27 minute read
By Conor Paterson
No Alcohol? No Problem!
Sober Things You Can Do in Dublin Instead
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Conor Paterson Co-Editor
Cinema
Bit of an obvious one but there is a reason why a trip to the cinema remains one of the most popular sober things to do. Dublin is full of fantastic cinemas which makes the experience so much more than just watching the film. The Irish Film Institute (IFI) in Temple Bar and the Light House Cinema in Smithfield are the ultimate places for movie lovers. The IFI features lots of domestic Irish releases and independent productions as well as hosting educational events. Boasting stunning cinema halls and a huge range of films, the Light House Cinema is also a must. The Savoy Cinema on O’Connell is perfect for visiting with a group of friends. Finally. the crown jewel of the Stella Cinema in both Rathmines or Ranelagh is something we should all experience at least once in our lives!
Escape Rooms
Escape rooms have rocketed in popularity in recent years and many places in Dublin have sprung up. This is a really fun activity for families or groups of friends. The idea is simple, even if the escape is not! The aim is to rack your brains together as a team and find a way out of the room using the strategically placed clues before the clock runs out. Incognito Escape Room on Ushers Quay and Adventure Rooms on Green Street near the Rotunda are our favourites and they both run evening sessions which are often in high demand so book early!
Tea Garden
On Ormond Quay near the Ha’penny bridge is one of the coolest spots in Dublin for chill, non-alcoholic fun. You can kick back and chill and choose from 40 different varieties of tea, healthy snacks and shisha pipes. It is the perfect mix of relaxing vibes while also being a perfect spot to chat and socialise. If the pub scene isn't your thing, this is the place for you.
Virgin Mary Bar
On the other hand, if the pub atmosphere is your thing minus the alcohol, there is also a perfect place for you. When the Virgin Mary Bar opened on Capel Street in May 2019 it hit headlines around the world as a completely alcohol free bar. The Virgin Mary is keen to stress that they don’t do ‘mocktails,’ however, and that alcohol-free doesn’t have to mean pleasure free! They specialise in a large range of delicious cocktails and also have a wide selection of alcohol-free craft beers and ciders, wines and spirits and also an impressive Guinness Trinity College gives you a mesmerising stillness slap bang in the middle of the bustling city. Much of the grounds of the spectacular Dublin Castle are also accessible late and well worth a visit, you can even visit the impressive Chester Beatty Library on the castle grounds on Wednesday nights when it remains open till the later time of 8 pm.
Theatre
0.0 on draught. An alcohol-free bar might confuse some people but a trip to the bustling Capel Street to visit the Virgin Mary will make it all make sense.
Walk the City
Dublin is a city that comes alive at night. Some of the capital's best landmarks and attractions are best experienced in the evenings. A stroll through Like our cinemas, Dublin is jam-packed with theatres both big and small. The big productions go to the Bord Gáis Theatre but there are plenty of smaller ones that host intimate and thoroughly enjoyable productions. The Gate Theatre is my personal favourite. The Gate has a rich history and is full of people passionate about the theatre from the actors and directors to the ticket staff and audience. You would be doing well to find a more authentic theatre experience than the Gate. Elsewhere, the Smock Alley, the Peacock and the famous Olympia Theatre are all noteworthy mentions and well worth a trip!
UCD’s Film Society: Keeping Us Entertained!
Angelina Pierce Entertainment & Lifestyle Editor Interviewer: Sophie Melia TV & Film Correspondent
With the latest government restrictions in place leaving students with less options for activities on campus, UCD’s Filmsoc is one of the societies here on campus that are providing opportunities for students to feel a part of the community as well as keeping them entertained. In an interview with Film Society’s Deputy Auditor Ryan, he reveals what the society is all about, what exciting things they have planned and how the pandemic has affected them.
Ryan, the second in command and “glorified secretary” of Filmsoc, joined the team last semester in Week 5, proving it’s never too late to join in! He provided the Tribune with some teasers of their semester two plans, he tells our correspondent “We’re hoping to do a Gala after Easter,” ''We want to bring the overnight movie marathon back!” and he discussed that the society, in collaboration with the Dublin International Film Festival, are on the lookout for a celebrity guest to join them in a panel event that they will host (Stephen Merchant has shown interest!). We can expect this hopefully to happen in the next few weeks. In the meantime, the society is keeping up with their weekly themed screenings such as Week One: Adam Sandler and for Week Two aka Refreshers Week: Disney Channel Original Films. Their Cineclub and After Dark will also be back up and running this semester!
