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Replying To KillingFields:  "I named south sligo. so what. i could name other new clubs now and youd find some way to try dismiss it. playing numbers are not this bad way you want to make them out to be. but you can never be wrong can ypu"
You named South Sligo and Crossmolina. You try and pretend you know more than everyone on Rugby, so much so you name clubs that don't exist.

I don't talk about the numbers down your way because I am not down there enough to see what's going on. But that didn't stop you arguing against me about what's going on in my province. Rugby is less popular now and as I already said with the increase in training days for GAA teens it will drop further. Rugby is well behind Gaelic Football, Hurling, Soccer and Athletics and it's not going to change.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8771 - 23/02/2026 09:06:51    2658005

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "You named South Sligo and Crossmolina. You try and pretend you know more than everyone on Rugby, so much so you name clubs that don't exist.

I don't talk about the numbers down your way because I am not down there enough to see what's going on. But that didn't stop you arguing against me about what's going on in my province. Rugby is less popular now and as I already said with the increase in training days for GAA teens it will drop further. Rugby is well behind Gaelic Football, Hurling, Soccer and Athletics and it's not going to change."
Crossmolina were running for a while as a minis club with Ballina and i beleived plans were to expand them in time. and same with South Sligo though they were completely integrated back into Sligo a while back.

i have been involved in connacht rugby. i would know plenty involved in the game in plenty of clubs in connacht, those who know the game. rugby less popular now compared to when exactly? I dont see it based on my experience of the game. numbers playing teams playing etc

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3943 - 23/02/2026 12:07:44    2658084

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Crossmolina were running for a while as a minis club with Ballina and i beleived plans were to expand them in time. and same with South Sligo though they were completely integrated back into Sligo a while back.

i have been involved in connacht rugby. i would know plenty involved in the game in plenty of clubs in connacht, those who know the game. rugby less popular now compared to when exactly? I dont see it based on my experience of the game. numbers playing teams playing etc"
You still try and claim you had a point by mentioning them. I know all about why they were set up but they failed. That's the point. And here you are still arguing. Even your points to the Athlone poster. Rugby is miles behind GAA, soccer and athletics and that isn't going to change. That was my point. Are you seriously going to try and say I am wrong?


I have 2 kids in primary school currently playing sports. And another one starting shortly. The nearest rugby club is an hour away. There are 4 GAA clubs in a 10 mile radius. and 4 soccer clubs. There are also 2 athletics clubs in that same small area. 3 Boxing clubs. The rugby clubs don't even have girls mini teams. They try and fail. There are more people boxing than playing rugby. Boys and girls. So please tell me about the numbers playing rugby and how they haven't dropped off.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8771 - 23/02/2026 12:35:44    2658094

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "You still try and claim you had a point by mentioning them. I know all about why they were set up but they failed. That's the point. And here you are still arguing. Even your points to the Athlone poster. Rugby is miles behind GAA, soccer and athletics and that isn't going to change. That was my point. Are you seriously going to try and say I am wrong?


I have 2 kids in primary school currently playing sports. And another one starting shortly. The nearest rugby club is an hour away. There are 4 GAA clubs in a 10 mile radius. and 4 soccer clubs. There are also 2 athletics clubs in that same small area. 3 Boxing clubs. The rugby clubs don't even have girls mini teams. They try and fail. There are more people boxing than playing rugby. Boys and girls. So please tell me about the numbers playing rugby and how they haven't dropped off."
I made that point a while back. It's hard to get data on but I genuinely think we have more boxers than rugby players.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 4279 - 23/02/2026 13:00:02    2658110

