mike03
County: Limerick
Posts: 927

1687357
Georgia aren't nobodies..... Ha ha. What a statement to make. We are talking about a sport that is the first choice sport in only 3 counties worldwide- SA, New Zealand and Wales and yet still Georgia are nobodies.

Would be shocked if rugby was the top sport in South Africa.

Wales as well may not actually be rugby majority either.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 28/01/2015 13:39:43    1687369

Mes in South Africa it is the main sport among Afrikaners.

It is definitely the national sport in Wales.

So the main sport in 2 and a bit countries!! Sorry, 3 and a bit. I forgot about Georgia.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 28/01/2015 15:26:24    1687410

mike03
County: Limerick
Posts: 928

1687410
Mes in South Africa it is the main sport among Afrikaners.

Afrikaners and other white South Africans make up only 9% of the population of South Africa though.

So rugby is in no way close to the main sport in SA.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 28/01/2015 15:38:41    1687416

Now Mes there was a time when that 9% was enough to ensure it was the main sport, so important that touring sides went there against the wishes of the other 91% but sure its only a sport.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 2027 - 28/01/2015 16:00:41    1687424

Soccer is the top sport in South Africa.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8178 - 28/01/2015 16:17:43    1687431

28/01/2015 13:39:43
MesAmis
Would be shocked if rugby was the top sport in South Africa.

Wales as well may not actually be rugby majority either. Rugby is close enough to top in South Africa if not top.
Rugby is most certainly top in Wales. Have you ever been to South Wales... Look at proximity of the sides down there. Its top.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 28/01/2015 19:02:44    1687507

i hope u realise soccer would be a bigger sport in south africa than rugby..you do realise rugby is mainly still the afrikaans sport although it has improved a bit but that element still remains..i suggest anybody looks at the average person that attends a rugby match in south africa..soccer is big than rugby in wales although the rugby national team would be bigger due to having much better hope if silverware..wales having 2 top international players at the minute in ramsey and bale as well as 2 strong club sides should only make the gap get bigger though

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 28/01/2015 19:34:05    1687511

strange how a minority can be considered a majority?..georgia are most certainly nobodies..in soccer where a team consistently gets beaten out the gate like andorra or san marino they are called a nobody or minnow..this is very similar to georgia who have beaten how many tier 1 nations tell me?

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 28/01/2015 19:35:53    1687512

how in the name of god is rugby the biggest sport in south africa..it still remains largely the white mans sport which make up a very small minority of the country...its funny how some rugby people are still trying to count the minority as the majority

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 28/01/2015 20:00:33    1687524

The National Football Leagues involving 32 county teams begin this weekend but RTE News on TV still hasn't given us any details of player injuries or likely selections. There are no competitive rugby union matches at all this weekend. Not even one. Even so RTE still leads the early evening news bulletin with rugby stories. Can anyone explain this. Rugby union seems to be RTE Sport's default setting. The evidence against our National Broadcaster continues to mount. D4 first. The great unwashed next. That's if we're lucky.

mediaman (Antrim) - Posts: 355 - 28/01/2015 20:07:43    1687527

ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 9155

Rugby is close enough to top in South Africa if not top.
Rugby is most certainly top in Wales. Have you ever been to South Wales... Look at proximity of the sides down there. Its top.

Rugby and soccer would be close enough in Wales. I have been to South Wales in fact! Rugby is very big there though in fairness.

Rugby is nowhere near soccer in South Africa. White South Africa is not the real South Africa thankfully. It is genuinely baffling that in this day and age someone can ignore 90% of the people of live in South Africa.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 28/01/2015 21:04:12    1687559

The GAA are largerly to blame here too. They don't promote it and they don't rate it themselves. I've heard a few radio adds but that's it. Also no matter what way you put it, the league is only a prep for the championship. Teams are still in heavy training & will be trying out new players or players in differnt positions etc. That wouldn't happen if it really meant anything, everything is geared towards the 1st round of the championship.

If Kerry or Dublin walk the league but don't win the All-Ireland the year is a failure. Also how many All-Stars did Derry get in 2014 for reaching the final? Yet a player who plays 2 games in the championship wins one?? That will tell you what the GAA hierarchy think of the league. If the GAA don't rate it themselves then you can't blame RTE for not getting too excited about it.

It's the wrong way round if you ask me, a league should be the barometer of a team, not a cup knock out competion, but that is down to the GAA.

