View Full Version : Rugby now more popular than football AND GAA?!
Charlie Darwin
07/10/2011, 8:38 AM
To put things in a bit of context, more people tuned into Rovers-Bohs on Wednesday night than watched Ireland-Italy at, admittedly, stupid o'clock on Sunday. Even accounting for the hour, it shows the popularity of soccer - any soccer - in this country.
To put things in a bit of context, more people tuned into Rovers-Bohs on Wednesday night than watched Ireland-Italy at, admittedly, stupid o'clock on Sunday. Even accounting for the hour, it shows the popularity of soccer - any soccer - in this country.
To watch on tele. 14,000 tickets sold (I know the attendance was only half that) for last Saturdays Leinster match in the RDS.
Fixer82
07/10/2011, 8:49 AM
i think the football community needs to wake up to the fact that rugby and the GAA are a big threat before its too late
Why does it have to be a threat? I don't know any GAA club that worries about soccer over-shadowing the GAA, even though it often does in certain communities. There are enough sports clubs around for anyone to play whichever of our 4 most popular sports.
Why does one have to be under threat from another? Can they not just exist side by side.
There is also some cross-over between some sports also, young lads playing more than one code.
GAA, from what I've seen, usually gets a few young Soccer and Rugby players. Though I doubt there's much crossover between Rugby and Soccer
pineapple stu
07/10/2011, 8:56 AM
I don't know any GAA club that worries about soccer over-shadowing the GAA
Have you ever heard of Thomas Davis GAA?
drummerboy
07/10/2011, 9:03 AM
The under 14 team that won the All-Ireland Feile this summer had 15 players that all also played competitive soccer. Just goes to show the cross-over in this day and age. Most kids usually decide to eventually concentrate on the sport they feel they are most successful at.
tetsujin1979
07/10/2011, 9:04 AM
To put things in a bit of context, more people tuned into Rovers-Bohs on Wednesday night than watched Ireland-Italy at, admittedly, stupid o'clock on Sunday. Even accounting for the hour, it shows the popularity of soccer - any soccer - in this country.
Really? I've seen viewing figures for the Italy game north of 700,000. How many watched the Rovers - Bohs game?
Charlie Darwin
07/10/2011, 9:18 AM
930,000, according to one of the Hoops Scene writers. That might include the UK now that I think about it.
Stuttgart88
07/10/2011, 9:23 AM
I was the only person in the whole pub (in NW London) on Weds night. I had a private screening of the "Dublin derby".
old git
07/10/2011, 9:24 AM
Why does it have to be a threat? I don't know any GAA club that worries about soccer over-shadowing the GAA, even though it often does in certain communities. There are enough sports clubs around for anyone to play whichever of our 4 most popular sports.
Why does one have to be under threat from another? Can they not just exist side by side.
There is also some cross-over between some sports also, young lads playing more than one code.
GAA, from what I've seen, usually gets a few young Soccer and Rugby players. Though I doubt there's much crossover between Rugby and Soccer
you are having a laugh .. I have played soccer for over 20 years and still the Gaa are banning their players for playing for local junior soccer teams when they are still involved with gaa for local championship games i dont know of any soccer clubs who would ban players from playing GAA even before important games for local soccer clubs its about time the gaa realise they are competing for the same pool of players as soccer / rugby etc and the should be more flexible :mad:
Stuttgart88
07/10/2011, 9:26 AM
The under 14 team that won the All-Ireland Feile this summer had 15 players that all also played competitive soccer. Just goes to show the cross-over in this day and age. Most kids usually decide to eventually concentrate on the sport they feel they are most successful at.I agree. I had the privilege of meeting Nick Farr-Jones in 1999 and he said he grew up playing everything, loved them all and would advise any parent to let their kids do the same. It's pretty much how I grew up.
However, I have some friends over here whose kids play rugby and nothing else. Pure dogma on their dads' part.
OwlsFan
07/10/2011, 9:28 AM
Agree. I'm looking forward to the rugby game this weekend and couldn't give a fanny adam about the football today or next Wednesday.
I couldn't give a damn about whatever football is on Wednesday either. We're playing on Tuesday!
Fixer82
07/10/2011, 9:29 AM
Have you ever heard of Thomas Davis GAA?
