Keith Wood on funding Irish rugby: 'It isn't about criticising Leinster'

Former Ireland captain Keith Wood explains why we shouldn't be criticising Leinster for using the system Irish rugby has set up to their advantage.
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[@aidanmarten9764]

Podcast won't be the same without Keith he is brilliant I could listen to him all day.

[@dublin7]

Is he no longer doing OTB going forward?

[@aidanmarten9764]

@dublin7 he doing last one next Wednesday evening I think 🤔

[@markanthonymcnally5272]

And connacht are having to let go a load of first teamers due to having to reduce capacity to pay for a new stand........ no bail outs for us

[@jmo8934]

Munster let Snyman go as he was always injured having had him there for 3 years. Leinster have taken a chance on him which Munster don't like as they are provincial rivals. Jordie Barrett is signing for the second half of next season to play about 12 games. Is there really a big deal here?

[@shamr0ck]

All the funding in the world makes no difference given the limited amount of NIQs allowed. You can never get around the fact the bulk of any provincial squad will have to be home grown.

[@Shane-zx4ps]

As one commenter said here that this whole argument is like a reincarnation of the whole Dublin Gaa episode all over again, it’s all about competing and on the day it’s 15 lads against another 15.

[@LeinsterExile]

Leinster's success is going to create problems for Irish rugby. I don't know what the solution is but something needs to be done to make all 4 provinces are more equal. I see a future where Leinster are producing players at a greater rate than they can use them. So players will start leaving the Irish system for other countries. What about a national academy or 4 academies centrally funded with the goal of improving the entire system.

[@jamiepower8638]

Look i think you need to say fair play to Leinster for building an amazing team. As Keith said the vast majority of irish players come from Leinster at the moment. However the issue arrises in terms of funding for the other teams. The best solution to this is to fund teams based on their ranking in the URC and to create a more evenly distributed model. While that wont help with the central contract issue unless you gave out central contracts to each province based on where they finish however, it may help teams push to finish as high as they can. The central contract piece i believe can also have a negative effect in bringing talent through on the national front. As afe you going to start someone say from Ulster when you have 15 other lads on central contracts that you are paying and we all know players develop further playing test rugby. I think the model is flawed as when a team like Leinster get as far ahead as they are it becomes impossible for other teams to catch up. Its like the argument in soccer. Players with access to playing in the champions league regularly develop and get better. There is the old saying steel sharpens steel.

[@kerrylass2]

What's the article he is referring to?

[@richie82]

Gerry Thornley I think in the Times

[@kerrylass2]

@@richie82 thanks

[@tomgreene1843]

This is getting a bit like the argument about the Dubs in the GAA.

[@Shane-zx4ps]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@sambingham1196]

The whole issue with the last few movements by Leinster is that a certain insufferable section of their fanbase have roundly criticised other provinces for having foreign player or indeed some of Leinster's wider playing squad but are now magically oblivious to it because it's benefiting them. Irony is beautiful. There's clearly an imbalance to the whole thing right now.

[@neilmac6049]

When Munster were dominating, I as a Leinster supporter fully supported them in Europe and was delighted to see them win. Any Irish Team playing a non Irish team I and a majority of Leinstermen would Support. We produce most of our own players in Leinster. We invested in our academy. We developed partnerships. For me, it all reeks of bitterness and jealousy from SOME pundits and supporters. A strong Leinster should do nothing but help the other provinces. Munster pay top dollar for Murray, Zebo and O’Mahony. They paid top dollar for Snyman. How about re-evaluating those investments? The way supporters in Munster embraced La Rochelle….fair enough. If that’s what you like…but I think Rob Kearney had it right when he questioned the Munster men and their loyalty to Ireland, Munster first, Ireland second. And fair enough if that’s the way you’re built. In Leinster it’s Ireland first , Leinster second and it seems to keep the bitterness at bay……

[@user-mg4yy2eb1n]

He didn’t question their loyalty to Ireland, the Munster pack were able to manage situations in club games but when you put 6 of the 8 in the Ireland pack they didn’t know how to make decisions and manage a game. It wasn’t a lack of loyalty, it was about improving the environment in the Ireland setup so players and provinces strengths could be brought into the team without a feeling there was a provincial divide. It was about coming together. Leinster focused on their own academy resulting in a lot of success, nothing wrong with bolstering that with experience from abroad. Leinster is still strong without the foreign players Munster in particular have been too quick to bring the cheque book out to try and find an instant fix instead of bringing their own talent through. They ended up cash strapped without much success to show for it. Munster have become reliant on imports. There is a big difference.

[@neilmac6049]

Fair point 👍

[@TheKennyboy92]

No one complained when it was Munster with the central contracts.

