National Forum

'The People's Game'

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Replying To galwayford:  "The GAA should try and reach out a bit more to the diaspora who arrive through Dublin airport especially. I always see big adverts for the European rugby games in the arrivals hall. Surely GAA people could try and hire some space for GAA publicity. Also I have said it time and time again, GAA clubs should try and encourage the use of An Gaeilge more. And also maybe Irish dancing. Become "Gaelic hubs" in other words. How about an Irish dancing championship in Croke park? Or a Gaelic only zone? Cén fáth nach bhfuil aon gaeilge ins a lán de na clubanna Gaeil.
Don't let the GAA end up in the ludicrous situation where the local Rugby club is regarded as being the place to go for the culture and craic! It has happened with the anthem, it is said ( silly imho) that the Rugby crowd are more respectful to Amhrán na bhFiann then the GAA."
There is Comórtas Peil na Gaeltacht ón every year.

There is Scór Na NÓg for adults and children every year.

GAA clubs have the scope to be your version of Gaelic hubs if they wish. Most likely the clubs ethos will reflect its members.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 20/03/2018 22:50:23    2086472

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Replying To conordee:  "In terms of playing numbers Rugby willl never come near GAA or Soccer but... it will attract more and more of the top athletes .
Excellent article in today's Independent from Eamonn Sweeney on this topic."
You have a link to that article?

dahayeser (Cork) - Posts: 337 - 21/03/2018 08:58:26    2086519

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Replying To dahayeser:  "You have a link to that article?"
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keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 21/03/2018 12:57:00    2086602

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Irish culture is huge now. Look at Patricks day. There is a good opportunity for the GAA to get involved in it.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 21/03/2018 21:14:47    2086788

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Replying To galwayford:  "Irish culture is huge now. Look at Patricks day. There is a good opportunity for the GAA to get involved in it."
All-Ireland Club Finals in Croke Park.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 21/03/2018 23:02:30    2086824

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After Daire O Brien claiming Rugby as 'the people's sport' on RTE a few weeks back, today we had Neil Francis in the Sunday Independent claiming 'Rugby is our new national sport'. Seriously. I'm assuming Neil is still celebrating last week's win or else the article is a week earlier than planned as April 1 is next Sunday.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/neil-francis-the-people-are-embracing-rugby-as-our-new-national-sport-and-rightly-so-36741077.html

conordee (Galway) - Posts: 440 - 25/03/2018 21:35:33    2087974

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He points it hurling but does leaves out football and more importantly GAA club. EVERY parish in the country has a hurling and/or football club which is the heart of the community.

He also brags about the 1.3 million who watched it on tv. Did a similar number not tune into the Dublin v Mayo final last year?

Grow Up Neil

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11230 - 25/03/2018 21:46:45    2087983

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Replying To conordee:  "After Daire O Brien claiming Rugby as 'the people's sport' on RTE a few weeks back, today we had Neil Francis in the Sunday Independent claiming 'Rugby is our new national sport'. Seriously. I'm assuming Neil is still celebrating last week's win or else the article is a week earlier than planned as April 1 is next Sunday.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/neil-francis-the-people-are-embracing-rugby-as-our-new-national-sport-and-rightly-so-36741077.html"
He compares ireland to new Zealand as rugby being national sports, how can that be as my own county of wexford has only 4 rugby teams.
Calls gaa a parochial sport but no mention that really only 3 to 4 teams can win a so called world cup of ten countries domanited by the all blacks ( mostly old British colonies)
States majority of irish soccer players really want to play for England but not mention of irelands own Sandler and aki (two former merry minors I believe)
Neil Francis is the real face of irish rugby, old private school and posh, carlows sean obrien and wexford own tadhg furlong are the exception and not the norm but are not your average working men, some of farmers!
Don't get me wrong I enjoy rugby but it is fast becoming like American football ,the couch potato s nation sport
Sport of the people, i dont think Neil Francis was in wexford park yesterday

tonydoranfan (Wexford) - Posts: 550 - 25/03/2018 22:29:01    2088008

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Replying To conordee:  "After Daire O Brien claiming Rugby as 'the people's sport' on RTE a few weeks back, today we had Neil Francis in the Sunday Independent claiming 'Rugby is our new national sport'. Seriously. I'm assuming Neil is still celebrating last week's win or else the article is a week earlier than planned as April 1 is next Sunday.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/neil-francis-the-people-are-embracing-rugby-as-our-new-national-sport-and-rightly-so-36741077.html"
He compares ireland to new Zealand as rugby being national sports, how can that be as my own county of wexford has only 4 rugby teams.
Calls gaa a parochial sport but no mention that really only 3 to 4 teams can win a so called world cup of ten countries domanited by the all blacks ( mostly old British colonies)
States majority of irish soccer players really want to play for England but not mention of irelands own Sandler and aki (two former kerry minors I believe)
Neil Francis is the real face of irish rugby, old private school and posh, carlows sean obrien and wexford own tadhg furlong are the exception and not the norm but are not your average working men, sons of farmers!
Don't get me wrong I enjoy rugby but it is fast becoming like American football ,the couch potato s nation sport
Sport of the people, i dont think Neil Francis was in wexford park yesterday

tonydoranfan (Wexford) - Posts: 550 - 25/03/2018 22:32:44    2088014

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Non Story, I mean are the 'People' suddenly going to adopt the game because such an esteemed pundit told us its our game.

