Commitment to participation in a successful competition which makes a significant contribution to the overheads and support of four teams and ensures the development of players to National team level is a long way from the sort of hunger and ambition for victory that the Club participating in that competition should have.riocard911 wrote:I would have thought the IRFU's commitment to the Pro 14 with all that that entails and envisages would be predicated upon the Irish provinces being as successful as possible in it as well as in the ERCC. The IRFU doesn't just have its eye on the gate and the TV income from Test rugby but also from the latest version of the Celtic League, with which they hope to compete with the English and the French. Or am I missing something?......
Other than the objectives outlined above the IRFU are absolutely agnostic about Provincial success in either competition they play in. The main stream of IRFU financial support is the 6N competition and sales of debenture Stand tickets in Aviva. These two objectives drive everything else in Irish rugby.
Neither of those objectives have any rugby relevance to our Province, our Club, other than the prioritising of the National Team to the current degree may be, needlessly, depriving our players and us, the fans, of the opportunity of winning trophies.
It may be needless, if our total playing roster was to be made available without constraints more often than has been the case. If we cannot acheive success under those conditions, we need a new coaching team. But for so long as they have to operate with current IRFU selection and playing constraints, we cannot fairly judge whether the absence of success is their fault, or a function of the split loyalties which prevails at present.