[@fawltyoldboybasil.2178]

I'm puzzled by a couple of aspects of your comment. What were these 'criticisms' of the other provinces having foreign players you refer to? It doesn't make any sense because Leinster have themselves signed overseas players since 2004 - ALL of the Irish Provinces have done this in the professional era. My perception of this 'new development' is that the rancor has been directed at Leinster chiefly because Munster decided to let RG Snyman go - and Leinster decided to sign him. The reaction of a number of the Munster Rugby Pundits (journos/sportstalk/podcasts) was frustration & anger directed at RGS and Leinster. Why at Leinster? I can understand fan rivalry issues (like ROG being booed at the Aviva last Saturday) but the Snyman situation, the Barrett signing and, Central Contract #s have no rational basis in targeting Leinster Rugby. The IRFU? That's a different story - I think Keith Woods is 100% right about the current set up - there is a pressing need for the IRFU to address the imbalance between the provinces.

[@mow3186]

la Rochelle budget is bigger than Leinster even with the CC’s. Maybe someone has to point out little biddy Ireland can’t sustain 4 teams and compete for the top prize Europe.

[@brianmurray6287]

Leinster get geordie barret, snyman and a double world cup winning coach,Connacht get Johnny sextons brother , munster get billy burns and ulster get an u20's coach...well balanced there.😂😂

[@edmundbrennan5225]

Munster did just win the URC. Although they have been unlucky with some players leaving since that win. Outside of Dublin / Leinster, the GAA are soaking up alot of players unfortunately. If Munster, Connacht, and Ulster could poach players from the GAA clubs and offer them training, and contracts. The other Irish provinces would be unstoppable.

[@user-fw3hp7bb6d]

Munster got Snyman and Deallende, two world cup winners and Fekitoa, a former all black. But yeah let's conveniently ignore that 😂

[@user-jt7tg3sp7s]

Ulster don't want GAA players.

[@sc1837]

​@@user-jt7tg3sp7s You are a very sad individual

[@benjifinn]

So many overseas players across all provinces over the last number of years and not a blip of the conversation that there is now because of Barrett. Serious amounts of salt out there now.

[@sambingham1196]

Lol, that's not remotely true. Leinster would be the first in with the criticism followed sharply by 'we develop our own' as if Gerard from D4 had a hand in the process.

[@jeffrey89095]

​@@sambingham1196I have never seen criticism beyond concern about developing players for Ireland. Leinster fans will put Ireland first. Munster don't it's just a culture thing both have good merits but there's no point misrepresenting them

[@fawltyoldboybasil.2178]

@@sambingham1196 Leinster would be the first in with criticism..............based on what? This latest screed about Leinster fans somehow being critical of other provinces signing overseas players seems coincidentally to have surfaced shortly after RG Snyman and Munster bid each other adieu!! Strange how you quote this same 'we develop our own' snarky rebuttal - this is the same sarcastic response Ireland Rugby Fans have been getting from other nations fans because of the recruitment of Project Players on our national team.

[@williambrazil3760]

Connacht should get more support, but the population of Ulster is close to that of Leinster while Munster is 1.3m so the case for them is weaker. There is a case that the rich get richer, but if they want to free up wages produce more top players that can be centrally contracted. The current system rewards great youth development, which is a good thing.

[@dpreynolds72]

I think you are being far to kind Keith, the favoritism the IRFU show to Leinster is sickening, other provinces struggling, it needs to be more balanced for sure, in saying that I hope Leinster go on and do the business in the champions cup, It is important that all the provinces are doing well which feeds into the National team.

[@edmundbrennan5225]

Who pays the bills tho? What province provides the most players for the Irish team. Leinster produce the most money when they play games. They sold 45,000 tickets last weekend. I absolutely support all provinces, but the other provinces aren't providing that amount of revenue, as Leinster are. They need to pull their socks up and try harder.

[@dpreynolds72]

ahh here, the captain of the Irish rugby team didn't even have a central contract, munster don't have a problem generating revenue, but have to pay all there players bar one Tadhg Beirne with it, while the IRFU pays Leinsters wage bill, so plenty of free cash for Leinster

[@jeffrey89095]

​@@dpreynolds72people are quick to forget the irfu had to bail Munster out not too long ago.

[@jasonwall5012]

Yea blame Leinster, sure yous are good at that. NO SELF reflection at all. Why dont yous stop pointing the finger and go and solve the issues??? Build a world class system like LEINSTER DID, that took over 20 years to come good.

[@dpreynolds72]

@@jasonwall5012 I'm actually blaming the IRFU, and wished Leinster well in the champions Cup, why don't you go and learn how to read before commenting