WunderBar (Galway) - Posts: 290 - 25/03/2018 22:39:26    2088020

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Replying To WunderBar:  "Non Story, I mean are the 'People' suddenly going to adopt the game because such an esteemed pundit told us its our game."
Neil Francis is far from esteemed.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 25/03/2018 23:34:50    2088052

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Given Leinsters victory in the European cup, and Ireland's grand slam, what is this prediction like now.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2519 - 17/05/2018 10:59:28    2101635

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Yes hail the "certain better types" people's game. A rubbish accolade, most team sports in Ireland are miles ahead in participation levels.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 17/05/2018 19:09:48    2101765

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For posters who love to say they don't like rugby some sure do spend a lot of time here posting about rugby.

If your child comes home from school and says he or she would like to try rugby would ye rather say no and then pay the medical bills when they're 18, obese and no interest in anything except TV and Playstation?

Cop on.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7344 - 17/05/2018 19:59:09    2101776

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Close to 60,000 predicated for the 2 Munster hurling semi-finals on Sunday while Munster rugby had to return 1,000 unsold tickets out of an allocation of 4, 500 for match v Leinster-at least we know what's the 'people' s game's down here

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 817 - 18/05/2018 15:06:20    2101986

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Replying To updwell:  "Close to 60,000 predicated for the 2 Munster hurling semi-finals on Sunday while Munster rugby had to return 1,000 unsold tickets out of an allocation of 4, 500 for match v Leinster-at least we know what's the 'people' s game's down here"
Well they got 45,000 at the 2 hurling games which was excellent given the switch to round robin. Cork v Limerick Saturday night week in Cork could come close to that number on it's own. Great to see such an interest in hurling.

To be fair to the rugby, I think most go directly on line to get their tickets and there did seem to be plenty of red in the RDS. I'd imagine if they held it in the Aviva they would have come close to selling out. They can sell it out for regular Munster Leinster league fixtures so no it would be strange not to do so for a semi final.

No doubt the hurling hurt the Munster crowd. 50 EUR you'd probably get you a decent seat for yourself at the RDS while the same 50 sat myself, my wife and 2 kids in the middle of the stand in the Pairc Ui Caoimh. The old Pro14 is the secondary competition for the rugby too a bit so it would be a bit like them gloating over a Munster Leinster champions cup game outselling a National Hurling League semi final. I am GAA though and through but just throwing in a bit of balance. Obviously rugby isn't the peoples game but it has become a very popular spectator sport over past 20 years.

dahayeser (Cork) - Posts: 337 - 21/05/2018 09:59:19    2102545

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Replying To dahayeser:  "Well they got 45,000 at the 2 hurling games which was excellent given the switch to round robin. Cork v Limerick Saturday night week in Cork could come close to that number on it's own. Great to see such an interest in hurling.

To be fair to the rugby, I think most go directly on line to get their tickets and there did seem to be plenty of red in the RDS. I'd imagine if they held it in the Aviva they would have come close to selling out. They can sell it out for regular Munster Leinster league fixtures so no it would be strange not to do so for a semi final.

No doubt the hurling hurt the Munster crowd. 50 EUR you'd probably get you a decent seat for yourself at the RDS while the same 50 sat myself, my wife and 2 kids in the middle of the stand in the Pairc Ui Caoimh. The old Pro14 is the secondary competition for the rugby too a bit so it would be a bit like them gloating over a Munster Leinster champions cup game outselling a National Hurling League semi final. I am GAA though and through but just throwing in a bit of balance. Obviously rugby isn't the peoples game but it has become a very popular spectator sport over past 20 years."
I think AIL attendances sum up the position of rugby in Ireland.

And Pro14 is a mickey mouse compeition anyway

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 21/05/2018 10:40:03    2102564

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I think AIL attendances sum up the position of rugby in Ireland.

And Pro14 is a mickey mouse compeition anyway
witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1215 - 21/05/2018 10:40:03
neither of these statements are any bit true.
Some AIL attendances are poor but its an all country league. junior 1/2 competitions with more local teams can get much better attendances
and care to explain how the pro14 is a mickey mouse competition and what is a mickey mouse competition anyway?

DonaldDuck (Tipperary) - Posts: 544 - 21/05/2018 20:01:29    2102785

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Replying To witnof:  "I think AIL attendances sum up the position of rugby in Ireland.

And Pro14 is a mickey mouse compeition anyway"
Compared to what?

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7344 - 21/05/2018 23:16:41    2102852

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Replying To DonaldDuck:  "I think AIL attendances sum up the position of rugby in Ireland.

And Pro14 is a mickey mouse compeition anyway
witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1215 - 21/05/2018 10:40:03
neither of these statements are any bit true.
Some AIL attendances are poor but its an all country league. junior 1/2 competitions with more local teams can get much better attendances
and care to explain how the pro14 is a mickey mouse competition and what is a mickey mouse competition anyway?"
I wouldn't take the AIL attendances as an indicator of much, Rugby is far healthier and more popular than when the AIL was flying 20/25 years ago.

I'd have to agree the Pro14 is a bit of a mess though. You have Glasgow coming over to play Munster missing 25 because of injuries and the 6 nations. Irish teams are restricted from playing half the games for the thing is more often than not played out with half second string players. It's handy to try players out for the big competition , the Champions Cup.

It's similar enough to our own GAA leagues in ways, big teams use it to try out players for championship and if they happen to be there abouts at the end they will give a push to win it. No team is going to show their hand too much in the league if they are meeting the same team in the championship (or Champions cup in Rugby) shortly after.

Typical of the 2 sports then, Rugby people try to big up the Pro14 while GAA people run down their league - ah sure tis only the league!!

In spite of this the GAA leagues are growing massively in popularity with attendances rising massively in recent years.

dahayeser (Cork) - Posts: 337 - 22/05/2018 10:18:26    2102931

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