Actually thought of them straight after I posted.
Correction, Thomas Davis are the only GAA club I know of that felt threatened by soccer. I'm a GAA man and felt they were very cynical in how they dealt with that whole thing. I was disappointed in them to say the least.
Fixer82
07/10/2011, 9:32 AM
the Gaa are banning their players for playing for local junior soccer teams when they are still involved with gaa for local championship games i dont know of any soccer clubs who would ban players from playing GAA even before important games for local soccer clubs its about time the gaa realise they are competing for the same pool of players as soccer / rugby etc and the should be more flexible :mad:
If i was a GAA manager and we had an important game coming up of course I would try to dissuade a player from playing soccer and risking injury.
Though I've never heard of a player being 'banned' from doing so.
I once played a soccer match a week before a championship final.
I wasn't banned from doing so but certainly didn't tell my manager.
He found out and gave out to me but I still played the final.
Two Touch
07/10/2011, 9:45 AM
Perhaps this is slightly off topic but the club i play soccer for had been using the local GAA's astroturf pitches for the last 5-6 years from October to March when the weather became poor. Now we have been told that we are no longer permitted to use their astroturf pitches to train but they will still rent out the pitches for people to obviously play 5 a-side on...The GAA club in question has been making a big loss on their facilites every year since it has opened 6 years ago & our club, between schoolboys,junior & senior teams had paid the GAA club almost €15,000 last year for renting the pitches.
We have lads playing on our Junior teams who also play GAA & i find the GAA's attitude appalling here. They will ban a soccer club from playing soccer on their astroturf pitches yet they will allow soccer to be played through 5 a-sides on the same pitches.....
Twisted Logic??
drummerboy
07/10/2011, 9:56 AM
I think you get over protective coaches in all codes. My own lad plays both football and GAA, his GAA coach encourages kids to play other sports as it gives kids more skills and keeps them fit. Some of the kids on the team have been told to stop playing GAA by their football coaches. Thankfully this is an exception as playing GAA certainly toughens kids up.
Fixer82
07/10/2011, 9:59 AM
Yes I would be in favour of kids playing as many sports as they can and then when they get older, depending on how serious they are about their sport, to choose which one they are best at.
jbyrne
07/10/2011, 10:13 AM
930,000, according to one of the Hoops Scene writers. That might include the UK now that I think about it.
rte figures for the Ireland v Italy match alone was close to a million. it was also on setanta and utv so id say the real figure was close to 1.5m
Stuttgart88
07/10/2011, 10:42 AM
Which is what I'd expect tbh.
What I wouldn't have expected is a 900k figure for a LOI game. Impressive.
Fixer82
07/10/2011, 10:44 AM
Which is what I'd expect tbh.
What I wouldn't have expected is a 900k figure for a LOI game. Impressive.
RTÉ coverage has of LOI has improved vastly over last couple of years. That coupled with a more professional approach, summer league and success in Europe is all good for the league. I can only see it improving. Well done to all involved in furthering the league and making it more attractive
drummerboy
07/10/2011, 10:46 AM
RTÉ coverage has of LOI has improved vastly over last couple of years. That coupled with a more professional approach, summer league and success in Europe is all good for the league. I can only see it improving. Well done to all involved in furthering the league and making it more attractive
The game was on Setanta AFAIK
bennocelt
07/10/2011, 10:48 AM
Show us your passport.
We all have a love-hate relationship with the FAI. But we have to put that crap aside when the national team are playing.
Doesn't make me any less Irish
bennocelt
07/10/2011, 10:52 AM
Why does it have to be a threat? I don't know any GAA club that worries about soccer over-shadowing the GAA, even though it often does in certain communities. There are enough sports clubs around for anyone to play whichever of our 4 most popular sports.
LOLOLOL, thats funny. Wow
Stuttgart88
07/10/2011, 10:58 AM
The game was on Setanta AFAIK
It was, and it was a poor enough game imo.
Doesn't necessarily refute Fixer's post though.
Fixer82
07/10/2011, 12:08 PM
LOLOLOL, thats funny. Wow
Maybe where you live but I haven't noticed it where I live with the obvious exception of Thomas Davis.
