Rugby now more popular than football AND GAA?!

[Jinxy]

Jinxy, he wrote a piece a few years back "50 reasons why GAA is better than football" and followed up after we lost at home to France with a really dismissive piece about Irish football and its supporters ("We're not going to South Africa and nobody will care"). He's categorically a GAA man first and foremost, Bennocelt is fully correct.

That article was written in the context of how we like to perceive ourselves on the world stage i.e. worlds greatest fans, everyone loves the Irish etc.
His point was that the world cup would manage just fine without us and by the time it came around Thierry Henrys handball would be a distant memory as far as the rest of the football world was concerned.
He didn't mean WE wouldn't care.

[paul_oshea]

Jinxy, he wrote a piece a few years back "50 reasons why GAA is better than football" and followed up after we lost at home to France with a really dismissive piece about Irish football and its supporters ("We're not going to South Africa and nobody will care"). He's categorically a GAA man first and foremost, Bennocelt is fully correct.

that wasnt always the case tho, further back he wasnt like that and was well into the "soccer". I think a few incidents turned him against it, which you don't really get in Gaa.

[Stuttgart88]

True enough.

[jbyrne]

Then why are you arguing with me?

discussing! you said the rugby crowd couldnt wait to get rid of the shakles the FAI tied them to. maybe you werent putting it forward as your own thoughts but thats how i read it

[Jinxy]

In fairness I phrased it badly but what I meant was the rugby fans viewed the IRFU as being 'shackled' to the FAI.
Now that doesn't make it true necessarily but it is a view that is quite widely held in my experience.
Most of the rugger heads I know would be south dublin based so they are the hardcore Ross O'Carroll-Kelly types in fairness.

[Charlie Darwin]

Rugger heads are no more representative of the general rugby population as we are of the general barstooling population. The IRFU and FAI have a very good relationship that benefits both sides and sport on the island in general and long may it continue, no matter how upset it makes people on message boards.

[Stuttgart88]

It's pretty big, attendances for Munster and Leinster regularly top 15,000 each. The recent game between the two sides at the Aviva stadium set a new attendance record for the competition - 50,645

Any idea how the TV viewing numbers (300k+ mentioned earlier) compares with, for example, a Man United or other English club game live on TV, or a Champions League game?

[tetsujin1979]

Any idea how the TV viewing numbers (300k+ mentioned earlier) compares with, for example, a Man United or other English club game live on TV, or a Champions League game?

I don't know, have the ratings for this year's Champions League games been released yet?

[geysir]

That Munster Leinster game was on TG4.
300k sounds a lot, considering the question - just how many Rugby fans would have been able to find this station on their tv?

[Stuttgart88]

Any idea what a Man United game would have got this time last year?

[geysir]

Looking at these tables, Man U v Bayern & v Barca attracted fewer viewers than an Ireland friendly.

Viewing figures

[ArdeeBhoy]

Rugby fans have more money and there's less games which helps its profile.

[Charlie Darwin]

There are 13-14 rugby internationals a year...

[geysir]

They have 4 friendlies in a row coming up, maybe the IRFU are more desperate for funds.
What was usual in a season, 2 or 3 Six nations and 2 or 3 profile friendlies any time Australia/NZ /SA and now Argentina, would visit. In a WC year, you get a few more friendlies.

[Stuttgart88]

6 nations means 5 games Geysir!

I think the autumn internationals have always been 3 games, no?

WC year maybe means 4.

[ArdeeBhoy]

There are 13-14 rugby internationals a year...

Except they're not all at home. And meant the sport in general, FFS.

Also in the case of Ireland, being an all-island team helps,

[paul_oshea]

6 nations means 5 games Geysir!

I think the autumn internationals have always been 3 games, no?

WC year maybe means 4.

home games he means....autumn internationals have always been 3.

[Charlie Darwin]

You can't mean both "the sport in general" and "at home," unless you consider English Premier League matches to be "home"

[geysir]

I kinda assumed that ArdeeBhoy's reference to Rugby supporters - having more money and fewer games to attend, was in regards to home intl. games.

[Stuttgart88]

I wasn't paying attention to the context. My error.