Australian sports pundit Russell Barwick had the blogosphere and airwaves humming as he denounced the Ireland Olympic team for not being part of the highly successful Team GB on ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption program.
Barwick went on to say Irish athletes going for gold for their country were similar to a Hawaiian surfer claiming he wasn’t from the United States.
“We, the rest of the world, can’t understand. It’s like a Hawaiian surfer not claiming that he surfs for the USA.
“It’s not like Tasmanians say they don’t want to represent Australia. You’re all part of the one mix master.”
“I understand the history of Irish politics. Well actually, I don’t understand the history of Irish politics.”
His bemused British co-presenter attempted to steer him away from the thorny issue of Irish politics claiming there wouldn’t be enough time. Barwick responded saying half of Ireland was part of Great Britain anyway and that Ireland managed to forget about their national identity when it came to the “British Lions” in rugby.
“Team GB has an enormous advantage over basically every other country in the world because it’s four countries all wrapped up into one,” said Barwick.
“What about the British Lions tour? They all kiss and make up for a British Lions and they kiss and make up for Six Nations.
“It’s a whole Irish joke, the whole thing. It just makes no sense,” he concluded as his co-presenter put his head in his hands, and invited people to respond if they wanted.
Bakkies
Guest
The current muppets in the IRFU don't see 7s as a valuable development tool. How can you improve your 7s team when they don't play? Their excuse is that they wanted to focus on Ireland A, well the Wolfhounds only played 1 fixture last season and there is no Churchill Cup any more. At this rate Ireland won't qualify due to no match practice/squad development and considering that the IRB is based in Dublin that is not a good look.
Derm
Roar Guru
Team GB represents Great Britain and Northern Ireland - although you would hardly know it from British media coverage. Think most people have accepted that McIlroy has said he'd go for Team GB even though he and GMac both played for Ireland under the Irish flag in the World Cup recently. He may not get selected, but after yesterday's PGA win, it's unlikely. The poor attitude towards sevens is largely to do with lack of funding.
Mark Kennedy
Guest
Will Russell next be suggesting that Poland should join team Germany, or Lithuania join team Russia, or Canada team USA, or Australia team China? I guess he will.
Bakkies
Guest
Regarding sports. The IRFU existed before the Irish Republic and decided to remain the same. I am pretty sure the IFA which governs Football in NI was the original football governing body for the whole of Ireland.
Bakkies
Guest
It doesn't help that the GAA is the biggest amateur sports organisation in Ireland which makes it difficult for the Olympic Sports to get good athletes. The offices for the British and Irish Lions are actually in Dublin.
Bakkies
Guest
I am pretty sure Barwick has done AFL radio commentary.
Bakkies
Guest
Have they though? Olympic qualification and format for the Rio event hasn't been decided though? GB may decide to go with Westwood, Donald, Poulter?, Rose to eliminate any controversy and tug of war over the two Irish golfers. They will still field strong golfers. Ireland know they can't rely on Harrington and will bend over backwards to have those two players. ''And Ireland are unlikely to field a sevens team for the Rio games in 2016 due to lack of funding. '' I say that is more to do with the fact that the IRFU don't field a 7s team in the IRB sevens series and have a poor attitude towards it.
Derm
Roar Guru
Oddly, McIlroy, with a catholic background, has chosen GB, and McDowell, with a Protestant background, has said he'd pick Ireland. There's nowt as quare as folk.
Steve
Guest
Barwick should, by all rights, be on very thin ice with his comments, but I actually wouldn't be surprised if his views are just taken as being too odd or ignorant to cause much offence. He was probably trolling for attention, but his angle is just too silly to evoke anything more than mild embarrassment on his behalf, and a hope he disappears back under his bridge.
AndyMack
Guest
Um they are seperate countries. Why dont the Netherlands just join Team GB as well...???
