rugby v soccer

[paul_oshea]

Lads got into a heated debate about this last night, and unfortunately because i was sorta seeing red i didnt actually debate the facts as they were. Anyway, the lads were saying that only in connaught is rugby not big, and you have clubs throughout the country. The reason soccer is a bigger participation sport is cos of 5 a sides and how much easier it is for 10 or 22 lads to just go out on a pitch having potentially never played before - organisation i spose - which is fair enough in terms of rugby we couldn't all just decide to go out and play rugby when we hadn't played before etc. The other argument was if Ireland were playing in croke park it would be full, i tried to suggest the novelty factor etc, but then they came back with well how did Italy sell out last year, which I didnt think about, but had an answer about 5 mins later when it was too late. Finally, my finsihing arguement(but i was too young as i didnt go to rugby and couldn't gauge the general consensus in Ireland at the time) was that Rugby wasn't as popular 10 years ago and soccer was, because irish "sports" people are a fickle bunch and only got into rugby in the last few years due to the popularity factor, the munster factor, and the fact that Ireland are actually a decent team now. Growing up I would watch soccer and rugby the whole time, but the big rugby games would always be more entertaining to watch in fairness as a sporting spectacle.

Anyway on the Italy thing, i reckon its far cooler to say you were in croker watching rugby and with the lads or in the box or what not than it is for soccer. Also rugby matches are far less a year and therefore every game is almost like a key qualifier match in terms of soccer. Also six nations occurs when generally not much other sport of note going on, and lastly, the six nations is always on a weekend and is well supported by visiting nations.

[hunt4the]

i reckon its far cooler to say you were in croker watching rugby and with the lads or in the box or what not than it is for soccer.

if you think this is so why arent you posting on the ruggers.ie website

[SalvadorSanchez]

if you think this is so why arent you posting on the ruggers.ie website

To quote Elzar from Futurama... BAM!!!!!

[Dodge]

Anyway on the Italy thing, i reckon its far cooler to say you were in croker watching rugby and with the lads or in the box or what not than it is for soccer

Depends who you're trying to impress, doesn't it?

Rugby crowds have always been very high. The recent sruge in interest has nothing to do with it. 6 nations tickets are also sold as packages so if you want to watch Ireland v France, you have to watch Ireland v Italy too.

The last Ireland v Italy rugby friendly was played in Ravenhill, and there wasn't too many people locked out in a tiny (by international standards) ground.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Rugby is a game for people too fat or too stupid to master the graceful art of Association Football.

End of thread.

[paul_oshea]

if you think this is so why arent you posting on the ruggers.ie website

You missed the point, I wasn't saying which I prefered or which had me more nervous etc(soccer always) but rugby in fairness generally was more edge of the stuff.

Dodge, Brazil v Ireland was sold as package yet feck all turned up for the other match that was tied to it. So I don't think that makes much of a difference.

Ireland v Cyprus wasn't a friendly either.

[paul_oshea]

Rugby is a game for people too fat or too stupid to master the graceful art of Association Football.

End of thread.

brilliant

[Reality Bites]

Girls 25 - 35 love rugby too, you know the type, career girl -you'll see around grafton street and Dawson street on a Friday and saturday night

[paul_oshea]

Girls 25 - 35 love rugby too, you know the type, career girl -you'll see around grafton street and Dawson street on a Friday and saturday night

Ya thats true, I said that as a bold statement a 1/3 of those at Ireland v England were made up of htese types(boys and girls). The only people i know who got tickets and went to it were these sorta girls

I spose thats a very good point bites, there was a girl there last night and none of us were really listening to her points but she did say "as a girl its far more interesting to watch lads playing rugby than soccer, soccer is a load lads chasing after a ball whereas rugby is about muscle and hitting and manly" The point is though she like many other Irish girls like going to rugby - maybe its the whole evoloutionary mating thing, cos ye do see a lot more women at G.A.A matches too.

[Claret Murph]

maybe its the whole evoloutionary mating thing, cos ye do see a lot more women at G.A.A matches too.

