By guest writer “Aussie Irish”
I hope Part 1 and the chat that followed (thanks to everyone who took part) gave you a little insight into the complexities of geography and politics that impact rugby on this beautiful island. of Ireland. As with all things these days, we verify the “facts” in our articles to the best of our ability, but please note that opinions and viewpoints may differ. Please feel free to provide other opinions. “Add to mix” In the comments below. I really liked the explanation of Who? The comments for Part 1 say this is an “impressionist approach” to storytelling.
So, back to what I said earlier…
It is generally accepted that Ireland played their first international match on 19 February 1875 (losing 7-0 to England), but Ireland’s rugby governing body, Irish Rugby, The Football Association (IRFU) was not established until 1879. Merger of the Irish Football Federation (1874) and the Northern Ireland Football Federation (1875). The establishment of the IRFU was an important step in organizing and formalizing the sport. The establishment of the IRFU was aimed at standardizing the rules of rugby and promoting the growth and development of the sport. This same objective continued with the establishment of the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) by Ireland, Scotland and Wales in 1886.
After the Irish War of Independence and partition in 1921, the IRFU agreed to continue operating on a unified basis as before, representing all 32 counties and four provinces. This led to the situation today where the Irish rugby team is made up of representatives from both countries. Politics similarly surfaced in Ireland over questions such as “What national anthem should we play?” “Which flag should we fly?” Initially, it was agreed that the national anthem would not be sung at Ireland’s international matches and that the IRFU flag would be used.
In the 1930s, it was agreed that matches in the Republic of Ireland would use the Irish national anthem “Amhrán na bhFiann” (Soldier’s Song), matches in Northern Ireland would use “God Save the King”, and no Irish national anthem. It was done. away match. This also caused problems in 1954 when the Republic of Ireland players refused to take the field until “God Save the Queen” was over. This “minor” disagreement resulted in no Irish senior international matches being played in Northern Ireland from 1954 to 2007. It took until the 1995 World Cup to resolve the issue, with the IRFU commissioning a new national anthem (Ireland’s Call) and the use of the IRFU flag.
My wife highlighted that the ‘cover’ of Part I featured the Republic of Ireland tricolor, but as we all now know, it does not represent Irish rugby. All I can say is that fortunately it wasn’t the Cameroonian flag. This is also a common mistake.
Until the mid-1990s, the sport was defined as amateurism throughout Ireland, with players devoting their time to rugby alongside their professional careers. During the amateur era, Irish rugby thrived at a grassroots level, with clubs the lifeblood of the sport. Today, there are still over 200 clubs on the island.
Interprovincial matches between Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht have played a vital role in shaping the Irish rugby landscape. These competitions showcased each state’s best talent and ignited regional pride. Fierce rivalries and enthusiastic supporters laid the foundation for what would become a professional competition. From everything I’ve seen and experienced during my time here, Irish rugby is all about a grassroots sport. Here’s how this works in practice:
- School rugby has historically played a vital role in Ireland, serving as an important breeding ground for developing talent and fostering a deep connection to the sport. The importance of school rugby is evident from several important aspects.
- Player development pathway: Schools rugby forms an integral part of Ireland’s player development pathway. Many of the country’s top rugby players graduate from school programs and display their skills at underage level before progressing to club or state teams.
- Traditional competitions: Prestigious school competitions such as the Leinster Senior Cup, Munster Senior Cup, Ulster Schools Cup and Connacht Schools Cup are steeped in history and tradition. These competitions provide a platform for schools to compete at a high level and are closely watched by students, alumni and the wider rugby community.
- Coaching and development: Schools often have dedicated rugby programs with qualified coaches. These coaches play an important role in player development, focusing not only on skill acquisition but also on instilling values such as teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. Coaches will be guided and supported by both the state and the IRFU.
- Community Engagement: School rugby has a strong community focus. Games draw enthusiastic crowds and create camaraderie and school spirit. This community commitment helps build lifelong connections between individuals and their alma mater.
- Cultural significance: School rugby has cultural significance in Ireland. The annual school competition is a major event on the rugby calendar and attracts widespread attention. The historic rivalries and iconic moments of these competitions contribute to the rich tapestry of Irish rugby culture.
- Character Development: Beyond the technical aspects of the game, there is a strong emphasis on character development in school rugby. Students learn valuable life skills such as leadership, resilience and teamwork that extend beyond the rugby field.
For the past 18 years I have lived in a wonderful area of south Dublin. This roughly corresponds to Sydney’s North Shore, where almost all children attend fee-paying schools. One of the most common conversations in pubs is the age-old question of where you went to school and played rugby. I used to hear these questions a lot in Australia, but I thought it was a little different because the people asking the questions were inevitably talking about how they had played an important role in their school’s cup competitions for 40-odd years. It means you start reliving the story. Before. I didn’t really understand this, but going to the Leinster Senior Cup final made it clearer. A crowd of 18,000 cheered both teams, it was broadcast on national television and there was generally some great rugby. It was a real eye-opener (see below)
Less than 50% of Irish-born professional players attended paying schools (paying schools only play half the role in Irish Rugby – Irish Times), compared to 36% who attended free schools (36%). I attended a foreign school. It should be emphasized that, apart from natural-born players (18%), less than 8% of secondary students are educated in fee-paying schools, and this reflects the impact this small population has on Irish rugby. (https://www.irishtimes.com /ireland/education/2023/08/21/private-school-numbers-climb-to-highest-on-record/)
In addition to schools, there are Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht clubs that form the basis of club rugby. The structure of club rugby has multiple divisions, with promotion and relegation possible between divisions. In addition to senior level competition, youth rugby and mini rugby are also important elements of the club structure. Clubs typically run extensive youth development programs, developing talent from a young age and facilitating pathways to senior rugby. When his son was 7 years old, I enrolled his son in a local junior club. And that club alone had about 60 kids enrolled and about 15 club coaches. Once again, all coaches were trained through Leinster and his IRFU, and his two Leinster branch development coaches were on hand to oversee proceedings.
Interestingly, Ireland did not have a national league until 1991, but after around five years of discussion and consultation with clubs, the All-Ireland League (AIL) was introduced. Prior to this, there were leagues and cup competitions run by each state government. This structure continues to this day as a structure under AIL. The AIL acts as the top tier of club rugby in Ireland and is divided into four divisions (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B), with promotion and relegation between divisions to increase competitiveness.
The country’s potential talent can be identified at all levels within the system and the IRFU has a pathway program to support talent development (Ireland Rugby | Opportunities). As with most sports, homegrown talent is generally identified in the junior ranks (school or club) and these players are quickly elevated to state academies. While on the academy roster, the player will also compete for his school as well as the junior varsity team. There are players all planning to break into state teams, sign professional contracts, and then move on to further varsity honors.
While playing for school, players are not encouraged or allowed to play for clubs. Signing a professional contract limits the number of professional players a club can play. A player can only return to the club after graduating from school and/or if he misses a contract with the state.
There are several problems with this structure where players develop at different ages. If a player is on the fringes of a school team, his chances of appearing in matches are limited, but that doesn’t mean he will be released to a club. In addition, each school is so focused on the school cup that they invest huge sums of money in their top teams, but that money quickly evaporates into players in lower grades. This can slow player growth or cause players to lose interest in the game. When a player leaves school, the connection with the club is severed or the player moves on with his life. After all, clubs are struggling to attract and retain talented young members and are doing their best to keep things going.
That’s all for now. In Part III, we delve a little deeper into the sporting landscape in Ireland and the competitions that exist, the structure of the IRFU, coaching, refereeing and the development of professional players.
Please feel free to comment below…