Speaking of their weekly themes, Ryan explained the process behind them, “Our amazing screenings team do all the work for picking and choosing the themes and movies. Three incredible ladies pick these and are always planning a semester ahead so there is no stress about it. Usually they pick movies they want first and then pick a theme that the movies fits under. They also have a thing called Baby Week meaning they can show whatever film they want and the rest go along with the theme and movies for that week! This semester it’ll be Kermit Week and Muppet movies will be shown then.” Filmsoc are also known for their collaborations with other societies. This semester we can expect a collaboration with Litsoc based on book adaptations and possibly a week of foreign films. Outside of screenings, the society has a productions team and people can send scripts to the society by email or hand them in as they start working on them after Easter.
Like many societies on campus, the pandemic has made Filmsoc adapt to the new normal. Due to the 8pm curfew, the regular time slots of Tuesdays, which were reserved for longer films, have now had to be changed and times taken into consideration. Ryan explains the issues this causes in terms of after film discussions, which are cut short due to the imposed curfew. Filmsoc are dedicated to trying their best to prevent the spread of Covid and to do this they have set a limit in the cinema of fifty people and Ryan himself is keeping track of contact tracing. The society asks that all members wear their masks when not eating or drinking at these events. It is also necessary for members to present Covid certificates and matching ID before all events otherwise they will not be allowed to enter the event.
Ryan leaves us with parting words on behalf of Filmsoc “Our slogan is ‘We love movies and we make movies’ and it's very true. We love everyone who loves movies no matter what their opinion is. All we want is students and their friends to have a good time with movies as there is something here to please everyone. If you’re not a member already, you should be!”
Film Making In Ireland
Anton Rivas Pertile Film & TV Writer
Filmmaking is not easy, but it’s especially not easy in a country where small independent films are a rarity and international studios receive all the attention. While there is talk of increasing funds for young filmmakers, the reality is that there is a struggle for any filmmakers who want to push past small student productions and into the realm of profitable feature projects. Having made two short films whilst in UCD, one with FilmSoc and another with UCDTV, working on a more professional project becomes both an important goal and a very difficult one to pursue. One which myself and many others are trying to accomplish. We are currently trying to crowdfund a short film for over 5,000 euro online. tiago De Arribas, an avid film fanatic and photographer who had been spitballing an idea about recreating the atmosphere of a John Carpenter movie but set in Ireland. Several months- and a few dozen rewrites later, we had finally gotten together a script for the project that we felt confident could produce what we wanted. The Trip is a story about three friends who go camping deep into the woods but find something else waiting there among them, something beyond human. What started as a simple friendly retreat becomes a struggle for survival in the cold empty forest. Without delving more into the plot, the film will have blood, gore and the aesthetic of an 80’s horror film.
How to fund a short film in Ireland? Without the backing of a national short film scheme (which can have many requirements), the only real solution is either to save up for years, or try to market and crowdfund the project to reach a significant level of budget. With a project shot at night, with practical effects, a well fed cast and crew and proper equipment, costs can balloon much higher than small student films that suffer under their inability to tackle anything beyond a young adult drama. Even something as simple as feeding everyone involved can add hundreds of euros to a project which means that student filmmakers are limited in their choice of actors, often employing just their friends to act.
With that in mind, crowdfunding became the best avenue to pursue for a venture like this. For young filmmakers in Ireland, a subsidized filmmaking grant along with state owned equipment available to borrow could have a massive net benefit in generating interesting and higher budget content- which might in addition attract the attention of large streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime to put on their respective platforms. Free workshops, film events and more could help boost an economically
profitable filmmaking model in Ireland, rather than leasing out to international talent. myself (First AD), Liam Prenter Morris (Producer/Composer) and many others. Santiago and Liam have filmed shorts together since secondary school and Liam currently is majoring in Sound Production at IADT. Philip Slalina, another student from IADT, will serve as the DOP on the project. He also runs his own production company, Captis Productions, securing small commissions that help him grow his network and cinematography skills. If there’s one thing that unites all of us, it’s a hunger to create interesting and new content that generates a shift in this small country towards an established independent filmmaking scene. While a daunting project, The Trip offers a step towards this goal, a goal that I’m sure many readers can relate to in their own way.