I would say most women that go to GAA games are Transvestites ......

[Drumcondra 69er]

Girls 25 - 35 love rugby too, you know the type, career girl -you'll see around grafton street and Dawson street on a Friday and saturday night

Yeah, rugger huggers or stuck up bitches as they're more properly referred to as.....

Going out with someone like that would wreck your head, imagine having to drink in Renards or Cafe En Seine??!!!

[paul_oshea]

I would say most women that go to GAA games are Transvestites ......

Ya a lot of those galway ones look like that alright claret.

[SUB of the day]

RUGBY! ...the only sport in the world where fans cheer ,when the ball is kicked out of play..MUNSTER EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS!.......give me a break, Europe is just a tad bigger than these islands and France, oh and the mighty Italy ZZZZZzzzzzzzzFootball is the only sport that really represents who we are ie ROI, not some misty eyed four green fields All Island sh1te.

[jinxy lilywhite]

There's something strange about Rugby. 30 big men running after and jumping on top of each other for a scrotum like ball. And there is a player on each side called a "Hooker"

[Pike B]

Rugby Vs Soccer....

You know the only real Irish answer is Hurling....

[mypost]

Rant alert

Rugby is a non-skilful sh!te game played by a handful of countries, (glorified GAA most of the time), and played in 2 areas of the country, Munster and South-East Dublin. The World Series of rugby is basically between England + France v the 3 Southern hemisphere powerhouses. Everyone else gets battered against them.

End of rant

There was only 1,000 more there last night, than last year's game against the holiday resort. The explanation for that, lies in the ticket prices, astronomical for a game against that calibre of opposition.

[bennocelt]

well none of my mates look at rugby so i guess we are different then

Rugby is played out for about what 7omins and then a kicker kicks 3 points in the end and its all over - thats how it always looks to me anyway
ie zero skill
and i did try and play it a few times, but was bored
give me a football crowd anyday of the week

[Drumcondra 69er]

There's something strange about Rugby. 30 big men running after and jumping on top of each other for a scrotum like ball. And there is a player on each side called a "Hooker"

Not to mention the fact that for certain players a big part of the game involves sticking your head between two blokes arses and grabbing the bloke in front of you between his legs.....

[NeilMcD]

Girls prefer rugby as it is easier to enjoy on first viewing. Soccer to really enjoy you need to appreciate a number of things. Whereas girls do like the whole physical and "manly" aspect of it. They also like the fact that people who play it and go to it generally have more money so they like that aspect of it.

However there is no comparison between the two sports in my view. If you really want to argue to popularity bit Paul. Why confine yourself to Ireland. Just ask them which is more popular in the world. End of debate really. Why restrict it to a country of about 4 million people.

[janeymac]

GAA & rugby are fairly woman friendly - no segregation, you can have a drink at rugby games etc. etc. so that would be a factor as well. I was talking to a copper in Coventry this year (I was at Munster v Saracens game) and he told me there were 6 coppers on duty. The day before there had been 500 copper on duty for Coventry v Wolves.

I've been going to rugby internationals since the 80s (even when we were crap in the 90s), it was always hard enough to get a ticket to Lansdowne Road and were always sold out.

What has really made a difference to Irish rugby is the professional game. And the IRFU has done a good job on it with the provincial set up - keeping our star players and even attracting the likes of Doug Howlett (all time All Blacks top try scorer) and Felipe Contempomi who was one of five nominated for World Player of the Year last year. You can watch these guys live every 2nd week down the road for €20/25! The fact that Munster is ranked the top European Club and wins a lot of stuff also helps.

Here is a sample of the atmosphere in Thomond Park (Munster v. Sale in 2006).
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=IJMf6XBS4H8

As for Munster in the Melennium Stadium in Cardiff - unforgettable experience (from about 1min in).
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=MGK78ts2e1w

Comments about the lack of skill in rugby are laughable. You may have some point about gaelic football being an easy game to play, but hurling .....imo, hurling is the best game in the world.