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Originally Posted by
backtowalsall
In my experience of the people who actually go to Ravenhill they don't care about any of the crap like that people have tried to make for Ulster, and just wish people could leave them alone
In my experience (going only occasionally, I prefer rugby league to union) and also discussing with others who go regularly, the irritation I referred to is widely shared by fans. Not stirred up by outsiders, as you suggest.
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I doubt i would have got the same reaction at Windsor Park, which is a large part of why more and more nationalists are finding themselves at Ravenhill
I imagine you'd have got pretty much the same reaction at Windsor, ie nobody would have bothered you. Anyway, how does your second point follow from the first? Surely fans go to Ravenhill mainly because they, er, like rugby union, not because they imagine Windsor is unwelcoming to football fans?
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as Northern Ireland has no national anthem what else could the IRFU do? The game was hijacked by politicians trying to bring about the bizarre situation of Ireland using what is recognized by the rugby world as England anthem (UK anthem, blah blah blah I know, but ask yourself why Scotland and Wales don't use it). The game was going to be shown around the world, GSTQ was always a non-runner
Variously: NI does have a national anthem; the IRFU could have played it; more generally, the IRFU could recognise the reality that its team represents two separate countries, and play neither of their anthems. If you don't like Ireland's call, ask Coulter to write something else.
GSTQ isn't recognised by the World as a purely English anthem. What does it matter what Scotland and Wales think? Northern Ireland and England disagree with them. As a basic courtesy other countries play the latter's anthem. Obviously you don't like it, but essentially GSTQ has mirror images in both the Soldier's song and Flower of Scotland- all three are about fighting one of the others.
Whether the game is to be shown around the World is irrelevant.
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I doubt that Ireland will be back in Belfast for the foreseeable future for 3 reasons.
1. The sponsorship of Lansdowne means its unlikely Ireland will play any fixture outside there until the deal has expired
Which emphasises my point that it looks ever more like a team representing RoI only.
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2. Thomond Park is now a vastly superior venue to [Ravenhill]
If all the games are going to be in Dublin, why mention it?
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3. The politicians in the O6C who turned the Italy game into such a political football have left a bad taste in the mouth of the IRFU, who are unlikely to put themselves in that kind of position again for a generation. Ulsters rugby fans are the losers
I think it's more likely the stirrers referring to occupied six counties who've left the bad taste, don't you?
Ulster rugby fans, if seeing themselves as losers in the way you suggest, can lobby to change the game's organisation. My suggestion is only one possibility.
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If anyone thinks the IRFU have given the impression that Ireland is a ROI team only they are so unreasonable that they will never be happy with any 32county team
I explained above why Ireland RFU is widely seen as a RoI only team. You clearly think that unhappiness with an all-Ireland team is unreasonable in itself; I disagree.
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The IRFU have bent over backwards to be neutral on these issues
Disagree. They've made barely any effort to be neutral. If they had, the situation might be as detailed above.
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Football could learn a lot from rugby. The thing i enjoy most about rugby games is the lack of segregation. Having the opposition around you is great craic and although its unlikely it will ever happen accross the water, I would love to see the day segregation isn't necessary at domestic fixtures in Ireland
Each can learn from the other, but the football tradition of away fans sticking together (which happens at levels well below international) isn't a bad thing.
