I once wondered if I would ever see Ireland beat the All Blacks in my lifetime. My father never did.
As I young lad I grew up in Ireland a big fan of the All Blacks and the Wallabies. I marveled at the skill of Australia in the era of Campese. Australia was to me like the Brazil of the football world. I would try to watch the boys in gold every chance I got.
As a kid, I would arise at all hours of the morning to see them beat Ireland in Australia. Back then I remember an Irish commentator saying that at least Ireland had won the second half – but lost the game!
Fast forward to the present day and Ireland has beaten Australia again – just. I’ve watched Ireland beat the All Blacks four times and Ireland are now the number-one-ranked team in the world.
How has this happened? I was only eight when Munster beat the All Blacks. The day lives on in the Irish psyche. They even wrote a play about it. I’ve seen the play – it was wonderful! And when Ireland started winning, young boys and girls throughout Ireland started watching Union for the first time. Many started playing for the first time and today Ireland is Rugby Union mad!
When your national team is successful in a sport that they have never excelled at or even played, people take an interest.
The usual first reaction is: We won what? Against England? In Cricket? I remember when Ireland famously beat England in Bangalore in the World Cup in Cricket in 2011, I wasn’t even watching the game. Not many Irish did. But we watch now. Add more Irish boys and girls now play.
The beautiful thing about any sport is the underdog can sometimes win. David can sometimes slay Goliath! The best thing that could happen for World Rugby happened this month. Italy beat Australia and Georgia beat Wales, in a full house in Cardiff no mind. Now while this will be hard to take on the chin for many Welsh and Aussies, we must see it for what it means in the bigger picture for world rugby union.
Yes, I have no doubt that the cream will rise to the top in the upcoming Rugby Union World Cup, like the head of a well-poured Guinness. The semi-finals will be contested by perhaps the usual contenders and even Ireland if they can get passed their quarter-final hoodoo.
But here’s to Namibia, Uruguay, Italy, Georgia, Tonga, Romania, Fiji, Samoa, Chile, and Portugal. Boys and girls in all of these countries will tune in to watch and think “Someday – I want to play this beautiful game.”
Yes, we will see some one-sided matchups. Or will we? Anything can happen at this World Cup, a competition that may get its biggest global audience of all time.
From little things, big things grow and I postulate that one day we will see a World Cup Finals with 32 teams competing from around the globe.
Georgia. Italy. A full house of 40,000 people watching the women’s 2022 World Cup final. The year that the game they play in heaven became truly global and inclusive. The year that the spirit of Rugby became seen!
“The whole point of rugby is that it is, first and foremost, a state of mind, a spirit.” – Jean-Pierre Rives.
HenryHoneyBalls
Guest
Well Ireland did knock SA the hosts out of this years 7s world cup. That count?
IrelandsCall
Roar Rookie
Hey Nick - thanks for the response and insights! :thumbup:
IrelandsCall
Roar Rookie
Thanks Intotouch. Great response. :thumbup:
IrelandsCall
Roar Rookie
Thanks IC. I am glad you enjoyed it. :happy:
IrelandsCall
Roar Rookie
:laughing: Thanks Tooly. I once tried to read Ulysses by Joyce and gave up after about 4 pages. If Ireland win the world cup I will try and read it all!
IrelandsCall
Roar Rookie
Thanks for your kind comments Khun! :thumbup:
IrelandsCall
Roar Rookie
There was once a time when no one in Ireland played Rugby! But point taken. We need to go from decent to great to win a world cup! :stoked:
IrelandsCall
Roar Rookie
Thanks for your kind comments @mzilikazi! I left Ireland 27 years ago and settled in the Sunshine state! Still a proud Kerry man and Munster man!