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Claremorris built a club from underage to adult teams in about 15 years, fair play to them. I used to play for Ballyhaunis in 90s, early 2000s. We used to get players from South Sligo, Kiltimagh,Ballaghdereen, Charlestown, Ballinlough and we'd be stuck if we could only have Ballyhaunis players. Pretty much everyone played at least one other of Gaelic Football, Hurling or soccer. Some lads would play Gaelic on a Saturday, soccer in Sunday morning and rugby in the evening. Them were the days! Dunmore were our local, nearest rivals but Ballinrobe, close enough, played in the race track. Good to see that now there's 4 clubs within about a 15 mile radius, none in a big town compared to Castlebar and Ballina. But they're sports mad towns other than just rugby. Clubs don't start themselves and while it's no harm having the national team going well it won't keep numbers going to trainining and dedicated parents bringing kids to training and matches. Same with all sports. IRFU organising coaching sessions in schools is great but needs push from teachers, parents for clubs. I'm convinced that there's many an adult who like watching rugby on the telly that would rarely go to their local club to watch their underage or adults mens and women team play.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8447 - 23/02/2026 14:00:49    2658137

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I made that point a while back. It's hard to get data on but I genuinely think we have more boxers than rugby players."
We absolutely do. Now perhaps in the rugby strongholds in Dublin, Galway and Munster numbers would say otherwise but county by county outside of that Rugby is 6th most popular sport. I am leaving golf out of the debate.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8771 - 23/02/2026 14:14:08    2658145

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Replying To zinny:  "A couple of points on this. While rugby likes to say its a game for all sizes, its perhaps more accurate to say that its a game for all sizes but those sizes fit into different positions. In minis nobody is really going to know where a player will eventually play so they get the freedom to learn the skills and enjoy the game. After that it becomes a bit more serious and a lad who played in the forwards in minis may now look as if he really is not suited to it however with smaller numbers in a club there may be no choice and players end up playing in positions they are just not suited to. This doesn't really happen in the GAA or Soccer, sure there will be bigger players but the nature of the games do not contain the level of physicality needed that rugby does. So its not just a numbers game but a numbers game for particular positions. Some kids will just prefer rugby but I would say the majority will stay with the GAA if they also find that they are doing well in it. In some respect the decision could be just circumstance of where the kids is and what is happening around them.
I would argue that Hurling has the same problem as Rugby when it comes to getting parents across the line who have never been involved with the game in the past. They love watching the game but it all looks a bit too wild and dangerous for little Johnny to be playing. Of course that has not been helped by the attitude of some of the commentators on games at the intercounty level who have glorified big (illegal) hits etc. After all these years how successful has the GAA been in spreading Hurling to areas outside its main catchment counties. Anyone expecting international success to drive up continued participation (I would say beyond u14 level) in Rugby outside their main catchment areas really need to think again, but perhaps its not needed, Ireland has always been (even in the very lean years) one of the top 12 rugby teams in the world so even if its only an extra two or three players that come out of the "expansion" then it works.
While some may not like rugby because of its history (which is interwoven with a particular class), I do not see it as a threat to the GAA, Soccer always has and always will be the main competitor for the GAA."
Yes, that is why the 2 back row forwards were moved to the centre positions. They were bigger and more powerful at that time than my lad. Not anymore but it was enough for my lad to stop. The collisions got much bigger overnight and he didnt want to miss out on other sports due to rugby injury.
Your point is also well made on hurling facing similar problems. As a limerick man living in Midlands it is definitely an issue when it comes to promoting hurling. In my experience they tend to drop hurling and rugby and stick with GF and soccer unless they are particularly good at rugby/hurling or particularly bad at GF and soccer.
Its a challenge promoting hurling and Rugby. There is no rugby club within the county of Roscommon. Creggs are a North East Galway club who pull players from Roscommon but not a Roscommon club. Then there is the travel issue. Kids are on buses for hours to play a game. That doesnt happen so much in limerick for example. You are leaving Athlone at 8am to plsy Ballina or Sligo at 11am. Its a full day gone. Its an inhibitor.
Hurling suffers from not enough teams to play and now the Tain League means similar travel to rugby.
GF and soccer have far less challenges in that regard in the Midlands and connacht particularly

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 36 - 23/02/2026 14:42:17    2658157

