It is amazing that RTE Sports website will carry numerous articles about Italy v South Africa, a meaningless game of interest to very few. Yet a unique Connacht football final between the islands of Aran and Achill, which celebrates much of what is great about our culture, traditions and national games, got no coverage at all. It is a shame that there seems to be an embarrassment almost about things unique to Ireland, and a desperate need to associate with things that have a greater international dimension.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 20/11/2014 15:29:25    1673711

Loads here are going on about why RTE do this and do that but what do they actually do to complain if they have an issue
RTE's staff clearly know more about these issues than any of us so they should be trusted. If you have an issue complain
20/11/2014 09:49:44 ROS1
Ormond you are right the international rules match is different to the rugby game, the international rules game is only chance Gaelic players have of representing there country and are competing for a trophy named after a young Irish player who many would have known, of course been the only international opportunity the have it is the highest level at international level the compete whereas this is not the case in rugby where the 6 nations and the world cup are far more important then a one off game against Australia. Ormond you use the fact that the Irish rugby team represent the country but you and Rte largely ignore other sports people who represent there country.The international rules is the only chance for gaelic players to represent their country but its completely lost its lustre in recent years. The whole concept is dying out. These games are vitally important. You cant challenge in a world cup without doing well in these games as these are where you test yourself against the traditional big 3, get games against the next tier to work your squad and can integrate new players into main side much more than in a nations
RTE don't ignore other sports people. That's unfair on RTE.
20/11/2014 09:49:44 ROS1
Off course gealic and afl are far bigger sports then rugby union in both there countries, you say both countries are top rugby countries but neither countries are likely to reach the world cup semi finals according to the bookies, indeed Ireland are the only decent team not to get to the world cup semi final, at least Ireland and Australia are the 2 top teams in international rules. The rugby world cup is 10 months away and there is three quarters of the season left, a player could be man of the match against Aus but if he goes back to his club and losses his form he is not going to on the six nations team never mind the world cup team. At least the Australia rugby match may be entertaining and competitive the same cant be said for the Geogra game which Rte gave massive coverage to.You are still a top country in a sport if you don't make a world cup semi final.
Ireland and Australia are the only sides in International Rules playing a game that is a mismatch of two slightly similar sports. The Georgia game was exciting enough. Back play from us was innovative, exciting.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/11/2014 16:18:30    1673740

20/11/2014 09:49:44 ROS1
Spain and Brazil would play there best team if the were playing in the European cup/copa America knock out stages, unless you consider the six nations the same as a international friendly. There is a league of Ireland in soccer in case you did not know, rugby does get 12 months coverage, for example even in the rugby off season you have the tours which get big coverage especially the lions tour. People who have an interest in Gaa would be interested in the result of the Kerry county final for example, clearly you have people who don't have an interest in any sport who would not care of the result of any sport. It would have been extremely stupid for a sport which it is trying to get broaden its appeal away from its traditional base to get rid of one of its four provincial teams especially in the area where the would have been weakest in. A Lions tour isn't in the rugby off season. It primarily takes place over the weeks when summer tours would/are going on. Not all people with an interest in GAA will care for every county final, every game. That's just ridiculous
IRFU were right at the time to look into closing down Connacht as a pro side. They were totally loss making. Not that successful and losing way more money than could be brought in. It would have been stupid to close Connacht down as a pro side but it would have been correct at the time

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/11/2014 16:20:14    1673742

20/11/2014 10:34:41 hill16no1man
Ormond states a lot of people wouldn't have an interest in the Kerry county final well if that's the case 99% of the country wouldn't have an interest in the Connaught starting team to face zebre in the pro12 but we still get it announced to us Connacht, a whole province, and playing in an international sport and who represent a whole province will get huge attention. Connacht pro12 game potentially affects all provinces fans, teams directly which is not the case for a lot of gaa fans.
20/11/2014 14:05:11 ROS1
Not a mention of the international rules match by rte as at 2 o clock on Thursday, yet there carrying live coverage of the announcement of the rugby team on there website, Ormond how much coverage would the have by now if it was the lions team playing on Saturday morning instead of the international rules match. Off course no mention of the Connacht or Munster club finals either. The Lions has a great significance in rugby. Does International Rules have same level of significance for the GAA? No it doesnt

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/11/2014 16:22:52    1673747

