Rugby

The attendances at the Schools' Cup final is a symptom of the major problem in Ireland: people who go to the big event and not to games every week. Saying that more people go to a one-off game than to another one-off game is no reason to say that rugby deserves more coverage in general than football.

However the biggest problem is that the media coverage of Irish football is terrible, not that rugby gets too much coverage. If the papers had less coverage of the AIL or schools' rugby, what would they replace it with? More of the same; more GAA and more British football.

originally posted by tommy t,

If your trying to suggest I'm some sort of Free State Shoneen you've picked the wrong man. Basically Ulster don't play in a city with an EL team. Though obviously 4 EL teams are from Ulster so it's of LIMITED but not NO relevance.

derry monaghon harps and who is the 4th?

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Originally posted by lopez
Sóc: I said private AND church schools not private-church schools. The quote button is there for a reason. :rolleyes: OK, so there are some exceptions to the rules. As in all walks of life

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Wahey look at me Im using it now;)

I ment to write 'private/church school'.

There are a fair few Community Schools now who are really getting organised with their rugby. The improved fourtunes of Irish Rugby have allowed to it to try and move away from its traditional base i.e. Posh gits and Limerick people. I'd still class it as a minority sport.

i`d agree with schumi in the short term but in the long term as football grows in popularity i could see a jamacain style sea change.you have to remember that 88/90 woke this country up to football

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Originally posted by my left foot
you have to remember that 88/90 woke this country up to football

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i wouldnt agree with that. it woke SOME sections up to football. The same sections that get rugby on to our screens. Football has always been very very popular in ireland. If anything the tendency for people to go to matchs has decreased since the 70's not increased.

my left foot

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i`d hazard a guess that in years to come school football will be as heavily covered in ireland as a tradition builds up.this will have nothing to do with professional sport at all

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School football has a great tradition in Ireland - it always has. It just hasent been played "by the right schools".

When it comes to keeping football out of certain schools the rugby brigade are much more vociferous than the GAA ever were. At least the GAA were up front about it.

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Originally posted by Schumi
If the papers had less coverage of the AIL or schools' rugby, what would they replace it with? More of the same; more GAA and more British football.

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Not neccessarily-anyway I was really talking about the TV. Newspaper coverage is fine in the tabloids and the budget for outside broadcasts, time alloted to sport etc would be limited.

Can we get the discussion away from schools rugby it's a bit of an exception. The crowds for the latter stages are bigger than the AIL or CL and many people who follow rugby would prefer to see their school (or old school) win the cup than see Ireland win the 6N.

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Originally posted by eoinh
School football has a great tradition in Ireland - it always has. It just hasent been played "by the right schools".

When it comes to keeping football out of certain schools the rugby brigade are much more vociferous than the GAA ever were. At least the GAA were up front about it.

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Well most rugby schools I know also play football maybe not to same extent but if you were to research your points you would know that Blackrock, the most decorated rugby school of them all (64 Senior Cup wins and in the final this year), won the All Ireland Schools football last year.

i suppose its a coincedence that our under age success came about roughly eight years after our first world cup .........my brothers grew up in dublin-newbridge-ballina-carnew-dublin they couldnt find a team in the first or second and claimed to introduce football into the third,very very popular my hole.watch ireland play in a pub in ireland or england and you soon realize the general lack of understanding ,notwithstanding their support......people stopped going to matchs when the big match started being shown and they realized the low standard on offer in the loi(not me i suffered on at glenmalure park)..........the gaa banned my da from playing for galway cos he played a testimonial rugby game,banned my bro from school gaa team cos he played footie at weekend,gaa winker pe teacher wouldnt let us form school team,gaa tried to stop liam brady playin footie then banned him when he wouldnt stop....gaa upfront get to fook

to get back to the point tommy t football will eventually be the biggest game in ireland but it has to grow into it from an admittedly low base and the media will have to follow it

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Originally posted by Footie_Fan
Well most rugby schools I know also play football maybe not to same extent but if you were to research your points you would know that Blackrock, the most decorated rugby school of them all (64 Senior Cup wins and in the final this year), won the All Ireland Schools football last year.

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Research my points? I went to a rugby playing school so i should know.


The blackrock achievement made the news because it was such an unusual event.


My left foot

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but it has to grow into it from an admittedly low base

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i dont think football is at a low base

yea but you also like the upfront gaa, as i said get to fook

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Originally posted by my left foot
yea but you also like the upfront gaa, as i said get to fook

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Me, like the GAA - you must be mad.

cant stand bogball or stickfighting.


ps its spelt f uck

see your previous post,m8,you praise them for being upfront about their ban on children playing a foreign game,which u claim to love

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Originally posted by eoinh
Research my points? I went to a rugby playing school so i should know.

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Yeah. You should! I don't know of many rugby schools that have an outright ban football.

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Originally posted by eoinh

The blackrock achievement made the news because it was such an unusual event.

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Very unusual indeed.Some rumours say it was a conspiracy in an attempt to shift success from the more renowned soccer schools and to boost interest in rugby playing Dublin.But you didn't hear it from me;)
We actually played them in the group stages of the cup and beat them 1-0.

I went to what would be classed as a GAA school but which has produced many players who have gone on to play professionally...Richard Sadlier,Eamonn Zayed,Glen Fitzpatrick to name a few.The majority of GAA schools around Dublin do allow soccer also.Most rugby schools I know do not.

ballinteer boy!!!!!!fookin shame hes crocked

these lads r from traditionally productive areas,when we get players from traditionally nonproductive areas nothin will stop us,look at sport in irish emigre countries,we`re nearly always over represented

I'm sure schools rugby gets good attendances cos they onlt play a few games a year a bit like the GAA Championship.

GAA league games vary their attendances mainly in the low thousands.

Maybe the eL should just have county teams & play 1 big knockout competition a year? :eek:

I can't vouch for the other rugby schools but part of the reason for high attendences at Terenure College games is indimidation by the school staff and senior years. When the Senior/Junior Cup season starts in Terenure College at least two days a week students are herded like animals into a hall (rather dangerously) for their small break and forced to chant cup songs bullied along by sixth years and the principal as all exits are blocked no one being allowed out for their break. I was singled out in front of my fellow students including JCT members by the then future principal for not attending matches and interrogated as to why I didn't do so, then told I will be there next time. My younger brother who is now doing his Leaving Cert mocks had his English exam interrupted by the principal for at least 5 minutes annoucing an exam had been changed to facilitate a JCT game and then proceeded to complain about lack of attendence at the games by senior students. I have a great disdain for school rugby as there was a very sick obsession amongst the school autorities towards it. I reckon the combined days and time off school, the drowning of students in 'great' rugby tradition and intimidation helps attendences along. All of these the EL certainly does without.

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Originally Posted by my left foot

i`d agree with schumi in the short term but in the long term as football grows in popularity i could see a jamacain style sea change.you have to remember that 88/90 woke this country up to football

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Old myth.

Certainly euro88 and Italia 90 caught the public's and media's attention. However football was the most played sport in this country in 1986 when Jack took over as manager. Just as Saint Patrick didn't really banish all the snakes Jack did not introduce football into this country. (Indeed his detractors claim he got rid of it. :D )