugby fans singing the Celtic Symphony in a Dublin bar? Maybe the outrage is just reserved for the GAA and soccer boys and girls? yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11429 - 25/09/2023 12:05:16 2505583 Link
Will Joe Duffy be losing his mind today with videos circulating of Rugby fans singing the Celtic Symphony in a Dublin bar? Maybe the outrage is just reserved for the GAA and soccer boys and girls? yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11163 - 25/09/2023 12:05:16 The backlash against the Irish Women's Team had an element of gender and class to it no doubt about it. Leinster rugby players signing it was no problem and it even gets blasted over the PA system in the RDS without an issue. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13780 - 25/09/2023 12:29:53 2505594 Link
Listen forget your new computers.. because the writings on the wall "Anto's Ma is bleedin Bike" jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20699 - 25/09/2023 20:40:13 2505717 Link
So World Rugby have confirmed that they intend to expand to 24 teams for the next world cup. 6 groups of 4 teams with top 2 going through, plus the 4 best 3rd place teams. Knockout stages will now consist of a last 16 round. I don't like it. I think it turns the group stages into a complete warm-up for the real tournament. The jeopardy is gone from the groups if you're a top team. To be eliminated (ala Australia this year) you'd need to lose to a team ranked somewhere below 12th in the world and even then, chances are you'll scrape through. All to get the USA into the competition. cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5215 - 28/09/2023 14:13:13 2506120 Link
Replying To cavanman47: "So World Rugby have confirmed that they intend to expand to 24 teams for the next world cup. 6 groups of 4 teams with top 2 going through, plus the 4 best 3rd place teams. Knockout stages will now consist of a last 16 round. I don't like it. I think it turns the group stages into a complete warm-up for the real tournament. The jeopardy is gone from the groups if you're a top team. To be eliminated (ala Australia this year) you'd need to lose to a team ranked somewhere below 12th in the world and even then, chances are you'll scrape through. All to get the USA into the competition." They'll need to abolish set scrums to get Americans to watch rugby. The average yank won't tolerate 2mins being consumed off the clock to set and reset every single scrum. Perhaps a system of going for commercial break at scrumtime could be considered? Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3911 - 28/09/2023 16:17:26 2506138 Link
Replying To cavanman47: "So World Rugby have confirmed that they intend to expand to 24 teams for the next world cup. 6 groups of 4 teams with top 2 going through, plus the 4 best 3rd place teams. Knockout stages will now consist of a last 16 round. I don't like it. I think it turns the group stages into a complete warm-up for the real tournament. The jeopardy is gone from the groups if you're a top team. To be eliminated (ala Australia this year) you'd need to lose to a team ranked somewhere below 12th in the world and even then, chances are you'll scrape through. All to get the USA into the competition." They haven't announced it rather are looking at it. I don't have a problem with the concept however the issue I have is that even now the teams that are outside the 6Ns and the Rugby Championship will not get meaning games on a yearly basis. How will the compete if they don't. Comparing to what Soccer did is not valid as outside the world cup most teams have very competitive regional competitions. Hopefully as part of this push they now also look at what competitions and games the second tier are getting to ensure there are benchmarks for them prior to the world cup. I assume that if you come third in a group you play a 1st ranked team which in theory should be a top 6 team in the world (assume they get that right), yes you stay in the competition but only for one more game, the gap between those teams is generally quite high. Teams will always want to come first in the group no matter what. Some would say this would only have prolonged the agony for Australia if it was in place. Getting the seedings right going into it are critical Rugby needs the USA - if they can break into the $ there then its a huge. zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1905 - 29/09/2023 03:08:04 2506176 Link
Replying To Pope_Benedict: "They'll need to abolish set scrums to get Americans to watch rugby. The average yank won't tolerate 2mins being consumed off the clock to set and reset every single scrum. Perhaps a system of going for commercial break at scrumtime could be considered?" If they watch American football for 5 hours where nothing ever happens, surely they can put up with a scrum. dolfos (Longford) - Posts: 126 - 29/09/2023 11:55:43 2506226 Link
Replying To cavanman47: "So World Rugby have confirmed that they intend to expand to 24 teams for the next world cup. 6 groups of 4 teams with top 2 going through, plus the 4 best 3rd place teams. Knockout stages will now consist of a last 16 round. I don't like it. I think it turns the group stages into a complete warm-up for the real tournament. The jeopardy is gone from the groups if you're a top team. To be eliminated (ala Australia this year) you'd need to lose to a team ranked somewhere below 12th in the world and even then, chances are you'll scrape through. All to get the USA into the competition." Have they confirmed it? Think its next logical step but only if combined with more games for countries outside 6 nations/rugby championship with those sides in between worldd cups World rugby can see huge potential and therefore money in the US so theyll do everything they can to help them KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3695 - 29/09/2023 12:42:06 2506241 Link
Replying To Pope_Benedict: "They'll need to abolish set scrums to get Americans to watch rugby. The average yank won't tolerate 2mins being consumed off the clock to set and reset every single scrum. Perhaps a system of going for commercial break at scrumtime could be considered?" they wont really need to abolish scrums. what are you basing that on. KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3695 - 29/09/2023 12:44:19 2506243 Link
Replying To dolfos: "If they watch American football for 5 hours where nothing ever happens, surely they can put up with a scrum." Thats unfair on american football to say nothing ever happens have you ever watched a game to say that KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3695 - 29/09/2023 12:45:01 2506244 Link
Replying To zinny: "They haven't announced it rather are looking at it. I don't have a problem with the concept however the issue I have is that even now the teams that are outside the 6Ns and the Rugby Championship will not get meaning games on a yearly basis. How will the compete if they don't. Comparing to what Soccer did is not valid as outside the world cup most teams have very competitive regional competitions. Hopefully as part of this push they now also look at what competitions and games the second tier are getting to ensure there are benchmarks for them prior to the world cup. I assume that if you come third in a group you play a 1st ranked team which in theory should be a top 6 team in the world (assume they get that right), yes you stay in the competition but only for one more game, the gap between those teams is generally quite high. Teams will always want to come first in the group no matter what. Some would say this would only have prolonged the agony for Australia if it was in place. Getting the seedings right going into it are critical Rugby needs the USA - if they can break into the $ there then its a huge." Oh totally the expansion isnt a problem its getting the other countries more games outside a world cup to be competitive. I know covid was partially at fault but Namibia have been so poor this tournament because they simply dont get enough games or enough games of sufficient quality. KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3695 - 29/09/2023 12:48:21 2506246 Link
Replying To KillingFields: "they wont really need to abolish scrums. what are you basing that on." Yeah that's a rubbish comment. For a country where huge innovation comes from they can be very set in their ways. Soccer is huge in the US at mini level but it has never translated or at least not yet to senior level. If they had the backers that clubs in Japan and France had it could change it. They have the athletes just need the money and exposure to get it going. The social aspect of it would fit right in there with their outdoor sports. zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1905 - 29/09/2023 13:21:11 2506255 Link
McIlroy having a go at the American caddy in the car park last night is the funniest and most entertaining thing I've ever seen happen in Golf. dolfos (Longford) - Posts: 126 - 01/10/2023 09:13:47 2506428 Link
Replying To KillingFields: "Thats unfair on american football to say nothing ever happens have you ever watched a game to say that" Yep, got taken to a game at Wembley a few years ago, to call that a sport is hilarious. dolfos (Longford) - Posts: 126 - 01/10/2023 10:35:10 2506433 Link