Derm
Roar Guru
Hi Harry - you hit the nail on the head. You were born and lived in NI and consider yourself British. A third of my family were born there and consider themselves Irish. To be more precise Republic of Ireland and UK are separate countries. The term GB represents three countries - England, Wales and Scotland. Team GB in the Olympics, despite the name, actually represents Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which annoyed some unionist politicians who wanted it changed. Not all NI citizens carry British passports, since anyone born in NI wishing to have an Irish passport, is entitled to one. For example, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan, both from Belfast, represent Team Ireland. The Ireland rugby team has been playing as one for over a century, since its inception, based on the four provinces. If GB were to create a single rugby team, it seems improbable that it would include Ulster players. Most sporting bodies in Ireland were set up on an island basis, some of them derived from provincial associations so I'm not sure about your assertion that "the vast majority of sporting events, they (Eng/Sco/Wal/NI) are represented as GB/UK". ICC competitions, Rugby World Cup, Olympics, Davis Cup, Etc, come to mind, as well as GAA which involves players and teams from all four provinces, albeit largely by one community within NI. However, despite all that, and returning to the topic of the thread, there are events where GB and Ireland have competed together or still do - golf in particular - Walker Cup, Ryder Cup before Continental players joined in the seventies. A key problem, as VC points out above, would be which flag/anthem would represent them, but I'm sure compromises could be found, if people were willing. Big IF though. :)
Bristler
Guest
Incorrect. Rugby Union and League fan and journalist. Reported on the RWC for ESPN and serves as a counterpoint on PTI Australia to the AFL-supporting Sam Kekovich. Interesting that you think "it makes sense" that he is an AFL man considering the overwhelming majority of Australia's premier sports callers are AFL callers. Compare Bruce McAvaney's encyclopaedic athletics knowlege and wonderful Olympic calls to the embarrassingly amateur rubbish dished up by the Rays Hadley and Warren. Additionally, Dennis Cometti has proven himself to be far superior to his northern conterparts. Even Peter Donegan, who has done an outstanding job at the Olympics, and previously at numerous events, is an AFL man and currently commentates VFL on ABC TV and occasionally AFL on ABC Radio.
JVGO
Guest
Oh...makes sense.
Lorry
Guest
my family is from northern ireland and as far as i can see, the opposition to united Irish sports teams (not within the UK) is a class issue... My working class protestant cousins are ardently opposed (my boss at the pub I worked at for awhile once told me to take my Irish rugby jersey off 'because some of the boys from ...... won't like it) My university educated protestant cousins and their catholic friends, on the other hand, don't mind/ actually support united teams I think it's mainly football which is hopelessy divided on the island of Ireland, sadly....
Seiran
Roar Guru
What? Mate you obviously have no idea. GB and Ireland are separate countries; current political issues have nothing to do with it. Just because they get together to play rugby is completely irrelevant to any other sporting endeavours. Your suggestion is like asking Canada to join the USA, NZ to join Australia, or even Belgium linking up with France. Absurd
HardcorePrawn
Guest
As Russell Barwick's profile is probably higher in Ireland than it has ever been in his own country I would imagine that not only an Irish holiday would be out of bounds for him, but he'd probably better watch his back whenever he's around any pubs frequented by backpackers too!
Harry from NI
Guest
Ireland and GB will never compete as 1 team in the Olympics as they are 2 seperate countries. It would be like Australia and NZ competing as one. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and its citizens carry British passports, hence its sports people represent GB. The Ireland team carry Irish passports so they represent Ireland. For people complaining that GB has 4 countries representing it they are wrong, England, Scotland, Wales and NI are legally 1 country (that may change in the future if Scotland choose to leave the Union) and thus all represent GB. For the vast majority of sporting events and for everything politically they are represented as GB/UK. The exceptions are soccer (an old agreement going back years with FIFA that FIFA are desperate to change to get the competing as one team), rugby (a need is there to keep them seperate as otherwise rugby would lose virtually half the test palying nations), cricket (a virtual GB team going under the name England - legally it's England and Wales) and the commenwealth games (where they compete as 7 nations rather than 4 and again this adds numbers, if they competed as one a number of events would have lack of competitors). I was born in NI and lived there for many years yet have always considered myself British.
James
Guest
no offense but Ireland should put aside politics and join GB. They would reap the benefits having great financial support. If the British and Irish lions can get together in rugby then why cant they do the same the olympics. It would do wonders for them. It will sound harsh but Ireland are just poor at sports. They just got torn to pieces recently in the football by spain and in the rugby by nz and they just won thier first gold in 16 years? Lack of resources shouldnt be an excuse. Nz and Jamaica are small countires similar to Ireland. The kiwis have 13 medals including 5 gold and Jamaica 11 medals with 4 golds and thier natiional sports isnt even in the olympics.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
Touché, old fruit! The difficulty, I suppose, is the nonsense to do with flags and anthems. Nonetheless, it would be lovely to see Irish athletes able to reach their full potential.
Rough Conduct
Guest
AFL broadcaster - enough said.