Should Irish Rugby ditch Connacht?

The players of Irish province Connacht fear the squad could be wound up by the Irish Rugby Football Union.

Send us your ideas on the matter.

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Following news that Irish rugby is heading deep into the red, there has been talk that Cinderella province Connacht may be cut loose as a professional rugby entity.

However, a statement issued by the Galway-based players said the future of Connacht rugby had never looked brighter.

And the province's secretary John Power said the threat to disband the squad was unacceptable.

Connacht plead for reprieve

Connacht have been revelation in the past few seasons under coach Steph Nel.

Do you think it would be a shame to virtually kill rugby in the west of Ireland?

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This debate is now closed. See below for a selection of your e-mails.

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I think the IRFU should leave Connacht alone. They have worked so hard to get where they are now and should not be "ditched" because they're the "Cinderella" province. Sure they even beat Leinster in CL pool stages, which surely says something.

They have a HUGE amount of talented and experienced players like Eric Elwood and Mark McHugh. Ireland are a four province country no matter what sport we play, and should stay that way as long as our wee island exists.
Aine, Ulster

Disbanding Team Connacht is indefensible on financial grounds alone

Robert Browne, Ireland

If there has to be cuts then let's look at where they might begin. 88 rooms booked by the IRFU for the "Boys" attending the Ireland/Italy international at 350 euros per night for three days should be looked at as a possible start.

The number of misfits who have appeared as "officials" in the IRFU Provincial structures are surely another area rich in potential savings. Place the IRFU Acadamy west of the Shannon in Connaught as a start towards rationalisation of the top heavy structure in the Leinster and Munster Regions.
Steve Tracey Sr., Ireland

Disbanding Team Connacht is indefensible on financial grounds alone, the IRFU is cash and asset rich unlike the two other Celtic Unions who have debts to service on ground re-development.

This decision is based on a 10 team Celtic League - three Scots, four Welsh and three Irish teams. This has been done behind closed doors with no debate and no chance for Connacht to make a case other than have their most successful season ever on the playing field.

Connacht is about developing rugby in a backwater, there has been huge strides made in the last seven years since professionalism arrived. Warren Gatland, Eddie O'Sullivan have cut their coaching teeth with Connacht or Connacht club teams.

This move is so stupid it can only be explained by someone tampering with the contents of the hip flasks!
Robert Browne, Ireland

Keep Connacht and build for the future

Robert K, Ireland

There is no way Connacht should be disbanded. There are more schools playing rugby than in Munster or Leinster. Ten years down the line we could see many key players from Connacht in the Irish team and then we would be glad that Connacht hadn't been disbanded.

Who would have thought three years ago that 11 Leinster players would be featuring in an Irish win over Australia, certainly not Munster people.

The days of people shouting 'come on Munster' at Ireland matches are gone for the time being and while we won't hear chants for Leinster against England or France there may be a time in the future when Connacht dominates the Irish set-up.

Keep Connacht and build for the future. Shave money off the other provinces. Maybe a TV deal for Connacht could help. At the weekend they were in the quarter-finals of the shield and yet there was no radio or TV coverage in Ireland.

Give them some exposure and maybe there won't be the same willingness to dismiss them so easily.
Robert K, Ireland

Don't get rid of the whipping boys of provincial rugby. But seriously, they have improved a lot in the last year or two and are well on course to do even better.

They can hold their own against many other Celtic League clubs. The IRFU would have to have a very cold heart to let Connacht take the axe. This would be a very short-sighted decision that would be blow for rugby in a large part of Ireland.
Brian, Ulster

This would be the death knell for rugby in the west of Ireland

Peter Ward, UK

Inter-provincial sport is the traditional base for sporting competition in Ireland and for national team selection in a wide variety of sports. In recent years, rugby has been the flagship of how this system can adapt itself to the professional and international environment with great success.

All great Irish-born rugby players, whether they play abroad now or not, have come through the inter-provincial system. Connacht, although traditionally seen the weakest of the 'Four Proud Provinces', are an equal part of this system.

They have qualified twice for the quarter-final stages of the Parker Pen Shield competition, proving that they too are capable of representing themselves and Ireland in the European arena.

And what about the Inter-provincial Championship, which has been played since the 1920s? Is this going to be a Tri-Provincial competition with Connacht being relegated and regarded as 'Vauxhall Conference' material.

Now wouldn't that be a sad, sad day in this new, refreshing era of Irish rugby?
Kevin Herman, Holland

Connacht should not be disbanded as a professional side as this would be the death knell of rugby in the west of Ireland. The results this season point to an improvement that is only good for the IRFU as it extends the pool of talent they have to pick from.