20/11/2014 15:07:56 mediaman
The most watched sports event in Ireland in 2013 was the Dublin/Mayo All-Ireland Football Final. The most watched rugby game (Ireland v England) had 300,000 less viewers than the Football Final. The message is therefore quite clear. Far more people given a choice watch football/hurling than watch rugby. The Clare/Cork Hurling Final also had more viewers than the rugby game. So why does RTE's general coverage not reflect this fact? The inevitable conclusion is that those in RTE who call the shots give preference to their own sport - rugby rather than taking into account the wishes of the paying public (license holders). Is our own money being used to discriminate against us? Surely not. Why don't you go through every single year for the past decade. 1 year cant be used to prove a point as its too limited a scale/
Not everyone in RTE is a die hard rugby supporter and to imply otherwise is completely foolish

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/11/2014 16:24:35    1673749

20/11/2014 15:29:25 Soma
It is amazing that RTE Sports website will carry numerous articles about Italy v South Africa, a meaningless game of interest to very few. Yet a unique Connacht football final between the islands of Aran and Achill, which celebrates much of what is great about our culture, traditions and national games, got no coverage at all. It is a shame that there seems to be an embarrassment almost about things unique to Ireland, and a desperate need to associate with things that have a greater international dimension. I would assume the paid, professional journalists who run the RTE website and write copy/articles etc know otherwise and clearly feel the Italy South Africa game deserves coverage
I would assume preview of that game which is Sunday(???) Will be up tomorrow or Saturday...

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/11/2014 16:28:15    1673753

4.30pm. Thursday. The RTE Sport website has 7 rugby stories to just 2 football/hurling stories. The rugby stories include details of NZ/Wales/France and Argentina. However with just over 40 hours to go to the Ireland Australia International not a word. RTE seems to understand that rugby fans have an interest in foreign rugby but they don't seem to understand that football supporters are just as interested in International Rules and indeed every ball that is kicked at most levels in all 32 counties. That's the reality. And it's a reality RTE completely ignores.

mediaman (Antrim) - Posts: 355 - 20/11/2014 16:40:46    1673762

20/11/2014 16:40:46
mediaman
4.30pm. Thursday. The RTE Sport website has 7 rugby stories to just 2 football/hurling stories. The rugby stories include details of NZ/Wales/France and Argentina. However with just over 40 hours to go to the Ireland Australia International not a word. RTE seems to understand that rugby fans have an interest in foreign rugby but they don't seem to understand that football supporters are just as interested in International Rules and indeed every ball that is kicked at most levels in all 32 counties. That's the reality. And it's a reality RTE completely ignores. That isn't the reality though. Huge numbers will not be turning in across the country to watch a club gaelic football match from Galway/Kerry/Cork....

International rules should get more coverage but who will look for it if the media aren't covering it to your liking?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/11/2014 16:52:31    1673766

Ormo
These games are vitally important. You cant challenge in a world cup without doing well in these games as these are where you test yourself against the traditional big 3, get games against the next tier to work your squad and can integrate new players into main side much more than in a nations
I am all confused now Ormo. You assured me that the 6 nations is as important a competition as the world cup, yet now you are saying these games are vital in preparation for the world cup next September! Doesn't a 6 nations take place before then - if the competitions are of equal importance then I presume these games are in preparation for the 6 nations?
I would assume the paid, professional journalists who run the RTE website and write copy/articles etc know otherwise and clearly feel the Italy South Africa game deserves coverage
I would assume preview of that game which is Sunday(???) Will be up tomorrow or Saturday...
I am afraid not Ormo, the game was played last Sunday. Hard for you to know though as RTE ignored it. Maybe we will just trust that the paid RTE staff know better about what is good for you and it is more important to know how the big one, Italy v South Africa, goes. To be fair, the Independent had an excellent article on the game and the 2 clubs. It was a great insight into island clubs, traditions, and the sacrifices made by amateur players. You should read it if you get chance.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 20/11/2014 17:04:43    1673775

The most watched sports event in Ireland in 2012 was Ireland v Croatia soccer (1,236,000). The second most watched event was the Donegal/Mayo All-Ireland Football Final (975,000). Third was the Kilkenny/Galway All-Ireland Hurling Final (900,000). Fourth most watched was Katie Taylor Gold medal bout (754,000) and the most watched rugby match Ireland v Wales was in fifth place (648,000). The pattern is similar to 2013 when the All-Ireland Football Final was also watched by 300,000+ more than the most watched rugby match.

mediaman (Antrim) - Posts: 355 - 20/11/2014 17:35:50    1673785

if a team doesnt send the best team they can..its quite blatant their priorities lie elsewhere..this is quite obvious..there is nothing to be argued about here...if we didnt allow leinster players to play for us in the 6 nations it would send the same message

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 20/11/2014 17:52:09    1673792

its amazing to think that ormond can argue that people are interested in provincial team news in a much smaller sport yet people wouldnt be interested in one of the big county finals in the country?