You will always get managers, members of clubs from all codes that will be suspicious of the other (being small-minded basically) but to be honest most lads I've grown up playing GAA with played a bit of rugby and soccer and it was never an issue with the GAA club. And I saw it as well with other friends who played in other clubs in Dublin.
I see a lot of paranoia in soccer about the GAA when the fact generally is that the GAA is very community based in one parish. Soccer can have 3 or four different clubs in one parish and doesn't have the same community strength behind it.
I think the days of GAA clubs being totally against the 'foreign sport' are long gone. I've watched World Cups and Champions League finals in my GAA club on many occasions
Fixer82
07/10/2011, 12:10 PM
The game was on Setanta AFAIK
Well I was talking about the league overall but Setanta showing the games can only help too.
I do think though that RTÉ's coverage is better. MNS also helps raise profile of the league
bennocelt
07/10/2011, 12:17 PM
Maybe where you live but I haven't noticed it where I live with the obvious exception of Thomas Davis.
I have seen it on many occasions where Gah training sessions have changed so they would clash with football fixtures and training , knowing full well that many football lads play both codes.
Also Mullingar ath's pitch was dug up a few years ago - mmmm ;)
The gah can be very petty, sure just watch O Rourke, Spillane, Morrisey and that tool from Derry on RTE, anytime they knock football they do
Charlie Darwin
07/10/2011, 12:24 PM
I see a lot of paranoia in soccer about the GAA when the fact generally is that the GAA is very community based in one parish. Soccer can have 3 or four different clubs in one parish and doesn't have the same community strength behind it.
I think the days of GAA clubs being totally against the 'foreign sport' are long gone. I've watched World Cups and Champions League finals in my GAA club on many occasions
Plenty of parishes in Dublin have more than one GAA club and plenty of them are permanently at one another's throat. Thomas Davis fight with everyone, including themselves.
an_ceannaire
07/10/2011, 12:57 PM
http://www.rte.ie/
3 sports stories on their front page
2 Rugby one boxing
and the football match is tonight
Says it all lads............
OwlsFan
07/10/2011, 1:25 PM
And if the Soccer team was playing in a World Cup quarter final in Brazil and the rugby team was playing Georgia in a World Cup qualifier in Georgia, which do you think would be mentioned on rte.ie ?
Says it all lads........
drummerboy
07/10/2011, 1:31 PM
Head of sport on RTE is now Ryle Nugent, who happens to be a rugger bugger
SwanVsDalton
07/10/2011, 1:45 PM
http://www.rte.ie/
3 sports stories on their front page
2 Rugby one boxing
and the football match is tonight
Says it all lads............
There's nothing new to report on the Ireland game until kick-off, RTE's coverage of the game has been prominent all week. So I think it says the opposite of what you suggest ie nothing.
EDIT - Says it all lads... (http://www.rte.ie/)
Charlie Darwin
07/10/2011, 1:58 PM
There's nothing new to report on the Ireland game until kick-off, RTE's coverage of the game has been prominent all week. So I think it says the opposite of what you suggest ie nothing.
EDIT - Says it all lads... (http://www.rte.ie/)
Ryle Nugent's DONE IT NOW >:O
jinxy lilywhite
07/10/2011, 2:25 PM
if i could throw my 2 cents in. i dont see the problem. there is enough of us out there who enjoy all codes of sport. sure i played rugby, gaelic and football very badly up until i was about 17 or 18. the biggest threat to irish sport imo is not the rival sports but from kids with nothing to do, taking up smoking, hanging around shop corners, general anti social behaviour.
sports clubs around the country should be focused on that aspect, working together to solve the problem rather than thinking they are in direct competition
Bungle
07/10/2011, 5:11 PM
if i could throw my 2 cents in. i dont see the problem. there is enough of us out there who enjoy all codes of sport. sure i played rugby, gaelic and football very badly up until i was about 17 or 18. the biggest threat to irish sport imo is not the rival sports but from kids with nothing to do, taking up smoking, hanging around shop corners, general anti social behaviour.
sports clubs around the country should be focused on that aspect, working together to solve the problem rather than thinking they are in direct competition
Spot on mate.
Stuttgart88
07/10/2011, 5:19 PM
Yes, well said Jinxy.