Right now, The Trip is on FundIT and Instagram under @ thetripshort.
Film Review: Spiderman-Far From Home Is This The End?
Anton Rivas Pertile Film & TV Writer
It comes as no great surprise that Marvel are cranking up the multiverse to be their latest tool in their arsenal of keeping audiences entertained. Loki, Doctor Strange 2 and of course Spiderman Far From Home, have all made the multiverse a key element of their plot and it has been hinted that they mean to introduce teams like the X Men, The Fantastic Four and others into their universe. But will Marvel’s attempts to keep their continually expanding franchise prove fruitful or fall under its own colossal weight?
Spiderman Far From Home proves that Disney is still ca-
pable of producing a strong superhero film in which the stakes feel high without exploding to cosmic proportions. The premise, which is familiar to most readers, follows Peter Parker’s attempts to make the world forget that he is Spiderman after the revelation of his secret identity at the end of No Way Home. The consequences that his friends and family face makes Peter feel overwhelmed with guilt for exposing them to the danger he created as a known superhero. Therefore he goes to seek Doctor Strange’s help in making everyone, except them, forget who he is. Unfortunately, as Doctor Strange explains, magic is not so flexible as to allow this sort of deal and while interrupting the incantation Peter opens a rift to the multiverse that attracts a horde of villains (and friends) to their world.
*For those who want to avoid spoilers please skip the next paragraph.* how much the cinema experience can bring together a group of complete strangers to feel something special, such as the wonder of being there together and watching a great movie as a group. Having people in the audience hold their breath collectively as we realized that Sony was bringing back all the fan favourites and then subsequently cheering together as they appeared isn’t something you can do whilst at home. Furthermore the shock of seeing Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland all don their masks and fight together was fantastic, providing a feeling of magical excitement that I thought Marvel would have been unable to reproduce. For most people this will have been exactly what they wanted, a strong superhero film that captures the imagination and leaves them buzzing with warmth as they chat to their friends and exit the cinema doors into the cold night. But for Disney, Spiderman No Way Home poses an enormous problem, one that simply won’t go away.
The question is this: do people care about the film because of the MCU or do they simply miss the old Spiderman films and the strength of the character himself? After all, it’s hard to imagine that outside of the long established reputation of this iconic webslinger, people will have much interest in the goings on of The Eternals, or Captain Marvel, or any of the TV series. Presumably Disney will expect a strong audience turnout for the next Thor and Doctor Strange 2 (less so for the latter) but there is a looming shadow on the horizon for them.
When do they pull out of the MCU and decide to change their business model to keep their grip on the Box Office? Disney might think they have an ace up their sleeve with the amount of possibilities that the multiverse will bring to their franchise, but as an aging audience’s tastes evolve, so will their interests, and everyone has a limit to how much they can watch the same cheesy quips be thrown and all the stakes reversed by retconned characters and rewritten stories. Maybe the time is coming for a new breed of blockbuster films, or maybe not. Only the future will tell!
Spiderman Far From Home proves that Disney is still capable of producing a strong superhero film in which the stakes feel high without exploding to cosmic proportions
The Pressures of Managing Manchester United
Stephen Black Sports Writer
Manchester United are the most successful club in the history of English football. Since their foundation in 1878, they have won 20 first division league titles, 12 FA Cups and a record 21 Community Shields. This unrivalled domestic dominance, coupled with the lavish coverage that English football gets from an array of different broadcasting companies, has enabled United to build a global fan base, establish a successful business model and attract some of the top talents in European football. With this reputation, however, comes great expectation. A failure to deliver perfection on the pitch leads to collective finger-pointing at one man: the manager.
Ralf Rangnick is the latest coach to inherit the poison chalice at Manchester United. Unfortunately for Rangnick, while the position that he currently
holds is subject to an immense amount of public scrutiny, the level of success that has previously been linked to the club is long in the rearview mirror. In fact, in the last five years, United have only won two competitive competitions -the league cup and the Europa League- struggling to even qualify for the biggest prize in club football: The Champions League. United supporters are used to seeing their team competing against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich- famous footballing giants. It must be strange for them to watch their team in the second tier of European football, potentially playing against the likes of Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers. But that is the reality. At the moment, United simply are not the club they used to be. While their history still lures in big-name signings, clinging to former glories is actually restricting the club’s progression and placing an increased amount of pressure on the man in charge.