Max power
Guest
I think it’s wrong to equate Ireland (which has always been a decent rugby nation) improvement with every other minor nation
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Greeting, Itt. Bit late with this, but only reading your very good post on checking to see what has been added to comments on this article. Good to see an Irish native, living in Ireland, commenting on Roar. I am also looking at your three articles....all really interesting, and your posts. You write well, and it would be good if you wrote some more. Where in Ireland do you live ? I lived up to 1980 in Ulster, born in Antrim town, now in Qld. after a spell in Zimbabwe.
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
Very nice article,IC.Great to see how rugby has lifted its profile in Ireland,even with such strong competition from other codes.It is always the excuse in Australia that the competiton from AFL/NRL/soccer is just too strong,but Ireland have 3 strong other codes too.I think it shows what a winning national team can do.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
James Joyce returns !
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Tipp. Romania have been poorly managed but seem to be turning it around and focusing internally rather than bringing in players. Them, Spain and Portugal are driving each other on as only 2 can get WC spots which is why the rivalry between Spain and Rominia over the last two cycles.
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Good post BNHF. I was actually just thinking of Romania myself in that same context. Out of interest, are you Irish ? If so, where from....you got a good Irish name anyway :happy:
Short Arm
Roar Rookie
Thanks IC, good read.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Well obviously mate, with that statement you know very little about the game! Do you even know that Soccer, or some refer to as football is the World game?
peeeko
Roar Guru
i dont know anyone that calls it THE global game.
Intotouch
Roar Rookie
My Dad also died before Ireland beat NZ for the first time. It mattered to him. It’s a real shame a generation never got to see that. Remembering rugby in Ireland in the 90s I am still waiting for the standard to fall and for things to return to what I expect. This no1 in the world title doesn’t compute. But what really boggles my mind is that there’s a new generation in Ireland who will expect Ireland to have an excellent rugby team. This is a radical change. In a poll I saw in Ireland where people were asked what their favourite sport was rugby was third and the variety of sports that people said was their favourite was huge, but when asked what their second favourite sport was rugby came first. This is a massive change from my own childhood. Gaelic football is by far the most popular field sport here still, soccer second, hurling fourth but rugby is definitely more popular and has a higher profile than ever before. This in a country that has more horses per head of population than any other and where racing is hugely popular too. Apart from in Connacht though the IRFU hasn’t been setting up new rugby clubs during this unprecedented period of popularity. My sister stopped taking her kids to rugby practice in Wexford because the journey to the club was so long. In the meantime there’s a GAA club on her doorstep. This is shortsighted. In ten years time we could have a poor team for a time again, peoples imaginations will be captured by other sports, attendances and interest will naturally dwindle and then what? The IRFU need to be expanding now, not being complacent. I love that I’m living in a country where most kids grow up trying three field sports, pick their favourites to continue, and still produces successful teams. Although I’m primarily a rugby fan I think this is brilliant for all kids and I hope that never changes. I hope this encourages other countertops be less stressed about not having their favourite sport be dominant. This does not determine success.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Try bad administration Nick, as it's been happening for decades in RA, or if you prefer, the ARU. Ffs it's known as the Global Game, & here in Australia we would rather watch club games, & one being it's virtually only played in Australia. Give me a true international game any day!!
Nick the yabbie
Guest
Like your picture of irish rugby. We use to think that rugby is the game they play in heaven, but lately it has gone to hell. We can only hope that there is only one way to go, and that is up for our wallabies. Unfortunately we have successfully killed the game we love through bad decissions. I'am sure that back in the day most schools played rugby, but just like tennis we have managed to kill it through stupid administration, coaching etc and the rise of other sports in australia. The only way to compete with the other sports is to be like the irish and become winners again. Not sure how long this will take, when the current regime is dysfunctional. What happened to the rugby in country schools these days, very hard to go down a rugby path when the schools are only playing AFL. Where we live it is hard to get your kids into sport full stop. Most so called private schools are not even caring about the sport side of school. We as ausies prided ourselves on being the best in the world. If someone more educated than me can spell out what the %$&# happened here, i'am all ears.