6 Nations - Prediction Fun (or misery, if you're Scottish)!

[AndyRM]

The problem is strength in depth, Scotland and Italy only have 2 pro teams each.
Scotland only have 11,687 registered over 18's players. England had 131,399.
I know your kids play rugby, so take a look at the Under 13's resources. Scotland have 9,541 registered U13's, England have 694,899 registered U13's! so the talent pool to draw from is very, very small.
So England can just keep on producing world class players without even trying, just by shear weight of numbers.

I wish there was a 'Despairing, ironic like' button.

 

[swee'pea99]

[QUOTE 2925682, member: 1314"]Scottish Rugby has always been in the doldrums. Well, since the early 90s.[/quote]
That would be the 1890s, yes?

Fact is, rugby is a people's game in Ireland and Wales, as it is in, say, the southern hemisphere countries, but it's a posh people's game in England, even more so in Scotland, and there just aren't that many posh people in England (and fewer in Scotland). Never mind 'since the 90s'...Scotland had a fine collection of wooden spoons throughout my childhood & teens, and that wasn't the '90s by a long chalk.

 

[swee'pea99]

PS I should say, 'Rugby Union'.

 

[AndyRM]

That would be the 1890s, yes?

Fact is, rugby is a people's game in Ireland and Wales, as it is in, say, the southern hemisphere countries, but it's a posh people's game in England, even more so in Scotland, and there just aren't that many posh people in England (and fewer in Scotland). Never mind 'since the 90s'...Scotland had a fine collection of wooden spoons throughout my childhood & teens, and that wasn't the '90s by a long chalk.

All good points. When I played at school in Edinburgh it was only against the other 'posh schools' in Edinburgh and Glasgow with the odd foray up to Robert Gordon's.

Scotland in the 90's

90 - Champions, Grand Slam, Triple Crown, Calcutta Cup
91 - 3rd
92 - 3rd
93 - 2nd
94 - 5th
95 - 2nd
96 - 2nd
97 - 4th
98 - 4th
99 - Champions

Scotland in the 00's

00 - 5th, Calcutta Cup
01 - 3rd
02 - 4th
03 - 4th
04 - 6th
05 - 5th
06 - 3rd, Calcutta Cup
07 - 6th
08 - 5th, Calcutta Cup
09 - 5th
10 - 5th
11 - 5th
12 - 6th
13 - 3rd

So, a couple of blips aside, it's been a decade of decline, and that definitely wasn't the 90s!

 

[AndyRM]

Thanks for the reminder @User1314, I'll get standings updated this week.

 

[rualexander]

That would be the 1890s, yes?

Fact is, rugby is a people's game in Ireland and Wales, as it is in, say, the southern hemisphere countries, but it's a posh people's game in England, even more so in Scotland.....

Try telling the rugby players and fans in the scottish border towns that.
Rugby is not a 'posh peoples's game' in Scotland but it is a minority sport, and the border heartland which produced a large percentage of the scottish players in the pre professional era has suffered since it turned professional.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Try telling the rugby players and fans in the scottish border towns that.
Rugby is not a 'posh peoples's game' in Scotland but it is a minority sport, and the border heartland which produced a large percentage of the scottish players in the pre professional era has suffered since it turned professional.

I live in the Borders, and it's not a "posh people's game", although some posh people do go. Me for instance

 

[swee'pea99]

rugby union is and has always been an elitist game in Ireland except around limerick, peoples game my arse...

Well, that's me corrected. Bloody hard elite you guys have!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

rugby union is and has always been an elitist game in Ireland except around limerick, peoples game my arse...

Garrison Games though innit? iirc it was way more popular in the second-half of the 19th C than it was in the second half of the 20th no?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Try telling the rugby players and fans in the scottish border towns that.
Rugby is not a 'posh peoples's game' in Scotland but it is a minority sport, and the border heartland which produced a large percentage of the scottish players in the pre professional era has suffered since it turned professional.

Rugby is not a 'posh peoples's game' in England either any more. Cos if it is there are one hell of a lot of posh people pretending to be common of a Saturday afternoon/Sunday morning.

And get this... more people play rugby in England on a weekend than in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and France combined! 40% of the entire playing population on earth plays in England. And we are still also-rans on the world stage. Grrr.

 

[martint235]

rugby union is and has always been an elitist game in Ireland except around limerick, peoples game my arse...

I'd say even in Limerick, it's an elitist game to play. Yes the people get behind Munster and Ireland in a big way but when it comes to playing sport all the guys I know opt for hurling.,

 

[Chromatic]

Last week at work we had a man over from Ireland, from Birr in Co offaly, he said that where he is from the sports sporting people play are rugby and hurling.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

the most popular sport played in Ireland is football or soccer and not the GAA games...

and now elverys has gone bust!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Last week at work we had a man over from Ireland, from Birr in Co offaly, he said that where he is from the sports sporting people play are rugby and hurling.

If you had a Scotsman over from Kingussie or Newtonmore in the Highlands of Scotland he's probably tell you everyone plays Shinty and Rugby Union in Scotland and only watches soccer on TV. and then only Old Firm games.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

sorry I'm not sure of the relevance of football being the most popular sport and elverys going bust...

Is relevance a requirement?

My understanding, which may be incorrect, is Elverys is the official retail outlet for IRFU and GAA but not FAI....