Planet Rugby Forum

Blackrock Bullet

In Martin Pengelly’s excellent book “Brotherhood: When West Point Rugby Went to War” - he quotes Mark Cuban: “The US has fantastic rugby potential - and always will” ie. It’s never going to actualise. Cuban doesn't have to invest in rugby but American sports leagues were not profitable endeavours f...

Blackrock Bullet

Apparently the MLR board is having a meeting today, wonder how many teams will fold during the meeting? Jesus, this whole thing has been complete disaster. Looks like American rugby is not going to take off any time soon. In Martin Pengelly’s excellent book “Brotherhood: When West Point Rugby Went ...

Blackrock Bullet

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-finance/publications/future-forty-irelands-demographic-outlook/ Recent publication from the Dept of Finance with a recent analysis and projections of Ireland's demographics. Basically, migration will drive any patterns in the labour force in future. Other drivers...

Blackrock Bullet

The fact this got to a Tribunal is hilarious and a bit of an indication of the types in the background who enable this behaviour; The landlord of an apartment in Sandyford, Dublin 18, was justified in serving a seven-day eviction notice on a tenant after a drugs raid during which the front door of t...

Blackrock Bullet

So Russia targeted Poland with drone missiles overnight. That's Connolly fécked in the Presidential election. And also the entire 'neutrality is sacred' crowd. She's already a dead duck. The polls are woeful for her. She needs to convert the 40% of "don't knows". The reality is most of them won't t...

Blackrock Bullet

Another new DART station moving forward for Kylemore Road. I really hope we get the planned 40,000 new homes for the new City Edge scheme along Kylemore and it isn't watered down, so much potential. https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-rail-unveils-plans-to-develop-new-station-in-dublin-6810024-Sep2025/ ...

Blackrock Bullet

The travel is an issue but not because it’s a domestic league (nor is playing all teams home and away). The issue is at playoff time and we’ve seen what a shitshow that has been in Europe. Surprisingly it actually hasn’t been as big an issue with the URC. Both Glasgow and Munster created narratives ...

Blackrock Bullet

Hardly Leinster's fault but something big had to change, and not simply a case of turfing the Italians and Southern Kings out. Had English clubs opted not to kill off ERC maybe both leagues would've explored options around a merger by now. We'll never know. I suspect without Covid it would have hap...

Blackrock Bullet

100% a failure, come on now. A lesson from life should be that the left are holier than thou and will turn on you in an instant, him attempting to appears these elements does not help him. Look at the figures here - he is tanking his party because he is a massively inept leader. He is a hopeless lo...

Blackrock Bullet

The left are already splitting between Jezza's leftish, pro Islam party and whatever Polanski will end up doing. Exactly, the UK has the exact same types that we have here (and why we have so many left wing parties), they just often stay closer to the big tent party because of the difficulties in g...

Blackrock Bullet

The PM doesn't set sentencing guidelines ffs. This is the sort of shit people are talking about on TV and it doesn't get challenged. Proscribing Palestine Action is daft, that's a mistake but if you plead guilty to a crime and know the sentencing guidelines don't fúcking moan when you are sentenced...

Blackrock Bullet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Rugby_Championship#Attendance "We added teams from 8,000 miles away with massive stadiums, so the league's average attendance went up." Jaysus. Is that it? I saw a graph** a few months ago, which showed that the average home attendance figures for every single U...

Blackrock Bullet

"We added teams from 8,000 miles away with massive stadiums, so the league's average attendance went up." Jaysus. Is that it? That and everybody I talk to about the league who isn't Welsh. Some people you know from Dublin like it, so that must extrapolate to "most supporters are happier with the le...

Blackrock Bullet

The league lost the plot when the Italians were brought in as a simple means of the Celtic Unions extracting more Six Nations money for themselves. Stupid I agree (and the Irish responsible too) but in an environment where the squeeze was coming on financially. Once SA came in, things went out the ...

Blackrock Bullet

hah, the more relevant article....proof that people on here are more moany right wingers bitching about the yuff...than Jeremy Clarkson ! Jeremy Clarkson: No wonder young people are so annoying Yes, they’d rather film themselves than get a job, but I’d moan too if my first house cost a zillion poun...

Blackrock Bullet

Be careful. The Irish are very sensitive to criticism of the URC. An awful lot of their identity and well-being is linked to the URC being a credible competition. So much so that many were recently welcoming the idea of including MLR teams in future. It's insane Stockholm Syndrome. I mean I don't s...

Blackrock Bullet

Except the English don't want them, not sure the URC really wants them either! The English are silly not to want them. Gets the Prem back to 12+ teams, relatively easy driving/train distance for most teams. Even Newcastle to Swansea is a shorter distance than some trips in my college team's league....

Blackrock Bullet

The URC is already an absurd hodgepodge of countries. The Welsh should really throw in their lot with the English. Be careful. The Irish are very sensitive to criticism of the URC. An awful lot of their identity and well-being is linked to the URC being a credible competition. So much so that many ...

Blackrock Bullet

Looks like the URC organisers are ramping up the gigantic fcuk you to travelling fans, by actively exploring the addition of Black Lion into the competition. Not only are the URC organisers seemingly happy with asking British and Irish fans to travel 18+ hours to another continent as part of a "dom...