There is further self-inflicted psychological damage associated with the Man U job; the fact that one of their predecessors sits in the stands at every home game, worshipped by the crowd and loved by the board. When Man United last won the premier league, it was under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Sir Alex is a man who, during his tenure at the club, won 38 trophies. He has been hailed as the greatest coach…in any sport…ever. When he retired, United erected a statue of him outside Old Trafford. It looms over his successors as a godlike figure. This is not ideal and contributes to the pressure to succeed. Rangnick’s position isn’t helped by current football pundits either. If you’ve ever watched Super Sunday on Sky Sports, it’s likely you’ve come across Roy Keane and Gary Neville, two former Manchester United legends. They have 15 premier league titles between them. However, they use their platform to repeatedly blast the current squad, and previous managers, for not ‘playing the Man United way.’ Neville actually claimed that United would never appoint Antonio Conte, a proven winner in the premier league, because of the style of football that he plays (Surely winning is the determining factor? but anyway). This is a problem. If you don’t allow the manager to dictate the style of play then it doesn’t matter who gets the job. It’s like owning an F1 car, paying Max Verstappen to drive it on the M50 and then complaining that he’s not going fast enough.
The pundits frequently criticise the current crop of players at the club as well. Keane is known for his outspoken, no-nonsense approach and has often singled out individual United players, including Paul Pogba. In 2021, Keane told sky sports that ‘he (Pogba) is a talented boy” but took aim at Pogba’s leadership abilities saying “I wouldn’t believe a word that Pogba says.’ In spite of the personal dig at Pogba, Keane makes a good observation here: United have a talented squad but lack depth in terms of leadership and experience. Of the current squad, only Cristiano Ronaldo, David De Gea, Phil Jones and Jesse Lingard have premier league medals. That’s four players out of a squad of 30. For the pundits to expect these players to play free-flowing football while also challenging for the title in the toughest league in the world is very optimistic. It suggests that their demands are a bit excessive.
Managing in professional football can hardly be easy. It is a multi-million dollar industry, watched by billions of people. The pressure at any club will be enormous. But the aforementioned factors make the Man United job particularly unappealing (Although the paycheck might say otherwise). There are prevalent off the field factors that need a serious evaluation if United want to get back to the heights of the Fergie years. Maybe with a German called Ralf at the wheel, they can reinvent themselves and redefine the “Manchester United way”… whatever that means.
UCD AFC’s League Opener to be Played Without Fans
Conor Paterson Co-Editor
UCD AFC’s opening SSE Airtricity League Premier Division game of the new season is due to be played behind closed doors. The students open their account back in the top flight of Irish football on the 18th of February in Tallaght Stadium.
The FAI made the ruling due to an incident that took place during Shamrock Rovers’ away trip to Waterford FC towards the end of last season. During the game, fireworks exploded both over the pitch and in the away supporter's section during the clash at the RSC in Waterford on the 5th of November.
The incident resulted in one injury of a man who had to be taken to Waterford Regional Hospital for treatment. Following the events in Waterford, Shamrock Rovers ‘unequivocally condemned" the action of the "so-called supporters’ and said they would be issuing indefinite bans from Tallaght Stadium to the people involved.
The ruling will come as a huge blow to both sides, particularly Shamrock Rovers. A fine was expected rather than a ban on fans attending their league opener. The result will mean the expected 6,000 fans cannot attend which will be a massive financial blow to the hoops.
The news will also be devastating for UCD fans who had planned to make the short trip across town to support the students on their return to the topflight.
At the time of writing, Shamrock Rovers have not publicly responded to the decision but the Irish Independent has reported that they are considering their options after an initial appeal was knocked back.
UCD Bounce Back to Winning Ways in Sigerson Cup First-Half Flurry
Conor Paterson Co-Editor
Adominant first-half display from UCD’s gaelic footballers was enough to see off UCC last Wednesday. Dave Billings Park in Belfield hosted a high scoring affair with UCD ultimately running out 4-15 to 3-9 winners over the strong Munster side.
Both UCD and UCC lost their opening matches to MTU Kerry and MTU Cork respectively. The previous round of results made last weeks fixture a mustwin for both sides. UCD rose to the occasion and went into the half-time break with a commanding 2-12 to 1-3 lead.