As for showing the Ireland vs Engalnd 2nd teams rugby match on Friday, there is an audience for it despite what most people here may think.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1156 - 28/01/2015 21:25:53    1687562

As county man says its up to the GAA and the individual counties to provide details to RTE all of which will heighten the awareness and assist the promotion of the games. In the Premier League clubs have press conferences on Thurs/Fri before weekend games giving details of injuries, selection etc. This is obviously not an option in GAA but in fairness RTE don't have the resources to try and contact 32 PRO's or managers or whoever to put together such details. The GAA are happy to run ads with Allianz on TV to promote the games and that seems to be all their interested in doing.

jimski (Kildare) - Posts: 381 - 28/01/2015 21:43:16    1687570

county man
County: Limerick
Posts: 775

1687562
The GAA are largerly to blame here too. They don't promote it and they don't rate it themselves. I've heard a few radio adds but that's it. Also no matter what way you put it, the league is only a prep for the championship. Teams are still in heavy training & will be trying out new players or players in differnt positions etc. That wouldn't happen if it really meant anything, everything is geared towards the 1st round of the championship.

If Kerry or Dublin walk the league but don't win the All-Ireland the year is a failure. Also how many All-Stars did Derry get in 2014 for reaching the final? Yet a player who plays 2 games in the championship wins one?? That will tell you what the GAA hierarchy think of the league. If the GAA don't rate it themselves then you can't blame RTE for not getting too excited about it.

It's the wrong way round if you ask me, a league should be the barometer of a team, not a cup knock out competion, but that is down to the GAA.

As for showing the Ireland vs Engalnd 2nd teams rugby match on Friday, there is an audience for it despite what most people here may think.

------
Agree with some of this. Yes the GAA are hopeless at promoting their own competitions but the IRFU are in bed with RTE so no promotion is required by that organisation as their propaganda wing takes care of that for them. Again this argument about the league being a warm-up for the championship is a moot point. What is the PRO-12 then and look at the coverage that gets on RTE with attendances of 5000. Don't teams in PRO12 play experimental sides on occasion, resting players for European competition?

Look it's no secret that the RTE top brass rub shoulders with the rugby boys. Kiely's in Donnybrook, self proclaimed 'home of Leinster rugby' is where a lot of the RTE decision makers socialise. You won't find too many of them in the Sunset House or Gills on a Summer Sunday. You will find them hanging around Crowe's and Paddy Cullen's on a Friday when Leinster are playing. It's just their 'scene' and the way it is. I simply object to it because of the self-indulgence nonsense and obvious bias towards their rugby playing buddies.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4748 - 28/01/2015 21:51:08    1687572

county man
As for showing the Ireland vs Engalnd 2nd teams rugby match on Friday, there is an audience for it despite what most people here may think.


and is there not an even larger audience for the national league ?

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 29/01/2015 09:30:29    1687590

jimski
County: Kildare
Posts: 159

1687570
As county man says its up to the GAA and the individual counties to provide details to RTE all of which will heighten the awareness and assist the promotion of the games. In the Premier League clubs have press conferences on Thurs/Fri before weekend games giving details of injuries, selection etc. This is obviously not an option in GAA but in fairness RTE don't have the resources to try and contact 32 PRO's or managers or whoever to put together such details. The GAA are happy to run ads with Allianz on TV to promote the games and that seems to be all their interested in doing.


dublin have a press confrence before all matches to announce team
newspapers are always there and have interviews
yet rte and tv3 dont

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 29/01/2015 09:32:23    1687591

28/01/2015 19:34:05 fabio8
i hope u realise soccer would be a bigger sport in south africa than rugby..you do realise rugby is mainly still the afrikaans sport although it has improved a bit but that element still remains..i suggest anybody looks at the average person that attends a rugby match in south africa..soccer is big than rugby in wales although the rugby national team would be bigger due to having much better hope if silverware..wales having 2 top international players at the minute in ramsey and bale as well as 2 strong club sides should only make the gap get bigger though
strange how a minority can be considered a majority?..georgia are most certainly nobodies..in soccer where a team consistently gets beaten out the gate like andorra or san marino they are called a nobody or minnow..this is very similar to georgia who have beaten how many tier 1 nations tell me? They've beaten Samoa, Tonga.
Rugby is as big as soccer in South Africa. Rugby isn't mainly the Afrikaans sport. Soccer isn't bigger than rugby in wales. Cardiff/Swansea doing ok in soccer. One in premiership doing ok and other in championship but rugby is king in South Wales and always strengthening in the North of the country. What gives you the impression soccer is bigger in wales?
How are Georgia nobodies? Explain what makes them nobodies? They are not constantly beatn out the gate.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/01/2015 11:28:02    1687648

