Rugby row - Money is not everything

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) yesterday denounced Communications Minister Eamon Ryan’s proposals to ensure certain rugby games are on free-to-air television.

This was depicted as the greatest threat to rugby since the game went professional in 1995.

The move could lead to a €12 million reduction in the Irish body’s annual revenue, according to Philip Browne, chief executive of the IRFU. He described the minister’s plan as “absolutely cracked”.

The IRFU should be asking itself if the TV money is not blinding it to the real interest of the sport. In the early days of television, boxing pioneered pay-for-view matches. Just about everybody could name the existing heavyweight champion of the world, and many people could name every one since John L Sullivan. Now, one would be hard-pressed to find anybody who could name the current champion.

There are also indications that soccer has lost the run of itself in Britain as a result of TV money. Many teams are in financial trouble – even Manchester United, probably the most successful team of the last 20 years.

Some of our sporting bodies need protection from themselves, just as the Irish people deserve to have their traditional cultural rights protected. The GAA should be warmly congratulated for recognising the social and cultural importance of their games.