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Has Other Sports Stole A March On Gaa In Relation To PR Work

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Yes. Your welcome, feel free to close the thread.

The_DOC (Galway) - Posts: 759 - 28/04/2025 09:35:25    2604885

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Replying To jm25:  "This I don't get people always seem to ignore if we were go back to old dates championship would clash depending on year with euros,worlds cups, olympics. Also premier league rugby season takes place in August September too"
It's early season games v Late season games. Games master more as the season rolls on.

Given that we're posting here - I think we'd all prefer to be watching football and hurling but many people will have preferred to watch Liverpool beat Spurs to win the league yesterday than watch some of the great football matches that were on.

Rugby games are also coming to a conclusion. More people watch rugby these days than football and hurling.

Flip it around though - if we were back at our traditional dates, there would be much less clashes; maybe a world cup game or two in the evening but Ireland aren't likely to be in it. Then as the season concludes - the latter stages would be up against early rounds in the rugby and premier League; GAA interest would then increase.

brianb (Kildare) - Posts: 429 - 28/04/2025 09:58:54    2604889

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Replying To brianb:  "It's early season games v Late season games. Games master more as the season rolls on.

Given that we're posting here - I think we'd all prefer to be watching football and hurling but many people will have preferred to watch Liverpool beat Spurs to win the league yesterday than watch some of the great football matches that were on.

Rugby games are also coming to a conclusion. More people watch rugby these days than football and hurling.

Flip it around though - if we were back at our traditional dates, there would be much less clashes; maybe a world cup game or two in the evening but Ireland aren't likely to be in it. Then as the season concludes - the latter stages would be up against early rounds in the rugby and premier League; GAA interest would then increase."
'Rugby games are also coming to a conclusion. More people watch rugby these days than football and hurling."

That's completely untrue.

Here are the average home gates of Irish rugby provinces last season.

Leinster 26,000
Munster 15,000
Ulster 13,000
Connacht 5,000

Remember these are entire provinces. ie. if you're from Leinster, you have only one rugby club to support. A football fan has 11 counties and a soccer fan in Dublin alone would have 5 LOI clubs.

Connacht's average gate is below that of Galway United and Sligo Rovers combined and way less than GAA county teams attract.

Ulster football games regularly get well in access of 13,000 and if you added up Derry City and NI soccer clubs it would be way ahead also.

Munster hurling games regularly get 30,000-40,000.

Meanwhile in Leinster, the combined average home gates of the big four Dublin soccer clubs - Bohs, Pats, Shels and Rovers - would be well over 20,000 and then you'd have Dundalk and Drogheda etc.

Plus, Meath, Kildare, Laois, Louth, the Dubs etc bring big crowds.

Also, club GAA matches get far bigger attendances than AIL rugby fixtures.

The idea that rugby is hugely popular is a myth. The figures just don't back it up.

Club GAA matches get far bigger attendances than AIL rugby fixtures.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 839 - 28/04/2025 11:27:02    2604932

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Replying To CARPS:  "
Replying To supersub15:  "I sense a little bit of envy in your post, is it because that Sam is a Leinster man playing for Leinster for a sport that is growing in popularity and watched by thousands.

The Dublin hype machine as you call it has as always, its own agenda and nothing will change that. A slight exaggeration perhaps to suggest that people in Limerick and Cork are getting very disillusioned with Rugby, however disillusioned perhaps at Mighty Munster falling in popularity because of their performance as a team in competition is it not.?

Rugby is catching the imagination of all sports minded people, so it's incorrect to say a lot of people in Limerick and Cork are getting very disillusioned with Rugby, rather they are getting disillusioned with their teams' overall performance and full-time results.

Most players realize the fact that they may never play the game at the highest level, they are happy to take part in the game any play it as a recreational sport.

The gaa has nothing to worry about, there is plenty of room for Rugby, Soccer and Gaelic games they have competed against each other for years with no evidence of sporting causalities.

An active and visual P.R.O should be a work in progress to promote, foster and grow gaelic games as required.

Every Intercounty P.R.O should be more than just an appointment. "
Very few people play rugby as a recreational sport. It's basically a private schools game. Like American football.

How many adult rugby teams are there in Carlow? Four maybe? Two each at Tullow and Carlow?

Must be around 50 adult Gaelic football sides and 20 hurling.

Soccer God only knows how many. 60? I do watch the League of Ireland and a bit of English, but not as much as before (long time Waterford and Leeds fan, for my sins) but I don't follow it at junior level, so I would not be sure.

Rugby is very much a minority sport.

While I think a few of the posters here are a bit OTT, it's fair to say that rugby is being pushed down people's throats.

Don't forget that a lot of the event junkie popularity comes from the amount of PR and coverage it's getting.

As a sports person, I also don't think rugby is a particularly great athletic pursuit. Soccer players and Gaelic footballers are far superior in terms of skills. There was a bit of skill in amateur era rugby, but now it's basically just oversized gym freaks crashing into each other."
Your reply is very welcome Carps. Strange how you as a Carlow and a div. 4 man took the time and had the interest to challenge my post.

My take on it is they play rugby for the same reasons as they play gaelic football in the lower divisions.

