Have you ever actually spoken to any NI fans about that? Ever questioned them as to their politics etc? (Serious questions btw).
I only know a few ROI fans, but if pushed, I'd guess (emphasise) that they are drawn from a wide spectrum, to include SF/FF/FG/Greens/SDLP etc, maybe even a few Alliance(!), along with all those people who don't care for politics of any stripe.
And you know what? NI fans are exactly the same, the one thing we have in common being that we are all football fans. Just like ROI fans.
Similarly, some NI fans are also keen rugby fans, some are moderately interested and some have no interest whatever. (I won't try to guess the percentages) Either way, the Ireland rugby team, and how the IRFU administers the game, have no relevance to the items you are discussing.
Unless, of course, you need them to...
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