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "Yes, that is why the 2 back row forwards were moved to the centre positions. They were bigger and more powerful at that time than my lad. Not anymore but it was enough for my lad to stop. The collisions got much bigger overnight and he didnt want to miss out on other sports due to rugby injury.
Your point is also well made on hurling facing similar problems. As a limerick man living in Midlands it is definitely an issue when it comes to promoting hurling. In my experience they tend to drop hurling and rugby and stick with GF and soccer unless they are particularly good at rugby/hurling or particularly bad at GF and soccer.
Its a challenge promoting hurling and Rugby. There is no rugby club within the county of Roscommon. Creggs are a North East Galway club who pull players from Roscommon but not a Roscommon club. Then there is the travel issue. Kids are on buses for hours to play a game. That doesnt happen so much in limerick for example. You are leaving Athlone at 8am to plsy Ballina or Sligo at 11am. Its a full day gone. Its an inhibitor.
Hurling suffers from not enough teams to play and now the Tain League means similar travel to rugby.
GF and soccer have far less challenges in that regard in the Midlands and connacht particularly"
It's less than a 2 hour spin from Athlone to Sligo or Ballina. Kids don't have much trouble being with their mates for a day not in school. They prefer it to being brought in a car and good for team spirit. Parents can encourage them too at the start, maybe nervous with kids they don't know well. If a few hours on a bus are putting them off then maybe sport is not for them.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8447 - 23/02/2026 15:11:28    2658167

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "It's less than a 2 hour spin from Athlone to Sligo or Ballina. Kids don't have much trouble being with their mates for a day not in school. They prefer it to being brought in a car and good for team spirit. Parents can encourage them too at the start, maybe nervous with kids they don't know well. If a few hours on a bus are putting them off then maybe sport is not for them."
Rugby is class for travelling and it's amazing looking back when I played we travelled the country at a young age. But that's less common now. Times have changed.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8771 - 23/02/2026 15:40:05    2658179

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "It's less than a 2 hour spin from Athlone to Sligo or Ballina. Kids don't have much trouble being with their mates for a day not in school. They prefer it to being brought in a car and good for team spirit. Parents can encourage them too at the start, maybe nervous with kids they don't know well. If a few hours on a bus are putting them off then maybe sport is not for them."
Its 2xhours plus the half hour break up and you have to be there a minimum of 60 minutes before kick off. The game itself is probably 2 hours long plus a cool down, change etc and 2 hours plus the break back. Thats a days work for everyone fun or not. As lads get older and have part time jobs , girlfriends, study etc that can become cumbersome and prohibitive. Thst is all im saying. The conversation is about the challenges that rugby, and hurling since it was introduced, face compared to GF and soccer in Connacht and a lot of the Midlands.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 36 - 23/02/2026 16:43:41    2658209

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "Its 2xhours plus the half hour break up and you have to be there a minimum of 60 minutes before kick off. The game itself is probably 2 hours long plus a cool down, change etc and 2 hours plus the break back. Thats a days work for everyone fun or not. As lads get older and have part time jobs , girlfriends, study etc that can become cumbersome and prohibitive. Thst is all im saying. The conversation is about the challenges that rugby, and hurling since it was introduced, face compared to GF and soccer in Connacht and a lot of the Midlands."
Every club is different and most have a day gone to get to and from games. At least ye're Bucaneers. Would you rather be Dunmore or Ballyhaunis, about an hours drive to any Connacht club, but with a small poulation to pull from, small number of schools and no college? Ye have some setup there that m9st clubs would be envious of.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8447 - 23/02/2026 18:11:51    2658239

