Challenge for IRFU to cater for youth as rugby booms

Such is the popularity of rugby among children aged seven and under, that the IRFU admits it’s going to be a challenge to cater for the Paul O’Connell wannabes as they move up the ranks into school and youth rugby.

These comments from IRFU spokesman Karl Richardson come in the week after RTÉ soccer pundit Eamon Dunphy lamented on RTÉ radio how the outlook for Irish soccer was bleak as “children don’t go out playing soccer on the streets anymore” as rugby was booming and “they’re playing other things”.

Dunphy questioned whether we will ever again “see another Robbie Keane or Damien Duff as the good players just aren’t coming through”.