Cross Community Rugby

[MightyRearranger]

I think there's a bit of an over-reaction to this in general, I don't seen any insinuation in the article that rugby isn't a cross-community sport. It looks like there was a project to get spides from both sides of the divide working together for a few weeks in the hope they'll be less inclined to kick each others heads in after. I suspect the fact that rugby was chosen as the medium was pretty arbitrary, there'll no doubt be similar initiatives where they play other sports as well.

[Wee Woman]

I think there's a bit of an over-reaction to this in general, I don't seen any insinuation in the article that rugby isn't a cross-community sport. It looks like there was a project to get spides from both sides of the divide working together for a few weeks in the hope they'll be less inclined to kick each others heads in after. I suspect the fact that rugby was chosen as the medium was pretty arbitrary, there'll no doubt be similar initiatives where they play other sports as well.

I'm with you Mighty, I don't see the harm in this and don't understand why folk are offended by this.

[Russ]

In my mind cross community is spides

[Kofi Annan]

I think there's a bit of an over-reaction to this in general, I don't seen any insinuation in the article that rugby isn't a cross-community sport. It looks like there was a project to get spides from both sides of the divide working together for a few weeks in the hope they'll be less inclined to kick each others heads in after. I suspect the fact that rugby was chosen as the medium was pretty arbitrary, there'll no doubt be similar initiatives where they play other sports as well.

Disagree, they are the ones over reacting with the "Cross Community Rugby" all part of the KPIs the Col has to keep, as well as the sports Minister, its a bit like the CRO who works in Nationalist/ Non traditional Rugby areas areas. no rugby pitches and he/she is not allowed to bring them out of their own areas to play, so no cross community rugby there , its a news story to put a warm glow into someone and tick his KPI box.

Its worded to sell something it is not

[Cockatrice]

I think there's a bit of an over-reaction to this in general, I don't seen any insinuation in the article that rugby isn't a cross-community sport. It looks like there was a project to get spides from both sides of the divide working together for a few weeks in the hope they'll be less inclined to kick each others heads in after. I suspect the fact that rugby was chosen as the medium was pretty arbitrary, there'll no doubt be similar initiatives where they play other sports as well.

Disagree, they are the ones over reacting with the "Cross Community Rugby" all part of the KPIs the Col has to keep, as well as the sports Minister, its a bit like the CRO who works in Nationalist/ Non traditional Rugby areas areas. no rugby pitches and he/she is not allowed to bring them out of their own areas to play, so no cross community rugby there , its a news story to put a warm glow into someone and tick his KPI box.

Its worded to sell something it is not

So we have rugby being coached by UR in West Belfast to one side of the community to the exclusion of all others? didn't they try that somewhere else...

[Cockatrice]

I think there's a bit of an over-reaction to this in general, I don't seen any insinuation in the article that rugby isn't a cross-community sport. It looks like there was a project to get spides from both sides of the divide working together for a few weeks in the hope they'll be less inclined to kick each others heads in after. I suspect the fact that rugby was chosen as the medium was pretty arbitrary, there'll no doubt be similar initiatives where they play other sports as well.

Unless I am mistaken and read the story wrong UR entitled the article…. 'NEWLY FORMED CROSS COMMUNITY TEAM TACKLES MALONE' which in my mind is the spin they are putting on it. Christ if this catches on both sides of the divide will be playing football next for Northern Ireland and even some teams in the Irish League may have players from 'both sides' of the community.

[OneMore]

Similarly, so long as secondary schools don't play much rugby, it will always look a bit middle class, but I and many of the guys I played with were from very ordinary backgrounds.

I think the numerous references on this thread to the people described as taking part as 'spides' and 'riff-raff' make rugby fans look a bit middle class.

But hey, they're unemployed because they're lazy benefits scroungers, right?

Thatcherism alive and well on UAFC.

[Russ]

Similarly, so long as secondary schools don't play much rugby, it will always look a bit middle class, but I and many of the guys I played with were from very ordinary backgrounds.

I think the numerous references on this thread to the people described as taking part as 'spides' and 'riff-raff' make rugby fans look a bit middle class.

But hey, they're unemployed because they're lazy benefits scroungers, right?

Thatcherism alive and well on UAFC.

You don't have to be a spide to be a scrounger but it sure helps

[Deraless]

Just maybe some of it was tongue in cheek. I know that often translates poorly on social media.

[Deraless]

Wasn't Sean Fitzpatrick over recently in West Belfast with the Laureus foundation?

[OneMore]

Just maybe some of it was tongue in cheek. I know that often translates poorly on social media.

I guess it translates like tongue-in-cheek racism, but granted our Daily Mail-fed middle classes find this sort of class stereotyping entirely acceptable.

[Deraless]

I was actually poking fun at the Ulster rugby values nonesense. I'm hardly in a position to take the pish having been brought up in a "working class"/interface area.

[OneMore]

I sincerely hope that the Ulster Rugby Values are beat into this riff-raff like the catechism.

It sounded a lot like you were referring to the guys involved here as 'this riff-raff'.

Citing your own background as a defence sounds a lot like 'one of my best friends is black'.

Look grand, we all say things we don't mean, or things we wish we hadn't. Just don't go trying to defend the position.

[Deraless]

It was a joke (otherwise I would appear to be condoning the beating of people (which I don't)).
You didn't get it.
That's fine.
It was actually taking the mick outta up themselves middle class people but I admit it was subtle.
I didn't say I wished I hadn't said it.
Thatcherism lol
I don't have any black friends but maybe I am?
Are you citing on the brain?