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 20/11/2014 17:57:22    1673796

that isnt true ormond..be a lot more interested in a gaelic football match in galway than a rugby match in galway for instance

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 20/11/2014 18:09:10    1673799

Ormo
These games are vitally important. You cant challenge in a world cup without doing well in these games as these are where you test yourself against the traditional big 3, get games against the next tier to work your squad and can integrate new players into main side much more than in a nations
20/11/2014 17:04:43 Soma
I am all confused now Ormo. You assured me that the 6 nations is as important a competition as the world cup, yet now you are saying these games are vital in preparation for the world cup next September! Doesn't a 6 nations take place before then - if the competitions are of equal importance then I presume these games are in preparation for the 6 nations?Simple piece of advice Soma. If you are going to talk down and dismiss someone like you are with me have the balls to say their name correctly. You deliberately calling me 'ormo' is '100% trolling'. The 6 Nations are as important as the world cup and these games are vital in the preparation for the world cup as we are playing the best sides from the southern hemisphere in these games and these will be the best prep for the world cup and 6 nations. Surely you could have deduced that from my post but then again you probably couldnt
Ormond
I would assume the paid, professional journalists who run the RTE website and write copy/articles etc know otherwise and clearly feel the Italy South Africa game deserves coverage
I would assume preview of that game which is Sunday(???) Will be up tomorrow or Saturday...
20/11/2014 17:04:43 Soma
I am afraid not Ormo, the game was played last Sunday. Hard for you to know though as RTE ignored it. Maybe we will just trust that the paid RTE staff know better about what is good for you and it is more important to know how the big one, Italy v South Africa, goes. To be fair, the Independent had an excellent article on the game and the 2 clubs. It was a great insight into island clubs, traditions, and the sacrifices made by amateur players. You should read it if you get chance. Soma again who are the paid journalists who will have went through in their training ethics courses in how to be a good journalist, how to pick appropriate stories and who is the poster on an online forum who cant even say the name of a fellow poster correctly.
I don't want to read such an article as I don't have any interest in such an article
Again I will assume the paid journalists thought otherwise and their editors thought otherwise. Maybe if you and others think these people are not doing a good enough job you can either contact them to tell them that or you can set up your own media groups and cover the sports you feel should be covered more

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/11/2014 19:07:24    1673816

20/11/2014 17:52:09
fabio8
if a team doesnt send the best team they can..its quite blatant their priorities lie elsewhere..this is quite obvious..there is nothing to be argued about here...if we didnt allow leinster players to play for us in the 6 nations it would send the same message No it doesn't it just means theyre rotating their squad and utilising all their squad for the best opportunities
20/11/2014 17:57:22 fabio8
its amazing to think that ormond can argue that people are interested in provincial team news in a much smaller sport yet people wouldnt be interested in one of the big county finals in the country? Really? Club games don't attract the full countrys attention. With just 4 main provincial professional rugby sides all of whom compete in the same league Connacht team news will be of interest to all provincial fans in Ireland. That isn't the same at all for county finals
Like do you really think many people in munster and leinster will be interested in who wins the monagahan/derry gaelic club county final? No they wont

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 20/11/2014 19:12:35    1673817

ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 8771

They didn't flop against England. Well beaten by better team who'd have much greater strength in depth. They didn't flop in any way. By merely getting to a semi final shows they didn't flop. Poor performance in the semi final but it was a "flop". Very harsh and in no way similar to mens world cup

Ormo there was a 58 point turnaround in the space of 18 months. It was their biggest defeat to England in a top level competitive game since the 2004 6 Nations.

They did brilliantly well to beat New Zealand but that doesn't gloss over the fact they failed to show up against England. The fact that the defeat happened at the semi final stage is irrelevant. No one is disputing the strength in depth that England have but in other years they managed to at least make a game of it against them. In the World Cup though the defeat was so emphatic, they went ahead and then fell apart, there was only one team in it for the guts of 50 minutes.

