brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2848

821977 Great spectator sport,

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Thats the point - Its a spectator sport not a participant sport which is why it well never have the popularity that GAA or soccer will have
which is why I mantain that this it is not "rugby country" as the title of the thread suggests

It is an enjoyable spectator sport in the same way that American Football or Basketball or Sprint Athletics is but its not a game for the masses.
And like these sports success at the highest level becomes somewhat of a freak show.

In the modern game with the exception of the scrum half and out half - every position is filled by players who are either abnormally tall, have abnormal upper body build etc. 20 stone props - 6 foot 8 inch second rows - even now at the highest level the three quarter line and the Full back are 16 stone 6 foot 2 plus.
With the exceptioon of 9 and 10 there is no place for 5ft , 10in 12 stone Mondeo Man.

Omar.d (Cavan) - Posts: 1141 - 24/11/2010 13:56:36    822028

Played rugby in school and at junior level for the local club Didnt really have time for several sports so stuck to the hurling.

Its a great game to play, unbelievably intense and physically brutal.

The people who criticise it are usually those who have never played it.

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4655 - 24/11/2010 13:56:55    822029

As the great willie john mcbride said a long time ago the only people who criticise rugby are those who were never man enough to try it- anyone who does play has the utmost respect for anyone else who ever played. real men play rugby- soft little nobodies criticise it- which are you?

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 24/11/2010 14:32:46    822062

How is Rugby not a participant sport exactly? You need the exact same basic equipment as you do for Gaelic. Granted it's not as popular as the GAA which is a pity as it's a fantastic sport but this has nothing to do with the Celtic tiger or the fact that it's a spectator sport only

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 24/11/2010 14:43:19    822074

liathroidboy
County: Mayo
Posts: 587

822062 As the great willie john mcbride said a long time ago the only people who criticise rugby are those who were never man enough to try it- anyone who does play has the utmost respect for anyone else who ever played. real men play rugby- soft little nobodies criticise it- which are you?
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Now, let me see, I am a rugby fan BUT I have never played the game myself, where do the scheme of things.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 24/11/2010 14:55:12    822083

correction - 'i fit in'.

Before the enivitable!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 24/11/2010 14:58:01    822087

i'm the same as brend, some of you are way to keen to generalise people.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12452 - 24/11/2010 15:02:31    822090

Breffni39
County: Cavan
Posts: 4088

822090
i'm the same as brend, some of you are way to keen to generalise people.

But generalising is fun, you tight auld Cavan man you!!!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 24/11/2010 15:50:20    822116

Haha pretty accurate too!!

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12452 - 24/11/2010 16:04:01    822125

24/11/2010 14:32:46
liathroidboy
County: Mayo
Posts: 589

822062 As the great willie john mcbride said a long time ago the only people who criticise rugby are those who were never man enough to try it- anyone who does play has the utmost respect for anyone else who ever played. real men play rugby- soft little nobodies criticise it- which are you?
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I never tried it - fro the same reasons that I have never driven a formula one car or played Polo - There was no rugby where I went to school and there was no club where I lived until about 5 years ago, At that stage I felt I was too long in the tooth to start learning how to "go through the phases" "clean out a Ruck" or be the perpetually marginally offisde Flanker.

Omar.d (Cavan) - Posts: 1141 - 24/11/2010 16:13:19    822132

there dont seem to any rugby in cavan, then again there dont seem to be much in cavan full stop, Id say the cavan boys are thich jealous with everyone 'tightening their belts' it was the one thing they had for eternity and now thats gone from them- ah take it easy generalishing is fun :)

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 24/11/2010 17:28:13    822188

i went to one munster rugby match... it's nothing on football or hurling! though its better than soccer..though that wouldnt be hard!

rebelsrock (Cork) - Posts: 550 - 24/11/2010 18:44:30    822254

24/11/2010 17:28:13
liathroidboy
County: Mayo
Posts: 595

822188 there dont seem to any rugby in cavan, then again there dont seem to be much in cavan full stop, Id say the cavan boys are thich jealous with everyone 'tightening their belts' it was the one thing they had for eternity and now thats gone from them- ah take it easy generalishing is fun :)
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You would need to ask them - I'm only passing through - me and the rest of the Garda here.

Omar.d (Cavan) - Posts: 1141 - 24/11/2010 19:20:05    822279

Omar, that original post of yours...it summed up my feelings about rugby 'supporters', friends and family of mine including...so well...summed up the bandwagon tendency, the Celtic Tiger delusion that went along with it...the whole bloody sport that, well, Omar...will you marry me?????????????????????????????????????????? ;)

Seamus89 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 3848 - 24/11/2010 19:21:19    822280

24/11/2010 19:21:19
Seamus89
County: Kilkenny
Posts: 446

822280 Omar, that original post of yours...it summed up my feelings about rugby 'supporters', friends and family of mine including...so well...summed up the bandwagon tendency, the Celtic Tiger delusion that went along with it...the whole bloody sport that, well, Omar...will you marry me?????????????????????????????????????????? ;)
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Well if I'm going to have to listen to Cavan jokes I may as well go with the flow
so the marriage thing will come down to Dowry

I'd need a decent bit of land 50 acres or so - good drainage - but still handy to the town and motorway
Somewhere along the Nore - Between Kilkenny and the Bridge
Kilfera or Sheastown would be good

Omar.d (Cavan) - Posts: 1141 - 24/11/2010 19:25:39    822289

Thought we were a GAA country... Obviously was mistaken

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 24/11/2010 19:35:22    822296

"this is rugby country".......... Ha that gave me a much needed chuckle today ,it will always be the 4th sport in this country behind football,hurling and soccer because the irfu do not want people from working class backgrounds playing their game except for maybe limerick city and if they did they might be able to field a worldclass team one day

b.mullins (Dublin) - Posts: 1413 - 24/11/2010 20:29:03    822333

it certainly is rugby country- up to 5th in the world rankings- go on the men in green.

looks bad on the gaa though we are the only country that plays football and we areent even the best at it- its a tad embarsssing

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 04/12/2010 13:53:12    827559

liathroidboy
County: Mayo
Posts: 710

827559 it certainly is rugby country- up to 5th in the world rankings- go on the men in green.

5th outta nine isn't great. Its below average in fact.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 04/12/2010 15:49:21    827601

I honestly think rugby is a great sport and couldnt be dragged from the tv when leinster or ireland are playing.. but theres an element to it that us gaa boys just cant stand. The whole three cheers for us and the other team and the ref is just too playground for us die hard fighting gaa men. I think if the gaa could be run like the IRFU (forget about this autumn series disaster in the aviva) with the passion of the gaa we'd have some sport and some organisation.

gaafarmer (Wexford) - Posts: 280 - 05/12/2010 11:51:46    827736