This move is short-sighted. Connacht have been designated as a development province and as such they have developed and are now starting to produce players and results.

Come on IRFU, get your own house in order and get rid of the committee that sacked Ireland's most successful coach in recent times.
Peter Ward, UK

Why should Connacht have to suffer? All four provinces should share the pain

Derick Wilkins, Ireland

Rugby's "amateur" organisers do it again. As a long-suffering Welshman, I sympathise with supporters of Connacht and feel it is time for Unions to be held professionally accountable as livelihoods now depend on the game as a source of income.

It shouldn't be Connacht that bears the brunt; it should be spread among the three other provinces as well. Connacht has become the ideal stepping stone for those players with a point to prove and stops players from the other provinces settling into a comfort zone. Always remember - West is Best! (e.g. Llanelli & Gloucester!)
Ioan, Wales

I really thought that even the blindest rugby administrator couldn't make a decision that was universally reviled, but you have to congratulate the IRFU for having managed it.

I sincerely hope that the true power and glory of Irish rugby, its fans, will come out to Ravenhill on Friday and Thomond Park on Saturday and show the IRFU how they feel.

Moreover, I would urge Northampton and Gloucester fans at the respective games to show their undoubted solidarity.
Gareth, England

Not many weeks ago Chris Hewitt of The Independent described professional rugby union as the sport where everyone got a bigger slice every year of an ever-growing cake.

Judging by Wales, Ireland, and Scotland it would seem more like a begging contest for the stale crusts. Still, the "Celts" can take crumbs of comfort from the impending financial collapse of more than one of the Zurich Premiership clubs.
John, England

Connacht should not be disbanded, because they are a team full of talent and should stay. They are on a high at the moment and can cause trouble for any team. It would be a shame to lose such a good team.
Ben, Wales

Why should Connacht have to suffer? All 4 provinces should share the pain. If this means reducing the number of contracted players per province or restricting southern hemisphere players or not fielding an Ireland "A" team then so be it.
Derick Wilkins, Ireland

So after spending money and seeing the benefits, Connacht could be wound up. How short-sighted. What a waste of talent, sweat and pure honest effort. What good would this move serve? Improvements have been immense but why is this going to count for nothing? It's nothing short of shameful from a nation that breeds many fine, honest and likeable players.
Kevin, England

Surely they can take a few fewer blazers to their international games?

Large, Exiled Welshman in England

It will be a disgrace if Connacht are disbanded as a professional side. It is the only team in any sport in the west of Ireland that can compete on a European stage. Although only one Connacht player (Mark McHugh) received a call up to the senior international squad there is no doubt that some of the younger players (such as Gavin Duffy) will do so in the near future.

Connacht rugby is on a high at the moment and at a time when the sports grounds are being so drastically renovated disbandment would be a case of the IRFU shooting themselves in the foot. Hopefully the club record crowd at the Parker Pen Quarter-Final at the weekend will convince them otherwise.
Declan, Ireland

As in Scotland the traditionally weaker province is the first to suffer. The respective strengths of all the regions should be assessed before the axe comes down on the province which is easiest to pick off. The same decision has set back the Caledonian rugby resurgence by 5 years.
Brian Edwards, Scotland

For the IRFU to see the game die in a quarter of the country is at best short-sighted and at worst disastrous. Surely they can take a few fewer blazers to their international games?
Large, Exiled Welshman in England

Check out any of the Provincial rugby web sites in Ireland - we are all disgusted that such a move is even considered. The song we ALL sing at Lansdowne plainly states that 'the 4 proud provinces of Ireland' stand 'shoulder to shoulder'. Our provincial system, in place for over 100 years, is the envy of many rugby countries and faced with so little players in Ireland it has enabled us recently to claim a place at the top table of international rugby. Who's next? My beloved Ulster? Catch a grip, there are other ways to save money.
Gary, Ulster

I think the threat to disband Connacht rugby club is an absolute disgrace. It seems very unfair to a club, who have recently been making huge progress in both their cup and league results, to have the IRFU telling them that may be shut down as a professional unit.
Michael Fahy, Scotland

As a Welshman, I initially saw Connacht as an easy game for our teams in the Celtic league. How wrong I was! In Wales we want wholesale change for rugby's sake. It is a shame for Connacht to be disbanded purely for financial reasons when the standard of rugby was improving no end.
Munch, Wales

It is a shame that the Irish RFU feel it is possible to choose to scrap one of the provinces over the others. Surely there must be other ways to save money. Admittedly, Connacht have not been as successful as Munster, Leinster or Ulster in recent times, but they have many bright players for the future and a clearly excellent team spirit.
Paolo K, England