The Black Gates planted the seeds of success for Bernard Jackman and Sean O'Brien

The 50 adult Gaelic football sides and 20 hurling are still there with no harm done.

I don't often watch League of Ireland, but I sort of follow Sunderland, for the moment they are underdogs, but mostly because of Roy Keane and in particular Niall Quinn. Niall is a true gaa man, unlike some of the pretenders on here, he played minor hurling for Dublin, and when he retired from Soccer he played junior football for Eadestown (Kildare) Junior hurling with Sarsfield

Rugby may have been a minority sport, but now it's growing at speed.

You think a few posters here are OTT, I think a good few posters are OTT. I don't for a minute think rugby is being pushed down people's throats, however I do believe the P.R. people market the game well and make it sell easily.

When you say, that a lot of the event junkie popularity comes from the amount of PR and coverage it's getting. You are somewhat correct with that, and it is to their advantage, that is, P.R and coverage.

There is no such thing as the perfect sport or one that ticks all the boxes, not even Rugby.

So now Carps there you have it.

A couple of pointers. - The Sunday Game is dead in the water. - The Carlow / Kerry game did not get a mention on the sports results after the main evening news last night, - The pay wall is a big hitter. - Croke Park selling space for other activities including Rugby to be played at headquarters and other gaa venues to packed houses, that doesn't help the argument being put up here by other topflight posters.

It would help if, - - - -

Every Intercounty P.R.O should be more than just an appointment.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3163 - 28/04/2025 11:53:02    2604946

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Replying To The_DOC:  "Yes. Your welcome, feel free to close the thread."
This thread is not ready to close just yet.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3163 - 28/04/2025 12:01:19    2604949

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Replying To supersub15:  "
Replying To CARPS:  "[quote=supersub15:  "I sense a little bit of envy in your post, is it because that Sam is a Leinster man playing for Leinster for a sport that is growing in popularity and watched by thousands.

The Dublin hype machine as you call it has as always, its own agenda and nothing will change that. A slight exaggeration perhaps to suggest that people in Limerick and Cork are getting very disillusioned with Rugby, however disillusioned perhaps at Mighty Munster falling in popularity because of their performance as a team in competition is it not.?

Rugby is catching the imagination of all sports minded people, so it's incorrect to say a lot of people in Limerick and Cork are getting very disillusioned with Rugby, rather they are getting disillusioned with their teams' overall performance and full-time results.

Most players realize the fact that they may never play the game at the highest level, they are happy to take part in the game any play it as a recreational sport.

The gaa has nothing to worry about, there is plenty of room for Rugby, Soccer and Gaelic games they have competed against each other for years with no evidence of sporting causalities.

An active and visual P.R.O should be a work in progress to promote, foster and grow gaelic games as required.

Every Intercounty P.R.O should be more than just an appointment. "
Very few people play rugby as a recreational sport. It's basically a private schools game. Like American football.

How many adult rugby teams are there in Carlow? Four maybe? Two each at Tullow and Carlow?

Must be around 50 adult Gaelic football sides and 20 hurling.

Soccer God only knows how many. 60? I do watch the League of Ireland and a bit of English, but not as much as before (long time Waterford and Leeds fan, for my sins) but I don't follow it at junior level, so I would not be sure.

Rugby is very much a minority sport.

While I think a few of the posters here are a bit OTT, it's fair to say that rugby is being pushed down people's throats.

Don't forget that a lot of the event junkie popularity comes from the amount of PR and coverage it's getting.

As a sports person, I also don't think rugby is a particularly great athletic pursuit. Soccer players and Gaelic footballers are far superior in terms of skills. There was a bit of skill in amateur era rugby, but now it's basically just oversized gym freaks crashing into each other."
Your reply is very welcome Carps. Strange how you as a Carlow and a div. 4 man took the time and had the interest to challenge my post.

My take on it is they play rugby for the same reasons as they play gaelic football in the lower divisions.

The Black Gates planted the seeds of success for Bernard Jackman and Sean O'Brien

The 50 adult Gaelic football sides and 20 hurling are still there with no harm done.

I don't often watch League of Ireland, but I sort of follow Sunderland, for the moment they are underdogs, but mostly because of Roy Keane and in particular Niall Quinn. Niall is a true gaa man, unlike some of the pretenders on here, he played minor hurling for Dublin, and when he retired from Soccer he played junior football for Eadestown (Kildare) Junior hurling with Sarsfield

Rugby may have been a minority sport, but now it's growing at speed.

You think a few posters here are OTT, I think a good few posters are OTT. I don't for a minute think rugby is being pushed down people's throats, however I do believe the P.R. people market the game well and make it sell easily.

When you say, that a lot of the event junkie popularity comes from the amount of PR and coverage it's getting. You are somewhat correct with that, and it is to their advantage, that is, P.R and coverage.

There is no such thing as the perfect sport or one that ticks all the boxes, not even Rugby.

So now Carps there you have it.

A couple of pointers. - The Sunday Game is dead in the water. - The Carlow / Kerry game did not get a mention on the sports results after the main evening news last night, - The pay wall is a big hitter. - Croke Park selling space for other activities including Rugby to be played at headquarters and other gaa venues to packed houses, that doesn't help the argument being put up here by other topflight posters.