Blackrock Bullet

These Gen Zers being gaslit into thinking they’re the greatest victims of all time is something else. We are referred to by many as ‘a generation locked out’, forced to emigrate because of this single major issue. The reality, however, is much starker. You could end the housing crisis tomorrow and y...

Blackrock Bullet

So fans since have turned off since the 60s....sounds like it needs a reset. Yes it does in regards to the international game but NRL is booming but Rugby League in England is very much like it's Union couterpart and run by 2 stiffs with Nigel "Belly" Woods and Bill "On The Cusp of Something Specta...

Blackrock Bullet

Phil Fortune is the longest serving employee working at St Anne’s National School in Shankill, Co Dublin, having joined the school as its secretary some 39 years ago. The 65-year-old’s retirement is nearing, but she plans to stay on as long as possible in the hope of being included in the public-se...

Blackrock Bullet

Phil Fortune is the longest serving employee working at St Anne’s National School in Shankill, Co Dublin, having joined the school as its secretary some 39 years ago. The 65-year-old’s retirement is nearing, but she plans to stay on as long as possible in the hope of being included in the public-se...

Blackrock Bullet

If anyone thinks it is easier to buy a house in Oz they are in for a big surprise. Prices are much worse there and thye haven't had any Property price crash this century. I think you're overlooking how many people don't really plan these things out. If you based your knowledge of Australia on socia...

Blackrock Bullet

The new population growth numbers came out yesterday. https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2025/0826/1530216-cso-population-figures/ The media have focused on the numbers going to Australia, US migrants here and the drop in other international migration. That'll keep the left happy. 10k coming back fro...

Blackrock Bullet

The new population growth numbers came out yesterday.

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2025/0 ... n-figures/

The media have focused on the numbers going to Australia, US migrants here and the drop in other international migration. That'll keep the left happy.

Blackrock Bullet

When did people start using this as the default for this NI shit?

Blackrock Bullet

Judging from his posting, most of it ends up on here to be honest. Deflect, deflect, deflect Never answer a question. Don't do anything at all - just find somebody else to blame for your own inaction. Name a single way in which SF has improved the lives of the NI population? Since you're here - I'm...

Blackrock Bullet

I'm ok with exploring a couple of eastern US teams. The distance (to Ireland) is a lot closer than South Africa and isn't that much further than with eastern Europe (Georgia). I was for the Italians joining and I was for the Saffas. Both additions have enhanced the league, so let's see what the US ...

Blackrock Bullet

Several prime suspects responsible for the Guildford pub attacks, and other IRA bombings and shootings in Britain between 1974 and 1976, have been identified, according to legacy investigators in Belfast. Suspects for these attacks, now in their 70s and 80s, have been linked to the incidents by for...

Blackrock Bullet

"My low quality journalism is better than your low quality journalism." :lol: It's reporting on a Premiership Board meeting discussing a Strategic Options paper, if they were going to refute it, they would. Your source has the old "understood" piece in there. You'd say black was white if you though...

Blackrock Bullet

What do you mean by SA have thrived via their different model? Do you mean allowing overseas based players? Well, they had overseas based players when they weren't "thriving"? Or do you mean playing in a different comp? Well for one, SA were "thriving" in 2019 when they weren't in the different com...

Blackrock Bullet

The Torygraph, which has basically been reduced to a borderline-bankrupt clickbait engine, writing "it is understood", is not quite the gotcha you seem to suggest. Ah yes, Wales Online being renowned journalists themselves. This is a source based on the desires of Premiership Rugby, not Welsh Rugby...

Blackrock Bullet

I know someone who had Campo over to a well known Dublin rugby club for a coaching seminar and fundraiser a couple of years ago. He caused a scene insulting some of the senior members and made an absolute dick of himself. Spent the day spouting pro Russian propaganda and bizarre conspiracy theories...

Blackrock Bullet

Most recent article I could find, and no mention of a B&I league here. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/anglo-welsh-league-moves-close-32008735 Yet the most recent article I can find relating to that "strategic review" suggests that the URC were playing it down. https://www.rte....

Blackrock Bullet

I've never read a single article relating to the Welsh clubs joining the English system where this was suggested. You must not have read much, surprisingly. It was part and parcel of the Prem's strategic review. A B&I league was said to be of far more value. If they wanted you, you'd already be the...

Blackrock Bullet

This is a bizarre yardstick. Their two best sides were only beaten by four of the best teams in the Heineken Cup. I'd personally laugh my tits off if the Saffers went back to Soup Rugby. I'd probably pop a rib if the Welsh clubs left to join the English Premiership too. Leinster could revel in hamm...

Blackrock Bullet

Obviously fishing but he probably half believes it so I'll take a nibble. If it's such easy rugby why did the SA sides do so poorly this season? The Bulls were well beaten by Northampton and Leinster. Sharks soundly beaten by Toulouse and absolutely hammered by Bordeaux (as well as losing to Leinst...

Blackrock Bullet

They also didn't have top line Aussies either, but it's NZRs fault? You know when you have to resort to personal insults, it shows just how limited an individual you are and how week your argument is. My point, which clearly went over your head was DC would never been allowed, SHOULD never have bee...

Blackrock Bullet

They do not have front line All Blacks and none of them can line out, which is point. Are you suggesting the Melbourne Rebels and Western Force had all the tools they needed when launching to compete? Really?! They also didn't have top line Aussies either, but it's NZRs fault? On the DC point, no t...

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