Fixer82
07/10/2011, 7:07 PM
yep well said Jinxy. I'm not gonna get sucked into slagging anyone off. Just calling it as I've seen it from my experience and that has been all fairly positive. Maybe cos I'm a glass half full kind of guy
Anyway, COME ON IRELAND!
Of the 3 codes, rugby is probably the most popular with people that aren't that interested in sport to begin with.
I figure this is a result of clever marketing and good brand management, because lord knows I've watched plenty of games in the company of people that hadn't a clue what was going.
And some of them are Leinster season ticket holders.
Closed Account
08/10/2011, 6:28 AM
Hard luck. Cest la vie
SwanVsDalton
08/10/2011, 6:53 AM
Full house on Tuesday now.
shakermaker1982
08/10/2011, 7:16 AM
Gutted. Fingers crossed France click today......
OwlsFan
08/10/2011, 7:24 AM
Hopefully An Ceannaire will post the www.rte.ie website front page on Tuesday.
shakermaker1982
08/10/2011, 7:28 AM
RTE will be probably hyping up Man United-Liverpool Owlsfan!!!
Murfinator
08/10/2011, 11:00 AM
Of the 3 codes, rugby is probably the most popular with people that aren't that interested in sport to begin with.
Ridiculous assertion given that soccer is the simpler game of the two. If you check the respective attendances for a drab Novemeber game against Samoa and a drab Nations cup game against Wales you might get a more accurate attendance of which sport houses the fairweather casual fans.
This thread is the usual chip on the shoulder foot.ie nonsense that every sport is trying to repress their precious game. For years GAA has been the bane of posters here, it appears now Rugby is in the firing line. I pity people who can't enjoy the best of them all or at least respect others who chose to enjoy or participate in other codes.
Noelys Guitar
08/10/2011, 12:07 PM
http://s4.hubimg.com/u/136035_f260.jpg
Stuttgart88
08/10/2011, 12:28 PM
I'd be inclined to agree with Jinxy. Rugby is the talk of the water cooler in all the offices, but outside a sizeable hardcore, most of the interest is casual. A lot of the attendees are there for the occasion. I've posted before about how disgusted I was at Croker v France in 2007 when we blew a late lead in the 6N. Leaving the ground the party I was with were laughing and joking and barely fussed. I was sick.
When Leinster played (French team) in the latter stages of the H Cup this year, The French team got a late score to get within 1 score with only minutes left. A nailbiting finish was set up. The camera homed in on a guy in the crowd, showing all the appropriate signs of nerves. Behind him was some bimbo doing her lipstick and laughing with her mate. That did my head in!
Just like there are bland singers who people who aren't that much into music are into, there is a disproportinately large number of people supporting the rugby that aren't particularly fussed about sport.
The Samoa rugby / Wales football analogy is daft. The same week that IRL played Samoa, Rovers v Sligo drew 30k, about 8k more than a rugby international. Context is everything in sport.
For the last 4 years or more the rugby team has had a far easier ride with the public and the media than the footballers in my opinion. They have never really done anything at a WC - bar one big win this year. Poor 6N performances have been overlooked, late leads blown and a Grand Slam very nearly blown. I drank and shouted myself hoarse that day, but the disparity in treatment rankles with me. Yes, they're great guys and the country should be proud of them but as a country we get behind winners and lose interest otherwise.
geysir
08/10/2011, 1:15 PM
Yeah, Sligo won that game didn't they? - a great occasion.
Metrostars
08/10/2011, 1:16 PM
So... normal service resumed?
The rugby team are ranked in the top 8 teams in the world.
They made the quarter-finals and were soundly beaten.
Yet they will be feted as 'brave', 'heroic', 'warriors' etc. when they come home.
The Irish football team don't even get that sort of treatment when they win.
French Toasht
08/10/2011, 4:15 PM
First things first I love all these sports in equal measure so don't have any particular agenda here. But really this argument seems daft to me. It seems like people are competing in terms of the "who has more fairweather fans" debate, playground style. Lets be honest every sport has their bandwagoners.
I'd be inclined to agree with Jinxy. Rugby is the talk of the water cooler in all the offices, but outside a sizeable hardcore, most of the interest is casual. A lot of the attendees are there for the occasion. I've posted before about how disgusted I was at Croker v France in 2007 when we blew a late lead in the 6N. Leaving the ground the party I was with were laughing and joking and barely fussed. I was sick.