A well-worked first-half goal from Cuala’s Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne, a penalty from Ray Connellan and a flurry of points meant UCC had a mountain to climb in the second half. A thumping goal from Kerry’s Conor Geaney and three further points was all the Munster team could muster.
UCC needed to come out swinging in the second half and they responded with two goals early after the break. Kerry intercounty player Diarmuid O’Connor scored a goal from the penalty spot and UCC racked up some scores to put themselves back into contention.
UCD responded with two more goals, however. Daire Cregg and Brian McLoughlin both scored goals before UCC earned a consolation goal through Brian Hartnett in the last few minutes.
The win for John Divilly’s side sets UCD up with a clash against Letterkenny Institute of Technology this evening at 7 pm.
Scorers for UCD: Daire Cregg 1-5 (0-2f), Brian McLoughlin 1-2 (0-1f), Ray Connellan 1-1 (1-0 pen), Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne 1-0, Ethan Devine 0-3, Ruairi McCormack 0-2, Darragh Ryan, Kieran Kennedy 0-1 each.
Scorers for UCC: Conor Geaney 1-3 (0-2f), Diarmuid O’Connor 1-1 (1-0 pen), Brian Hartnett 1-0, Mark Cronin, Shane Merritt (0-1 ’45), Ronan Dalton (0-1f), Riain Quigley, Dylan Geaney (01f) each.
UCD Hurlers Stumble in Fitzgibbon Cup Opener
Conor Paterson Co-Editor
The UCD hurlers face a tough task to qualify for the knockout stages of the Fitzgibbon Cup after an opening round defeat against NUIG. Dave Billings Park played out a close encounter last Wednesday evening with the Galway side edging out a 1-21 to 1-18 victory.
The clash was well attended by fans from both sides in Belfield in the blustery wind. UCD’s hopes of victory were given an early blow when NUIG’s Fionn McDonagh scored a fantastic goal in the 12th minute. UCD fought bravely in difficult first half conditions, with Galway native Donal O’Shea racking up seven of UCD’s eight points before the break. However, the presence of Cian Lynch in the centre of the park gave the students a constant headache and he helped NUIG to a 1-10 to 0-8 lead at the interval. UCD needed to respond after the break and they did just that. However, NUIG’s Galway inter-county star, Evan Niland’s excellent free-kick taking helped the westerners maintain their lead.
Kilkenny hurler Eoin Guilfoyle managed to raise UCD hopes for a comeback with a late goal and point but Niland notched up more scores to see NUIG over the finish line with three points to spare.
The defeat raises the stakes for this weeks tie against UCC who saw off Mary Immaculate College Limerick 1-21 to 0-19 in Limerick last week. The crucial tie against the Munster side takes place tomorrow at 7 pm in Mardyke Arena in Cork.
Scorers for NUI Galway: E Niland (0-12, 8f), J Fleming (0-5), C Lynch (0-3), F McDonagh (10), B Concannon (0-1).
UCD Ad Astra Scholar Adds New Irish under-23 60m record
Conor Paterson Co-Editor
Studying computer science in UCD, Israel Olatunde, at the age of just 19 has burst onto the Irish athletics scene. Last week, Olatunde topped his previous under-23 60m record, setting a time of 6.64 seconds.
The College Tribune spoke to Olatunde who said it is ‘really exciting to get my season off to such a great start and to see the work I put in over the winter pay off.’ Despite the achievement, however, Olatunde was not getting ahead of himself and he added ‘I’m going to take things one day at a time and focus on what I need to do to improve and get faster.’
Earlier this month Olatunde had set a new under-23 record with a time of 6.67 seconds. On Sunday, he extended his record even further with a personal best of 6.64 seconds in the second round of the national indoor league in Athlone. The time puts the UCD athlete closer to the senior 60m record set in 2007 by Paul Hession at 6.61 seconds which Olatunde said is ‘definitely in my sights.’
This is not Olatunde’s first time impressing on the Irish athletics scene. Last June he became the Irish senior 100m champion in Morton Stadium, Santry earning a personal best of 10.49 seconds. He ran for Tallaght Athletics Club before joining UCD.
