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Ireland had a 23 man squad Saturday. 17 were educated in Ireland . 13 of those 17 attended Private fee-paying schools. Yet only 7% of population attend those schools. So while it may not be definitively the approach of the IRFU, the statistics paint a different picture. Now obviously this approach ,whatever it is , does work, but let's not pretend otherwise as to the method. Having said all that, Ireland have had a brilliant run, playing entertaining and winning Rugby, giving us some great memories, but ultimately falling short when it really mattered most.
conordee (Galway) - Posts: 448 - 16/10/2023 10:27:20 2508579 Link 0 |
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That many players in pro rugby Conway from fee schools doesn't mean the sport is elitist. The numbers playing the sport overall aren't dominated by people in fee schools. It's simply by and large the coaching is better in many of the top schools which happen to be fee paying in Cork and leinster especially and this results in far more players emerging though to professional level from these places
KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3674 - 16/10/2023 10:34:48 2508581 Link 0 |
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Cost of living and ticket prices a big factor I'd say.
TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 16/10/2023 11:11:23 2508589 Link 0 |
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There are rugby people in Dublin who certainly do dislike GAA. Admittedly that has changed and it was probably never as bad as the bitter oul FAI heads who are seething with envy and resentment :-)
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3118 - 16/10/2023 11:18:10 2508592 Link 0 |
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I see people getting caught up with attendances not being the same at matches compared to the past. People have more going on in life, there's more club fixtures in counties across all codes/ age groups that people are going to, it costs a lot of money for people to travel and pay into games. When it's cheaper and easier to watch it online or on TV, why wouldn't people do that? Especially if it's not your own club involved.
Low2Joe (Wexford) - Posts: 54 - 16/10/2023 11:22:41 2508594 Link 1 |
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What it means is that unless you go to a fee-paying school, your chances of making it to the highest level are severely diminished. Given that many cannot go to fee-paying schools, it does make it elitist to a degree. Not intentionally perhaps, but you have a better chance of playing internationally if your parents can afford to send you to a private school. That is blatantly obvious. The numbers don't lie. WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2187 - 16/10/2023 11:30:32 2508598 Link 3 |
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11,645 at a County Final. Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 1952 - 16/10/2023 12:00:17 2508607 Link 2 |
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How was it allowed get like that? With the schools dominating I mean. Why don't the club teams come first, like most other sports? Sure playing in school is great and all but what do lads do when they finish school? Just give up or are they all playing for clubs too? Low2Joe (Wexford) - Posts: 54 - 16/10/2023 12:36:18 2508620 Link 0 |
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Good point. FAI wouldn't get that for a final unless it was freebies as it is.
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3118 - 16/10/2023 12:45:37 2508623 Link 0 |
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It is definitively the approach. Fee paying schools are a very important part of the player pathway in professional, representative rugby.
Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6144 - 16/10/2023 13:07:28 2508626 Link 0 |
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It doesnt make the sport elitist though. Yes more who go to fee paying schools primarily the 2 in Cork and then about 6/7 schools in leinster turn pro but that doesnt mean the sport is elitist. there is plenty who attend these schools on scholarships or partial funded by others which also must be taken account of. KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3674 - 16/10/2023 13:22:09 2508627 Link 0 |
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can you compare a county final the most pristigeous game in a county year to series of regular season games. the 2023 AIL final had over 8500 which was a record for finals held since the aviva stadium opened. KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3674 - 16/10/2023 13:24:25 2508630 Link 0 |
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Its like that in many other countries and other sports as well. look at american football and some of the other sports. its all about high school not club teams the schools competitions in rugby are running since the 1800s while club underage started much later. many players do move on s scholarship/support and all too often after in the pro era the players are listed as a product of the school but not where they had played/developed for the other years.... many do continue on playing after school but a lot quit for same reasons as lot quit other sports in late teens/early 20s - drink/work/girls etc KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3674 - 16/10/2023 13:39:41 2508638 Link 1 |
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It's allowed get like that because it works really for the provincial and national team. The Leinster senior cup is taken incredibly seriously and the level of coaching is of a very high standard and acts as feeder to the provincial academy squads and the under age teams. Clubs just don't have the same level of coaching as the schools do. Around the start of professional rugby and for a few years after the club scene was very vibrant particularly in Limerick. There was loads of TV attention with Shannon, garryowen and young munsters going at it. But now the club game is completely off the radar. The professional game only partially needs the club game. The media attention is all over the provinces and the international team. That's a pity for the club game. Rugby in Ireland is doing very well at provincial and international level. Ignoring the gaa it helps them that soccer is so poor at present. The only proper professional league is the rugby championship. The LOI is simply not a threat. The national soccer team also being poor helps. Soccer is the sport of the world and will take the media attention in most countries. Rugby overall is hardly that vibrant. Scotland have no real feeder with their underage teams very poor. The Welsh union is a mess. 3 big clubs went belly up in England and there's hardly a word about it. Australia were awful in this world cup and even new Zealand's underage has deteriorated. The seedings for the tournament were a joke with the best 4 teams meeting in the quarters. if Ireland keep the show on the road they'll be there thereabouts in 4 years. There's just not enough competition in the game for this not to be the case. Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 780 - 16/10/2023 13:48:26 2508640 Link 0 |
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Some of those "fans" caused €12,000 of damage to the stadium and assaulted a steward.
Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6144 - 16/10/2023 14:01:58 2508643 Link 0 |
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Clongowes College won a Leinster schools title in the recent past, Irish Times did a feature on the squad 10 years later, not one playing rugby for any club and staggeringly for quite a number of players the schools final was their last ever game to play. That speaks volumes. All sports suffer a drop off in teenage years but not to that extent. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1916 - 16/10/2023 14:03:08 2508644 Link 1 |
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Can't compete with rugger for 'pristigeous' it seems.
Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3875 - 16/10/2023 14:15:13 2508650 Link 0 |
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Westmeath has 47 GAA clubs and 3 Rugby clubs for the Rangerover types,Wannabies and Cranberry fans. jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 1600 - 16/10/2023 14:16:07 2508651 Link 1 |
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And? Like that has never happened at club GAA games. there has been plenty of incidents of assaults and otherwise at club gaa games KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3674 - 16/10/2023 14:20:15 2508655 Link 2 |
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Yes that has happened and its similar with many other sports.
KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3674 - 16/10/2023 14:21:03 2508656 Link 0 |