Have the Provinces taken over Ireland?

First topic message reminder :

With only two accredited Internationals in the Autumn series, the Provinces can give their stars even more rest than ever for their star players.

Do the Provinces tails wag the IRFU dog?

Thats all very well but what about the clubs?

Is there a league or is it just a social thing played down the local park on a Saturday afternoon then back to a bar?

HERSH wrote:No one ever talks about club rugby in Ireland?

Why not?

cause you're a big steamer.

HERSH wrote:



Thats why I'm asking?

No one ever talks about it, Rugby is rugby at the end of the day be it grassroots or International, I often watch my local club play in NL2 South its part of being what a rugby fan is about.

I just think some of you have become so obsessed with the HC that nothing else matters.

e.g

"International is now our version of club rugby, it's a proving ground for future HC contenders."

Thats a little sad.

You need to fix you're sarcasm detector,it's not working properly.

I talk about my local club when I'm at games or in the pub with mates etc... ,we're a small club and nobody on here would have any interest in debating J3 rugby in Meath so I don't bother bringing it up.

I'm interested it would be a welcome break from all the serious stuff, plus it would be something else to look out for.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

HERSH wrote:No one ever talks about club rugby in Ireland?

Why not?

cause you're a big steamer.

I don't even know what that means.

DOD wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

HERSH wrote:
I just think some of you have become so obsessed with the HC that nothing else matters.

e.g

"International is now our version of club rugby, it's a proving ground for future HC contenders."

Thats a little sad.

.... it's also very much a joke, Hersh....

International's only obstacle right now is the coaching squad running it. So where does a guy go for some respite from the bad times? They go to something that's working....at least by the end of this season we hope it's still working!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Be the Jimpy! if it isn't me old pal and narcoleptic, DOD! The one that wot does be against me saying bad things about good peoples.

I was counting on that. I however, know what biltong is and have even eaten it.

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

HERSH wrote:



Thats why I'm asking?

No one ever talks about it, Rugby is rugby at the end of the day be it grassroots or International, I often watch my local club play in NL2 South its part of being what a rugby fan is about.

I just think some of you have become so obsessed with the HC that nothing else matters.

e.g

"International is now our version of club rugby, it's a proving ground for future HC contenders."

Thats a little sad.

You need to fix you're sarcasm detector,it's not working properly.

I talk about my local club when I'm at games or in the pub with mates etc... ,we're a small club and nobody on here would have any interest in debating J3 rugby in Meath so I don't bother bringing it up.

Tell Hersh how many people turn up for the games, shoulder. I get the impression he forever thinks Ireland is stuffed with 70 million people too bored to go support their clubs.

HERSH wrote:

rodders wrote:

HERSH wrote:No one ever talks about club rugby in Ireland?

Why not?

I thought you'd never ask...so whats your thoughts on how Londonderry YMCA RFC will go this season?

Thats why I'm asking?

No one ever talks about it, Rugby is rugby at the end of the day be it grassroots or International, I often watch my local club play in NL2 South its part of being what a rugby fan is about.

I just think some of you have become so obsessed with the HC that nothing else matters.

e.g

"International is now our version of club rugby, it's a proving ground for future HC contenders."

Thats a little sad.

Really I've never seen you mention them once, just becuase you don't mention them much doesn't mean you don't support them. After all if you posted an article on them how many people would respond? Its the same, I'll follow Ballymena mention them now and again, but most of my talking about them is when I'm at a game, just not a big enough team to generate 606 intrest.

Us Irish rugby fans do talk about the clubs but in the main its the provinces that we go onto 606 about, just as in England most of 606 is about the Prem, for club rugby we discuss it in other outlets (the pub).

HERSH wrote:I'm interested it would be a welcome break from all the serious stuff, plus it would be something else to look out for.

Honestly it's about the lowest form of truly organised rugby.When I played we used to struggle to get 15 lads to training 2 nights a week always managed to scrape a team together for matches.Crowds varied from only subs and coaches up to maybe 40 people if some of the lads wives and girlfriends came along to keep them out of the pub afterwards.Things are picking up slowly but any time we have a player who looks like having real talent he moves on to Navan who are the biggest of the 4 or 5 clubs in Meath.Navan play in the AIL Div 3,we do meet there 3rds in our local competition.

It's a good social club who take in players from a wide catchment area in Meath and they are working hard on fielding more underage teams,they get good numbers for the mini's but interest drops off after U14 and they have yet to field a U18 team for a full season but they're getting closer.

We also have a Rugby League team called the Longhorns and one of the guys who played for us is in the Ireland World Cup squad,I don't know him and haven't seen the League guys play in a while but we won Leinster this year and were beaten in the All Ireland semis.

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/athboyrugbyclub/

Thanks Shoulder for a sensible answer.

So without the Provinces there is very little there?

HERSH wrote:Thank Shoulder for a sensible answer.

So without the Provinces there is very little there?

Totally depends on where you come from,Limerick,Dublin,Cork,Belfast and to a lesser extent Galway have loads of clubs but as you head further into the rural areas it drops off rapidly.This is why you hear Irish people say rugby is the 4th sport in Ireland cos there are huge areas where the game isn't played at all.This is changing and there are clubs springing up all over the place now but it'll be a long time before there is anything close to the kind of coverage soccer has never mind G.A.A.

HERSH wrote:Thanks Shoulder for a sensible answer.

So without the Provinces there is very little there?

HERSH the provinces are clubs in all but name. They're really the 1st tier of professional rugby, although maybe someone will correct me on that. The second tier really being the B&I cup although provincial players do line out for the clubs from time to time.

I used to follow my local club actually, a lot of my school pals and team mates went on to play to for them, some still do. I remember going down to see my mate at the time line up against a young BOD (at Blackrock) many moons ago but surprise surprise BOD was rested .. that was probably the last game I went to come to think about it....

I'd actually like to see more money put into the AIB to raise the level of club rugby, to make it a more viable stepping stone to provincial rugby.

I heard there are more GAA clubs in Cork alone than there are rugby clubs in Ireland, that figure shows how far behind it is.

However HERSH, you are saying "So without the Provinces there is very little there?"

asoreleftshoulder seams to be talking about a club that play well down the leagues, His club play against a Division 3 sides 3rd XV

That would be about the same as playing against a National League 3 Midlands clubs 3rd XV (beby even a league lower) I doubt they get much support either, and I don't think that you could then say that since the National League 3 Midlands teams 3rd XV wasn't very well supported there is very little intrest in rugby in England outside the Premiership.

"there is very little intrest in rugby in England outside the Premiership."

Well thats not true, the NL2 team I watch from time to time pulls in about 400/ 500 most games.

Thats not too far off some Rabo teams!

Also go and tell that to a Cornishman!

HERSH wrote:"there is very little intrest in rugby in England outside the Premiership."

Well thats not true, the NL2 team I watch from time to time pulls in about 400/ 500 most games.

Thats not too far off some Rabo teams!

there you go.. thus why Province in a country of 6 million and not club. Maths.

Besides, Kingshu's full sentence is this:

"I don't think that you could then say that since the National League 3 Midlands teams 3rd XV wasn't very well supported there is very little interest in rugby in England outside the Premiership.."

Which means he wasn't saying "there is very little interest in rugby in England outside the Premiership"