Olatudne spoke about his time in UCD so far. He said ‘being in an environment with Olympians and other world-class athletes is a blessing.’ He added that ‘knowing I represent UCD and the Ad Astra Academy encourages me to take my performance to the next level.’
The record-breaking run kicks off what is a very important season for Olatunde. Now he is targeting the world indoor championships in March and the European championships in August. The races and records are not distracting Olatunde, however. He said his target for 2022 is ‘to run fast and gain valuable experiences’ in what is his first season in the senior
SPORT
Parsons Wins Successive Ireland Player of the Year Award
Callum Buchan Sports Editor
Another Accolade For Parsons
University College Dublin student Béibhinn Parsons has been awarded the Guinness Irish Rugby Writers’ Women’s Player of the Year for the second year running. The Connacht player has impressed for both club and country since emerging onto the senior rugby scene as a teenager and is earning plaudits around the world as one of the hottest prospects in the game, with many believing the sky’s the limit for the Galway native.
Parsons achievements are not exclusive to the sporting world as the 20-year-old is a UCD Ad Astra scholar, studying Biomedical, Health, and Life Sciences at Belfield. The promising winger is part of a golden era for Irish sportswomen who are making their mark on the world stage which includes the likes of Aintree Grand National winner Rachael Blackmore, world champion boxer Katie Taylor, and Solheim Cup hero Leona Maguire.
The Guinness Irish Rugby Writers’ Men’s Player of the Year was won by UCD alumni as Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw took home the prize after a brilliant season for the national team, Leinster, and the British & Irish Lions as they toured South Africa, meaning both awards ended in the hands of past and present students from the west of Ireland.
From Ballinasloe to International Acclaim
Parsons’ meteoric rise in the game dates back to November 2018, when she wrote herself into the history books becoming the youngest ever player to earn a senior international cap for Ireland at the age of 16 as the winger came off the bench against the USA to make her debut. The debutant, who hails from the remote town of Ballinasloe, made an instant impression against the Americans and has taken any challenge she has faced thereafter in her stride. Parsons’ signs of promise were rewarded by the IRFU when she was named in the 2019 Six Nations squad, scoring her first test try in the match against Wales. The Connacht prodigy comes from a strong GAA background, which is to be expected in the part of the country in which she grew up, which appears to have benefitted her game in the same way in which former international Tommy Bowe credits his gaelic football playing days as contributing to his success on the rugby pitch. Speed, agility, and game intelligence are all some of Parsons’ best attributes which are all transferable between the two sports.
The then 18-year-old carried her form into the 2020 Six Nations, scoring tries in wins over Scotland and Wales. Fast forward a year, and the Irish team’s backs were against the wall as they were scrambling to keep their World Cup 2022 qualifying hopes alive after a difficult start to the campaign. Up stepped the team’s star performer, as the blistering winger put in a heroic performance to see off an Italian side playing with home advantage.
The State of Women’s Rugby
It is safe to say that women’s rugby is not in a good place in this country, with the emergence of Parsons being a rare positive in recent years. Since Ireland’s Grand Slam win in 2014, the team have been struggling to find consistent performances to really challenge at the top of rugby. However, this poor form reached a new low when the side failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand from a group of Scotland, Italy and Spain. A surprise loss to Spain would in normal circumstances be seen as the nadir for Irish women’s rugby, but after the qualification campaign, 62 players felt compelled to write to the government ministers responsible for sport, Catherine Murphy and Jack Chambers, to air their frustrations with the systemic problems in the game, highlighting the IRFU’s inaction to combat the slip in standards in women’s rugby.
An issue which was raised by the players was the instance when Connacht players had to change beside rubbish bins with rodents. This appears to be indicative of the organisation’s attitude towards the women’s game. This story is akin to the ‘Tracksuit-gate’ controversy in Irish football in 2017 which shone a light on the FAI’s mistreatment of the women’s team.
The IRFU came under significant pressure in the wake of the players’ letter to the government, yet similar to Boris Johnson’s their first response was to effectively wash their hands with it and leave it up to a review. I don’t believe Sue Gray is in charge of this one though! Although the initial position of rugby’s governing body was to come out fighting, the new CEO Kevin Potts has made assurances that addressing the players’ concerns will be a priority of his time in charge of the IRFU. Let’s hope that there are brighter days around the corner for the women’s national team, led by our very own Béibhinn Parsons, of course!