It would help if, - - - -

Every Intercounty P.R.O should be more than just an appointment.
"]Carlow are Division One! I am a hurling man. From the south of the county.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 839 - 28/04/2025 12:02:28    2604950

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Replying To brianb:  "It's early season games v Late season games. Games master more as the season rolls on.

Given that we're posting here - I think we'd all prefer to be watching football and hurling but many people will have preferred to watch Liverpool beat Spurs to win the league yesterday than watch some of the great football matches that were on.

Rugby games are also coming to a conclusion. More people watch rugby these days than football and hurling.

Flip it around though - if we were back at our traditional dates, there would be much less clashes; maybe a world cup game or two in the evening but Ireland aren't likely to be in it. Then as the season concludes - the latter stages would be up against early rounds in the rugby and premier League; GAA interest would then increase."
Yes so the way GAA have it now the early season games that don't matter are on during end of football rugby season but when it comes to important knockout football hurling in June July has a clear run of it.

People also use schools as a reason to push back to September I think this is the most nonsense of all.

Having school after September all Ireland was a disaster great kids been off now.

Personally I think dates are much better now but ideally I'd push out a couple of weeks

Hurling final be on August Bank Holiday weekend

Create another bank holiday two weeks later for Football final.

Make it a weekend event like NRL NFL and AFL do

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1461 - 28/04/2025 12:12:59    2604959

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Replying To CARPS:  "'Rugby games are also coming to a conclusion. More people watch rugby these days than football and hurling."

That's completely untrue.

Here are the average home gates of Irish rugby provinces last season.

Leinster 26,000
Munster 15,000
Ulster 13,000
Connacht 5,000

Remember these are entire provinces. ie. if you're from Leinster, you have only one rugby club to support. A football fan has 11 counties and a soccer fan in Dublin alone would have 5 LOI clubs.

Connacht's average gate is below that of Galway United and Sligo Rovers combined and way less than GAA county teams attract.

Ulster football games regularly get well in access of 13,000 and if you added up Derry City and NI soccer clubs it would be way ahead also.

Munster hurling games regularly get 30,000-40,000.

Meanwhile in Leinster, the combined average home gates of the big four Dublin soccer clubs - Bohs, Pats, Shels and Rovers - would be well over 20,000 and then you'd have Dundalk and Drogheda etc.

Plus, Meath, Kildare, Laois, Louth, the Dubs etc bring big crowds.

Also, club GAA matches get far bigger attendances than AIL rugby fixtures.

The idea that rugby is hugely popular is a myth. The figures just don't back it up.

Club GAA matches get far bigger attendances than AIL rugby fixtures."
Sounds like you're making up numbers as you're going along? Representing your opinions as factsn.Not comparing like for like. Have you a reliable source for these numbers?

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7922 - 28/04/2025 12:30:39    2604969

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Sounds like you're making up numbers as you're going along? Representing your opinions as factsn.Not comparing like for like. Have you a reliable source for these numbers?"
United Rugby and the ERC publish the data - not that hard to find.

Here is a good article on rugby attendances.

https://thepiraterugby.substack.com/p/lets-talk-about-attendances-is-the?r=2nk5sv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 839 - 28/04/2025 12:50:17    2604980

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Replying To CARPS:  "United Rugby and the ERC publish the data - not that hard to find.

Here is a good article on rugby attendances.

https://thepiraterugby.substack.com/p/lets-talk-about-attendances-is-the?r=2nk5sv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true"
You're inventing numbers so.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7922 - 28/04/2025 13:12:47    2604989

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "You're inventing numbers so."
No, I am not. That gives only league. I added European Cup games.

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1c97m2z/average_published_attendance_of_urc_and_english/

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 839 - 28/04/2025 13:32:46    2604999

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Replying To CARPS:  "No, I am not. That gives only league. I added European Cup games.

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1c97m2z/average_published_attendance_of_urc_and_english/"
You were quouting soccer and GAA numbers too, no source Comparing 1 team Munster Rugby attendances v 5 hurling counties. Saying rugby is a private schools game. Some of the rugby and hurling and supporters in Munster will watch and play both sports and other sports. Go down to a game in Ballinrobe, Gort, Creggs, Loughrea and count the number of Hurlers and Gaelic footballers that play rugby and in a lot of clubs around the country. I think the rugby on TV is more down to the stations getting paid for it because the GAA don't want as many games on TV they want to stream them themselves on GAA+. If you listen to RTE GAA podcast or watch the Sunday Game highlights show it's hard not to argue with that because RTE analysis shows are boring even if there's been exciting games. We've a choice to pay €80 for GAA+. But the TV licence is mandatory.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7922 - 28/04/2025 13:55:07    2605010

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The gaa do next to no promo of their games.

Very lazy approach to say the least.

Fans are taken for granted but from the price of the ticket to the facilities.

Even on AI final day CP toilets are a disgrace. No one emptying bins, restocking paper etc

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1920 - 28/04/2025 14:04:43    2605016

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