Hurling?? :D
Get a stick, and fire a golfball 50 yards up the pitch. Lots of skill involved there!!
In European football, you see many more women at games than you do here. They're just as passionate about it as the men.
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Hurling?? :D
Get a stick, and fire a golfball 50 yards up the pitch. Lots of skill involved there!!
In European football, you see many more women at games than you do here. They're just as passionate about it as the men.
I'm in a decent position to make an objective judgement, having been a season ticket holder and regular follower or both a football club (Nottingham Forest) and a rugby club (London Irish).
Firstly, the insinuations that rugby is gay or for fat people is just as inaccurate as those rugby fans who say football is a sport for ... whatever. It isn't worth repeating. Obviously both sports have their merits, but the question is why is football more popular.
As raised earlier, the idea of a group of lads going down the park to have a kickabout is far more feasible with football. You can even knock a ball about and practice your own skills in a back yard when you're a kid, or with your brother, or whatever. What I'm saying is that numbers are far less important in football. You can throw a ball around with a mate in rugby, but tackling and such is off the menu in your back garden, unless you're up for getting pretty muddy.
I'd also point out that given the growing number of families being raised in urban areas, you can play football on concrete but not rugby. And touch rugby is too far watered down.
A lot of people are put off by the physicality of rugby. Think about school when you get introduced to the sport in PE. Some people just don't like the idea of getting hit and knocked to the ground, and having the ball is basically a target on your back, unless you're confident in your own abilities. Football is a bit more throwaway, and individual mistakes result in your team losing the ball, yes, but not stopping the game like a knock on can.
The whole class thing is still seen as more of a problem over where I live in England, I don't know how much it is an issue in Ireland. There are schools that will teach only rugby and not football. These are mostly the public schools and what have you. The inner city schools for the notional lower classes, in general, would be more likely to do football and not rugby.
As a spectator sport, I disagree with NeilMcD, I believe football is much easier to get into than rugby. Barring the offsides, football is fairly obvious. If your team kicks it into a goal without impeding the other team, then you've scored. Obviously, it's more detailed than that, but if that is all you knew, you'd be on your way. To the new spectator, the scoring system in rugby is more complicated, and refereeing decisions at a ruck can be a bit of a mystery even to a fairly seasoned viewer.
Overall, I think I could referee a football match without being out of my depth on the rules, whereas I couldn't do a rugby match, especially with the new 'experimental law variations'.
Ade
You ever try it? :D Roy Keane had the Sunderland team trying it - I think he actually said that Dwight Yorke was a disgrace to a country that had a cricket tradition.Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
The reason football was so popular back in my youth ( early to mid 90's) was because it was shown every saturday followed by match of the day that night. I don't ever remember rugby panini stickers either :D
I think you need to see someone about your scrotum.:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite
The GAA is right no one should be aloud to put a Tri-Colour up with the name of a pub slapped right across it. It's the GAA ground their rules.
I agree bud. Dont know what kind of scrotum he has.:D:pQuote:
Originally Posted by Jinxy
What has that got to do with rugby & soccer?Quote:
Originally Posted by Axe Man
:confused:
Nominee for most off topic post?
Rugby is the better game mate, and most rugby players need to be fitter than soccer players. Soccer aint graceful. Ireland are the most boring soccer team on the planetQuote:
Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er
serious questions have to be asked of any game where people cheer the ball being kicked out of play. i still think its great tho! :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Claret Murph
Unless if they're totally unbelievable looking. They can do whatever they want then
Having watched the All Blacks in 2005 & 2006, I can say that I have never seen so complete a team take the field in either rugby or soccer, they played at a sublime level of excellence. I like soccer but I love rugby, I watch the Air NZ Cup! before an EPL game :)
football is a far far bigger participation sport than rugby. this is not fdown to 5 a side football. The ESRI report was based on proper clubs competing in proper leagues. Virtually every village in the country has at least 1 football team yet there are still huge areas of the country without a local rugby team.
Rugby is a bigger spectator sport. Munster, Leinster and the Ireland team attract huge crowds. Club rugby does not.
Corrected that for you. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Football MaD
And I think you're probably on the wrong forum if that's your view.Quote:
Originally Posted by Football MaD
Back to D4 with you O'Carroll-Kelly !
Mmmmmm....I'm intrigued...Tell me more about the ways of the lady folk neil...Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
ok course the egg carriers forum is in fact rugb.ieQuote:
Originally Posted by hunt4the
Only mard arse jesse's who were too scared of getting hurt and muddy really think that. The same type of people who think the outlawing of practically any physical contact in football makes it a better game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
i have played it, got down and dirty and i thought i was easily the most boring game ever - no skill, lots of running around doing nothing, and kicking it up the field (ala jacks long ball game actually!)
as for another poster saying -- young fellas wouldn't like the physicality of it - are you serious - must young fellas love mucking about but just that rugby gets boring after about 10 minutes and then they all revert to football again cause its a real game
how many guys do you know will head to the pub to watch a rugby game? None! exactly:)
Personally, I hate rugby.
I don't like it as a sport and I've never really enjoyed playing it. The way I played it, there was a just a bunch of us running around like headless chickens.
I find football infinitely more enjoyable. To me, it's a lot more exciting and more about skill and thought. That said, there IS skill and thought in rugby, I just don't think it's on the same level as football.
Another minus for me is the stereotypical "rugger-buggers". Some of them do play up to the steretype some times and it's very sad, imo.