IRFU find chickens are coming home to roost for provinces

“On the surface,” writes Gerry Thornley, “all seems hunky dory” with Irish rugby. The men’s team are ranked third in the world, the women’s side fifth, and Leinster are one win away from becoming the first side to reach four successive Champions Cup finals. But? “Scratch underneath and the gap between Leinster and the other three provinces has never been bigger, nor more alarming”, he says. In investing more heavily on Ireland’s international teams the IRFU “have taken their eye off the provinces ... the chickens are already comin...
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