‘Too many Boggers on the team’-Leinster fan

Sean O'Brien; Cutting up turf like a good thing

Despite the rampant success of their team on the pitch, it still seems a small but vocal segment of Leinster rugby supporters are unhappy with the current demographic make-up of the team.

One such supporter, Myles Winthrop-Mulcahy, claims that there are too many ‘Boggers’ (rural people) playing for Leinster. Mulcahy, a native of Killiney, Dublin, suggested that the recent trend of more rural players making a name for themselves was of detriment to those from more established rugby backgrounds.

“There’s too many big boggers on the team. Its storting (starting) to get like pretty atrocious if you ask me (which we did)”, said the sailing enthusiast.”I mean some of them are pretty good but they’re like completely cramping everyone’s style with their Diadora boots and number 2 haircuts, if they went to Rock or Belvo they’d know what’s what”.

Mulcahy’s sentiments have been echoed by some other Dublin based fans. James Jones-MacGillicuddy, an investment banker from Mount Merrion, is unapologetic in referring to player’s from Kildare and Carlow as ‘Big bleedin’ John-Deere riding muck sniffers’.

One Leinster season ticket holder, Jordi Smyth-O’Riordan, claims to regularly shout derogatory statements at current Ireland flanker Sean O’Brien.

” ‘A big gawky eyed gimp with a penchant for pig’s arses’ is one of my favourite phrases to throw at him, it makes me feel better about myself” claimed the Buck Whaleys regular. “I think its necessary to do so, they need to understand that Leinster is really for Southside Dubliners and they should really bugger off to Munster”.

In spite of these views, it’s widely believed that the vast majority of Dublin-bred Leinster supporters hold little or no malice toward people of a rural background. Michael Gogarty, a lifelong Leinster fan, firmly believes that such divisive sentiment has no place in the game.

“I think its wrong that these attitudes still prevail in our community. Country folk have made great leaps and bounds in the past few years, both on and off the pitch. Some are even working as Doctors and Lawyers. I think its about time we accepted them as are equals”.

Gogarty’s thoughts have been reflected by the growing number of rural Leinster supporters, many of whom have been prominent of late in asserting their allegiance for their much beloved team.

“Country people love Leinster, sure we’re becoming more and more a part of this team” asserted Joe Kiernan, a farmer from Laois. “Over half the team are country lads, including the like’s of Fitzgerald and Kearney. It doesn’t matter where you went to school, if your born country, your country for life. These Jackeens need to accept that were here and were staying”.

The progressive views of supporters like Kiernan and Gogarty are been largely solidified by the cosmopolitan make-up of the current squad and the key contribution of rural players like Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip, Gordon D’arcy and Rob Kearney.

Notwithstanding what now seems to be a prevailing climate of mutual respect and acceptance Winthrop-Mulcahy has vowed to remain unhindered in his views toward’s rural players and fans of Leinster.

“I’ll never change, I’m from a more simple time when culchies knew their place in Leinster; in some far-off field with a piece of straw in their mouth and a pig under their arm, not out on the right wing at the RDS”.

However as Leinster and their fans move forward, it seems that the likes of Jones-MacGillicuddy, Smyth-O’Riordan and Winthrop-Mulcahy, much like the Siberian Tiger, are now members of a breed threatened with imminent extinction.

This article originally appeared at http://www.sportsnewsireland.com