PlanetRugby: Civil War appears to have broken out off the pitch in Connacht rugby. The Connacht Rugby Supporters Club, which was formed in response to the IRFU's threat to disband the province's team, have themselves disbanded after an increasingly tetchy relationship with the Connacht Branch.
The final straw appears to have been the Branch's formation of a new Eagles and Patrons Club, which the Supporters' Club feel has subsumed their role, prompting the decision at their recent AGM to disband the club and their 300-strong membership.
At a series of meetings lately, the Branch's proposal that the Supporters Club take over the Eagles and Patrons Club was rejected. A letter sent to CRSC members stated: "After much discussion it was felt this was not a viable option, firstly because suggestions made by the supporters' club were not taken on board before the club was formed (Eagles and Patrons), and second it was felt there was no guarantee that improved co-operation as promised would materialise."
Chairperson Ann Henegan said there had been difficulties between the branch and the club over their roles: "We always wanted to operate as an independent entity, but it was difficult to operate without a constant flow of information."
The branch chief executive, Gerry Kelly, publicly expressed his gratitude for the club's support, so to speak, and regret at their decision.
The club's business name and monies will be retained (with a donation from existing funds made to the Union's Charitable Trust) "in the event that the club needs to mobilise itself in the face of any future threats to Connacht Rugby," said Henegan.
Given that threat will never go away, the disbandment of a proactive supporters' club amid clear signs of faction fighting and personality clashes within Connacht rugby is truly dispiriting.
Natural right-winger
Today we start a new series: Unlikeliest Rugby Players of All Time. (It might be a very short series.)
Anyway, amid uncertainty the game can bask in any reflected glory about this, as we reveal that the Leader of the Free World, played, of all sports, rugby union in his student days with Yale University.
Proof comes with the photograph (below), which shows a youthful George Bush standing fourth from left. We are indebted, for this gem, to Peter Kehoe, who is kneeling second from left. Peter was a fine scrumhalf and an ex-Cistercian College Roscrea boy who played with Castleisland (where he was a team-mate of a barefoot Con Houlihan) on two Munster Junior Cup-winning teams. The date of the picture, from the Yale Yearbook, is autumn 1968.
Peter remembers Bush as a fine athlete. He played fullback or, occasionally, wing three-quarter. It must assuredly have been the right wing.
Moral Black(s)mail
The bidding war for the 2011 World Cup among South Africa, New Zealand and Japan is heating up. Former Springbok and World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar kicked off South Africa's two-week promotional tour last month with visits to England, Canada and Ireland.
New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Chris Moller and chairman Jock Hobbs will embark on Thursday on a lobbying blitz to Australia, Hong Kong, Europe, Ireland, Canada and Argentina.
"A key strategic question in all of this is whether smaller nations like New Zealand can continue to have the opportunity to host the World Cup or if it goes to bigger nations and precludes the opportunity for smaller nations, such as Wales, Italy, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Argentina to host the event," says Moller.
This might seem like blatant tugging on heart strings, or moral blackmail, but they might as well go that route given Japan's bid, financially, is said to leave the rugby superpowers in the shade.
The winning bid will be announced during the IRB council meeting in Dublin on November 17th.
First for Tralee women
Tralee Rugby Club will celebrate the official opening of their new 130,000 women's dressingroom development (supported by Lottery funds) at their grounds at O'Dowd Park with a women's challenge game against a Garda team on October 15th.
One of Ireland's oldest clubs (founded 1882), they will boast the first dedicated women's changing rooms in Ireland. The official opening will be conducted by Minister for Sport - and, eh, coincidentally, Kerry TD - John O'Donoghue.
Quote of the Week
"He's come back now after three years, a small bit balder and a small bit heavier."
- Anthony Foley showing due respect to his returning Munster coach Declan Kidney, from the vantage point of senior pro and skipper.
European Cup watch
Munster's Pool One opponents: Sale, back to something resembling full strength, ended Leeds Tykes' grip on the Powergen Cup at Edgely Park on Friday evening with a seven-try, 45-10 win featuring a hat-trick by Spanish winger Oriol Ripol in a rare start. Castres returned to winning ways after four successive defeats with a 48-14 home win over Brive, while the Dragons, making seven changes from the team that beat Leicester at home, lost 32-7 at Northampton.
Leinster's Pool Five opponents: Bath travelled to Ospreys last night and prevailed 27-20. Glasgow were inactive. Bourgoin maintained their 100 per cent home record and returned to second place in the Top 14 with a 33-6 rout of Agen.
Ulster's Pool Four opponents: Treviso suffered their first defeat of the season with a 26-18 loss at Gran Parma, Saracens hammered London Irish 32-13 yesterday while Biarritz lost 26-20 away to Toulouse last night.
The Wild Geese
Pride of the flock must be Ian Humphreys, who made his first start for Leicester and kicked 10 points in their 42-16 win over Worcester on Friday night, in a line-up that also featured Geordan Murphy, Shane Jennings and Leo Cullen. Does this mean we have to start actually liking the Tigers?