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "Yes, that is why the 2 back row forwards were moved to the centre positions. They were bigger and more powerful at that time than my lad. Not anymore but it was enough for my lad to stop. The collisions got much bigger overnight and he didnt want to miss out on other sports due to rugby injury.
Your point is also well made on hurling facing similar problems. As a limerick man living in Midlands it is definitely an issue when it comes to promoting hurling. In my experience they tend to drop hurling and rugby and stick with GF and soccer unless they are particularly good at rugby/hurling or particularly bad at GF and soccer.
Its a challenge promoting hurling and Rugby. There is no rugby club within the county of Roscommon. Creggs are a North East Galway club who pull players from Roscommon but not a Roscommon club. Then there is the travel issue. Kids are on buses for hours to play a game. That doesnt happen so much in limerick for example. You are leaving Athlone at 8am to plsy Ballina or Sligo at 11am. Its a full day gone. Its an inhibitor.
Hurling suffers from not enough teams to play and now the Tain League means similar travel to rugby.
GF and soccer have far less challenges in that regard in the Midlands and connacht particularly"
You're technically right that there's no rugby club in Roscommon but in my opinion those that want to play rugby have plenty of options. They have Buccs, Creggs, Dunmore, Ballyhaunis, Longford and Carrick on Shannon. Three of them are literally on the county boundaries. Dunmore and Ballyhaunis are a stones throw from the Roscommon border. All of them are drawing players from Roscommon and their specific location. County and parish boundaries are utterly irrelevant in a rugby club.
The GAA infrastructure is well ahead of rugby in these areas in the sense that there are more clubs. Not disputing that. GAA Clubs were founded a long time ago and when logistics were a lot more complicated. GAA clubs are now struggling for numbers in a lot of areas. There's lots of pitches and clubhouses but less people to fill them. Tough decisions will have to be made in terms of amalgamations.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 281 - 23/02/2026 18:53:17    2658242

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "You still try and claim you had a point by mentioning them. I know all about why they were set up but they failed. That's the point. And here you are still arguing. Even your points to the Athlone poster. Rugby is miles behind GAA, soccer and athletics and that isn't going to change. That was my point. Are you seriously going to try and say I am wrong?


I have 2 kids in primary school currently playing sports. And another one starting shortly. The nearest rugby club is an hour away. There are 4 GAA clubs in a 10 mile radius. and 4 soccer clubs. There are also 2 athletics clubs in that same small area. 3 Boxing clubs. The rugby clubs don't even have girls mini teams. They try and fail. There are more people boxing than playing rugby. Boys and girls. So please tell me about the numbers playing rugby and how they haven't dropped off."
you love to post up so called facts and never back them up. more boxing than rugby? Show me the proof. have you ever linked proof to anything on this site. as you are never wrong and never actually back anything up with proof bar saying you are right and everyone else is wrong.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3943 - 23/02/2026 19:57:10    2658249

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Replying To ThePowerhouse:  "You're technically right that there's no rugby club in Roscommon but in my opinion those that want to play rugby have plenty of options. They have Buccs, Creggs, Dunmore, Ballyhaunis, Longford and Carrick on Shannon. Three of them are literally on the county boundaries. Dunmore and Ballyhaunis are a stones throw from the Roscommon border. All of them are drawing players from Roscommon and their specific location. County and parish boundaries are utterly irrelevant in a rugby club.
The GAA infrastructure is well ahead of rugby in these areas in the sense that there are more clubs. Not disputing that. GAA Clubs were founded a long time ago and when logistics were a lot more complicated. GAA clubs are now struggling for numbers in a lot of areas. There's lots of pitches and clubhouses but less people to fill them. Tough decisions will have to be made in terms of amalgamations."
I know that but they have to leave their county to play the game. They dont have to leave their parish to play GF and largely dont to have to play soccer either. No community in the county thought it necessary or saw a demand to form a rugby club.

Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 36 - 23/02/2026 23:15:31    2658276

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "We absolutely do. Now perhaps in the rugby strongholds in Dublin, Galway and Munster numbers would say otherwise but county by county outside of that Rugby is 6th most popular sport. I am leaving golf out of the debate."
As of July 2024, there were around 370,000 individuals in Ireland who had played rugby in some form in the past year. Among these were approximately 90,000 players registered by the Irish Rugby Football Union, of whom 75,000 were male. Meanwhile, roughly 280,000 individuals took part in sessions held by community rugby officers between May 2023 and May 2024.

The only number I can find for boxing is 18K members. Its hard to find data on boxing participation.