When Leinster played (French team) in the latter stages of the H Cup this year, The French team got a late score to get within 1 score with only minutes left. A nailbiting finish was set up. The camera homed in on a guy in the crowd, showing all the appropriate signs of nerves. Behind him was some bimbo doing her lipstick and laughing with her mate. That did my head in!
Yes but again those anecdotes can equally be replicated in both other codes. How many of those fans on Hill 16 3 weeks ago have ever seen the inside of Parnell Park or travelled round the country with Dublin? I was walking out of Croker once and a Dub "fan" behind me asked his mate, what do GAA players do in the non summer months?
Also when I would go to Ireland games in football I'd routinely here the populist egit behind me chanting "Kev Kilbane ya Donkey" (and this was in his heyday too, when Chelseas Damian Duff would have to play up front to accomodate Kilbane on the left) about our most loyal player to ever wear a green shirt.
In short, all three sports have the barstoolers, bandwagoners and big game junkies.
The Samoa rugby / Wales football analogy is daft. The same week that IRL played Samoa, Rovers v Sligo drew 30k, about 8k more than a rugby international. Context is everything in sport.
A little context is required on that analogy too though. You are comparing a dull lifeless November international to the FAI Cup Final. Also the 30,000 fans definately had something to do with the fact that the tickets were ridiculously cheap. A greater comparison would be if you asked how many attend a Friday night match between UCD and Pats in a league game for example.
For the last 4 years or more the rugby team has had a far easier ride with the public and the media than the footballers in my opinion. They have never really done anything at a WC - bar one big win this year. Poor 6N performances have been overlooked, late leads blown and a Grand Slam very nearly blown. I drank and shouted myself hoarse that day, but the disparity in treatment rankles with me. Yes, they're great guys and the country should be proud of them but as a country we get behind winners and lose interest otherwise.
I think, (and I admit the competition is not as fierce in rugby in that the worlds playing population is signigicantly less than football) that the rugby team have performed at a higher level than the football team over the last 4 years. You must remember that that four year period included the Stan era. When Eddie failed to bring us on to the next level Deccy was brought in and delivered almost immediately.
I do think Trap gets an extremely hard time, but thats because I think the average rugby fan or journalist is more measured and objective in his analysis, whereby the average football fan is far more erratic and often buys into tabloid sensationalism. The red tops have well and truely a grasp on the football market, whilst almost no stake in the rugby press.
As regards the amount of people who have never watched rugby before watching Ireland these last few weeks, so what? I think its great, the country haas been buzzing the last few weeks and the team has captured the imagination of a nation. Maybe that will be the last time most of those fans show their heads for another 4 years but sure it was good to have them behind the team while it lasted.
Also as regards, Ireland not really doing anything in the WC "bar one big win this year"? Let me remind you that they beat the current Tri Nations Champions, so probably on paper they beat the best team in the world, and the won a pool for the first time in WC history. It is analogous to Ireland beating Spain in a football WC but by your logic thats just a mere afterthought.
We came up against an inspired Welsh side who will probably get to the final and who knows what will happen after that and were beaten by a better side. The rugby team have done us immensely proud in the last few weeks and its just gutting we couldn't continue the adventure a little longer. If the football team even part emulate the success in provincial and international rugby, I'll be over the moon.
Also I completely concur with the poster who said the problem is not sports competing for kids (which is a healthy thing) its actually getting kids away from PlayStations and sitting on walls and actually playing sport of whatever kind full stop. I'm shocked when I see the empty greens these days compared to when I was younger. Thats the real issue that needs adressing here.
brine3
08/10/2011, 4:17 PM
The rugby team are ranked in the top 8 teams in the world.
They made the quarter-finals and were soundly beaten.
Yet they will be feted as 'brave', 'heroic', 'warriors' etc. when they come home.
The Irish football team don't even get that sort of treatment when they win.
In fairness, the last time the Irish football team got to the quarter-finals of a World Cup they got a homecoming that the ruggers could only dream about.
Of course the coverage is biased towards rugby somewhat due to the prevalence of D4 types in the meeja, but we all know that the man in the street isn't really in to rugger.
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