The UAFC

thecrouch wrote:The proposed structure change has been officially abandoned by the IRFU.

yes I saw that... however, I think the clubs may have won the battle but lost the war - there was an ominous quote from an IRFU source in Fangio’s latest, to the effect that this was the IRFU’s attempt to make nice with the clubs and come up with something consensual, and they are now going to go off and cook something up themselves and impose it unilaterally. So it’s watch this space.

I actually have sympathy with the IRFU here, in that the status quo isn’t quite getting the job done in terms of providing competitive rugby for squad / academy players - and into the bargain it’s an increasing struggle for clubs to fund all-Ireland travel etc, while keeping their noses clean financially and avoiding the temptation to keep up with the Joneses. It’s not sustainable.

My prediction is closed semi-pro league within 5 years, provincial amateur club game with all-Ireland playoffs.

(Interesting that all out civil war is raging, on very similar lines, in Wales, with reductions to premiership club funding and introduction of provincial A sides..)

QUB playing Banbridge at the Dub @14:30
Lougha pints after then head over to Hill

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Banbridge host Armagh tomorrow at Stadium Rifle


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The current league structure and the amount of travel it entails is ridiculous.

therealspratt wrote:The current league structure and the amount of travel it entails is ridiculous.

And yet the vast majority of the 50 AIL clubs support it and rejected the proposed changes out of hand (only exceptions were Clontarf (no surprise there) and some Connacht clubs.

rocky wrote:

therealspratt wrote:The current league structure and the amount of travel it entails is ridiculous.

And yet the vast majority of the 50 AIL clubs support it and rejected the proposed changes out of hand (only exceptions were Clontarf (no surprise there) and some Connacht clubs.

Dont take the rejection of a proposal to change as an acceptance of the status quo


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Oh but it was definitely an acceptance of the status quo.

Soper not listed as Banbridge coach on their team sheet I noticed.

Where's this Ryhs O'Donnell kid?

damianmcr wrote:
Where's this Ryhs O'Donnell kid?

Ballynahinch.... or at least was.

UlsterNo9 wrote:

damianmcr wrote:
Where's this Ryhs O'Donnell kid?

Ballynahinch.... or at least was.

According to IRFU website he started at scrum half for Hinch yesterday in their 37:27 away defeat to St Marys.

Cheers. I didnt see ballynahinch post a team sheet so wasn't sure.

damianmcr wrote:Cheers. I didnt see ballynahinch post a team sheet so wasn't sure.

IA and 1B team lineups can usually be found at http://www.Iirishrugby.ie - club and community news - on Saturday evenings or Sundays eg

http://www.irishrugby.ie/club/allirelan ... 7y5cmhKjIU

We didn’t have a team finalised until Saturday morning. Great player all the same with plenty of potential. A bit small, wonder why Ulster can produce a scrum half that’s at least 6ft tall?!

UR13IRFU wrote:We didn’t have a team finalised until Saturday morning. Great player all the same with plenty of potential. A bit small, wonder why Ulster can produce a scrum half that’s at least 6ft tall?!

I've never seen O'Donnell play or indeed knowingly laid eyes on him, but surely he can't be much smaller physically than Jonny Stewart or David Shanahan who aren't exactly gargantuan ??

Tighthead Prod wrote:

UR13IRFU wrote:We didn’t have a team finalised until Saturday morning. Great player all the same with plenty of potential. A bit small, wonder why Ulster can produce a scrum half that’s at least 6ft tall?!

I've never seen O'Donnell play or indeed knowingly laid eyes on him, but surely he can't be much smaller physically than Jonny Stewart or David Shanahan who aren't exactly gargantuan ??

He wasn't tiny, and to my mind he had a decent deal more talent than the pair when still a schoolboy.