28/01/2015 20:07:43
mediaman
The National Football Leagues involving 32 county teams begin this weekend but RTE News on TV still hasn't given us any details of player injuries or likely selections. There are no competitive rugby union matches at all this weekend. Not even one. Even so RTE still leads the early evening news bulletin with rugby stories. Can anyone explain this. Rugby union seems to be RTE Sport's default setting. The evidence against our National Broadcaster continues to mount. D4 first. The great unwashed next. That's if we're lucky. International rugby is one of the biggest earners for RTE in terms of sport/advertising so the Wolfhounds game will be very important for RTE ahead of start of next weeks 6 nations. Again due to proximity of 6nations rugby will get a lot of attention this week. Rugby union isn't a default setting. If you have so called evidence what other than posting here are you doing about changing things?
28/01/2015 21:04:12
MesAmis
Rugby and soccer would be close enough in Wales. I have been to South Wales in fact! Rugby is very big there though in fairness.

Rugby is nowhere near soccer in South Africa. White South Africa is not the real South Africa thankfully. It is genuinely baffling that in this day and age someone can ignore 90% of the people of live in South Africa. Rugby is not simply a white sport in south Africa. The past 20 years has changed things at the lower levels even if at pro level there is significantly less coloured men involved. Nobody is ignoring 90% of the south African people. BTW where are you pulling 90% from??

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/01/2015 11:34:16    1687650

28/01/2015 21:25:53 county man
The GAA are largerly to blame here too. They don't promote it and they don't rate it themselves. I've heard a few radio adds but that's it. Also no matter what way you put it, the league is only a prep for the championship. Teams are still in heavy training & will be trying out new players or players in differnt positions etc. That wouldn't happen if it really meant anything, everything is geared towards the 1st round of the championship. If Kerry or Dublin walk the league but don't win the All-Ireland the year is a failure. Also how many All-Stars did Derry get in 2014 for reaching the final? Yet a player who plays 2 games in the championship wins one?? That will tell you what the GAA hierarchy think of the league. If the GAA don't rate it themselves then you can't blame RTE for not getting too excited about it. It's the wrong way round if you ask me, a league should be the barometer of a team, not a cup knock out competion, but that is down to the GAA. As for showing the Ireland vs Engalnd 2nd teams rugby match on Friday, there is an audience for it despite what most people here may think. Good post. How can people criticise others for not doing enough to cover the league when so many directly involved in the league as players/coaches etc dismiss the competition.
28/01/2015 21:51:08 Joxer
Agree with some of this. Yes the GAA are hopeless at promoting their own competitions but the IRFU are in bed with RTE so no promotion is required by that organisation as their propaganda wing takes care of that for them. Again this argument about the league being a warm-up for the championship is a moot point. What is the PRO-12 then and look at the coverage that gets on RTE with attendances of 5000. Don't teams in PRO12 play experimental sides on occasion, resting players for European competition?
Look it's no secret that the RTE top brass rub shoulders with the rugby boys. Kiely's in Donnybrook, self proclaimed 'home of Leinster rugby' is where a lot of the RTE decision makers socialise. You won't find too many of them in the Sunset House or Gills on a Summer Sunday. You will find them hanging around Crowe's and Paddy Cullen's on a Friday when Leinster are playing. It's just their 'scene' and the way it is. I simply object to it because of the self-indulgence nonsense and obvious bias towards their rugby playing buddies. RTE aren't in bed with the IRFU. IRFU advertise like f*** and market the crap out of what they need to advertise. Only Connacht and the odd Munster game in Cork have attendances of 5000... Pro12 games involve a rotated squad but when teams have a minimum of 28 games a season and have to take into account international games of 10 games a season there will be roatation/
As for the pubs..... hahahahahah

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/01/2015 11:38:20    1687655

ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 9158

The past 20 years has changed things at the lower levels even if at pro level there is significantly less coloured men involved. Nobody is ignoring 90% of the south African people. BTW where are you pulling 90% from??

I'm sure rugby is making great strides in SA but to suggest that it has replaced soccer as the nation's number one sport is amazingly strange.

Rugby is probably the majority sport of the 9% White population but it is nowhere near the majority sport of the rest of the 91% of the inhabitants of SA.

To suggest that rugby is the majority sport for all South Africans is to ignore over 90% of the population of the nation.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 29/01/2015 11:44:26    1687657