Anyone who thinks that rugby hasn't got challanges in expansion outside its hinterlands is in dreamland but equally to say that it has not become more popular is also wrong. There are plenty of kids and adults in Ireland who need more sport. A kid they should play as many sports available to them and then let them find their path and keep them at it. Even within the GAA we cannot seem to accept that concept and some GAA people will only want their kids to play one or the other for no other reason than just pure stubbornness.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2175 - 24/02/2026 03:03:09    2658287

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Replying To Tadhg2020:  "I know that but they have to leave their county to play the game. They dont have to leave their parish to play GF and largely dont to have to play soccer either. No community in the county thought it necessary or saw a demand to form a rugby club."
Ok. I fail to see the issue. Evidently, lots of others don't see it as an issue either as all of the clubs mentioned are doing well at various levels. The whole parish thing is a moot point. It's irrelevant in rugby. It's a huge part of the GAA identity but there's no harm in broadening one's horizon beyond the parish pump.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 281 - 24/02/2026 09:06:44    2658297

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Replying To zinny:  "As of July 2024, there were around 370,000 individuals in Ireland who had played rugby in some form in the past year. Among these were approximately 90,000 players registered by the Irish Rugby Football Union, of whom 75,000 were male. Meanwhile, roughly 280,000 individuals took part in sessions held by community rugby officers between May 2023 and May 2024.

The only number I can find for boxing is 18K members. Its hard to find data on boxing participation.

Anyone who thinks that rugby hasn't got challanges in expansion outside its hinterlands is in dreamland but equally to say that it has not become more popular is also wrong. There are plenty of kids and adults in Ireland who need more sport. A kid they should play as many sports available to them and then let them find their path and keep them at it. Even within the GAA we cannot seem to accept that concept and some GAA people will only want their kids to play one or the other for no other reason than just pure stubbornness."
Firstly those numbers are impossible to breakdown. I have said multiple times now that outside of Dublin and a couple of other urban areas there are tiny numbers playing rugby. You are in Wexford. Breakdown the amount of clubs that you know from each sport. That's how you really tell. Boxing has been thrown into the mix purely based on what I see in Mayo, Sligo, Donegal. Take it out if you wish. Rugby miles behind GAA, Soccer and Athletics.

Also my kids are multi sports but the reality is when they hit teens rightly or wrongly it's very hard to keep it up because of the increase in training sessions from 1 day to 2. It's happening now as low as U10. If any teen makes a county underage squad then that's even worse. There are dinosaurs involved in every sport. Not just GAA. Soccer and GAA are always pushing against each other instead of trying to find workable solutions.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8771 - 24/02/2026 09:16:37    2658301

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Replying To zinny:  "As of July 2024, there were around 370,000 individuals in Ireland who had played rugby in some form in the past year. Among these were approximately 90,000 players registered by the Irish Rugby Football Union, of whom 75,000 were male. Meanwhile, roughly 280,000 individuals took part in sessions held by community rugby officers between May 2023 and May 2024.

The only number I can find for boxing is 18K members. Its hard to find data on boxing participation.

Anyone who thinks that rugby hasn't got challanges in expansion outside its hinterlands is in dreamland but equally to say that it has not become more popular is also wrong. There are plenty of kids and adults in Ireland who need more sport. A kid they should play as many sports available to them and then let them find their path and keep them at it. Even within the GAA we cannot seem to accept that concept and some GAA people will only want their kids to play one or the other for no other reason than just pure stubbornness."
It's a tactic of the diehards who see every other sport as a threat to them. They should be focusing on enhancing their own product instead of running down other sports. It's draconian to expect that people should only play one sport. Forcing people people never works. In the short term maybe, but in the long term people pushback. The new rules in football have improved the product. That was a GAA problem that had nothing to do with other sports. It wasn't rugby or soccers fault that football was horrible to watch. It was a GAA problem and theirs to fix. In my experience Rugby just gets on with it and couldn't care less what other sports are doing. Give people a choice of sports and they'll figure it out themselves. Brow beating them into playing GAA won't work.

ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 281 - 24/02/2026 09:19:13    2658302

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When the powers that be opened up Croke Park to other sports like Soccer, Rugby, Boxing, AFL etc, that gave us the right to participate in whatever sport we like without question, therefore we should embrace all sports without fear or contradiction and enjoy them all, there is plenty of room for all sports in this great little sporting country of ours, without doubt.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3369 - 24/02/2026 10:36:02    2658316

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