As Fiona Coghlan said, the players themselves know they flopped. For some reason though you seem to think you know better.

It's incredibly similar to the men's team in 2011.

Complete underdog against a much stronger and more fancied southern hemisphere team. Beat them. And then fail to back it up with another performance when it really matters, and ultimately lose to a team you've put in much better performances against in the recent past.

How anybody can claim it's in no way similar is laughable.

It's almost f***kin identical.

ROS1
County: Roscommon
Posts: 176

There are a number of sports which use to get coverage but now get little or none, you make a good point about Katie Taylor as someone who is not a fan of boxing, i can still see how Rte is all talk about boxing for a couple of weeks every four years and then ignore it the rest of the time

To be fair now ROS1 there's actually been two or three stories relating to Katie Taylor over the last few days on the RTE website. It's the second or third time I've seen her mentioned on their site since the Olympics, she's only going for her fifth gold medal in a row at the World Championships so it's understandable she wasn't getting any coverage until now...

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3692 - 20/11/2014 19:26:38    1673823

Ormond have you completely missed the point of this thread posters have used countless examples of where rte have shown a bias to rugby. Who are you decide that people are interested in or not for example there was over 12,000 people at the Kilkenny hurling final last Sunday, i doubt all of them were Kilkenny people there is an interest in county finals outside of the county the are in and we are again seeing Rte not giving coverage to provincial club finals, you are arguing against yourself on the one hand you are saying the Irfu are right to get rid of Connacht and on the other hand you are now agreeing with me saying that getting rid of Connacht was Stupid and defending Rte carrying the team announcement. It is rubbish to say that the international rules do not matter, just because are still ignoring it does not mean it is not important, indeed a number of players have said these games have been one of the highlights of there careers.

I heard an interesting interview with Joe Schmidt with your Rte radio friends where he said that the November games were a lot less important then the six nations and had a negligible effect on the world cup which was exactly the point i have been making all along. Maybe we should make him head of sport in Rte he might be less bias. The likes of Shane Horgan, Brent Pope and Connor o'Shea have said the Geogra game was a nothing game, indeed have you ever thought a rugby game was bad. The lions tour while i am sure is a nice trip for the lads that go on it and the tourists that go does not deserve any where near the coverage it gets, but in your mind every rugby match is more important then every other sport, you also say when that the tour happens it is not in the off season, well then when is the off season with the under 20's, women's, men's world cups and now the Olympics it proves my point that Rte gives rugby 12 months coverage. Five 6/5 nations wins in over 60 years and never getting to the world cup semi final the only serious rugby nation not to do, so it does not suggest a top rugby nation, while i know you disrespect the women's rugby team at least the have managed to get to rwc semi final. another female rugby player on second captains last night, still no sign of a ladies footballer.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 20/11/2014 19:27:33    1673824

most of the games being discussed are provincial club championship games...of course people are going to be interested in the kerry county final as its the biggest gaa county there is...there is big interest in club gaa..look at tg4 viewing figures...you speak as if provincial rugby attracts the full countrys attention?...barring the heineken cup runs there is very little interest outside each of their own catchment areas with connachts being very small and lot smaller than club gaa in most counties....yes gaa people will be interested in a variety of club championships...look how big a crowd was at the dublin final...of course people are going to care about it..you believe people all over the country care about connacht team news yet you take a shot at derry and monaghan?...quite laughable

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 20/11/2014 19:28:46    1673825

you dont rotate your squad for your supposed main competition..the all blacks dont send a weak team to compete in the tri nations..they send the best team possible similar to what we do and the england mens team do..to do anything else shows it is not the priority...what would you think if we didnt play sexton and 1 or 2 others for the 6 nations?

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 20/11/2014 19:30:20    1673826

Ormond will soma get the license fee like Rte to set up his media group? i have complained to Rte in the past and got nowhere as i have said many times, most people do not care about the results of a pro 12 game not involving there own province playing an Italian team never mind what team the have picked, most people have little interest in the pro 12. Lots of people have interest in seeing the results of other counties finals. People do what there bosses tell them and the sad truth is if you get a nice cushy job in Rte you are not to risk it by rocking the boat.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 20/11/2014 19:37:09    1673827