Brexit hasn’t dented loyalty I feel to Ireland: ex-rugby star

Trevor Ringland said that politicians “who should know better” would do well to learn from the all-island squad’s “inclusive concept of Irishness”.

He was speaking in the wake of an article by unionist commentator Owen Polley in which he said Brexit has brought “an unpleasant anti-British streak in Irish society” to the fore, dampening his usual enthusiasm for the team.

Owen Polley: I always supported Ireland in rugby but less so now due to the anti-British mood over BrexitIt comes just ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations game against England on Saturday at 4.45pm in Dublin, and they generated considerable debate online at the News Letter’s Facebook page.

In Friday’s News Letter Mr Polley wrote of “a daily diet of pejoratives about the idiotic British and the racist stupidity that has led to them to leaving the EU, even in the most moderate Republic of Ireland newspapers”.

He concluded that “I’ve always felt a sense of Irishness and a connection to some of the all-Ireland sports teams, but that sentiment is currently at an all-time low”.

A large slew of comments followed online from rugby fans and non-supporters alike. One Thomas McKee remarked that “many feel the same way that this guy is articulating” and that Brexit has “underlined the anti-Britishness that everyone always knew existed in Ireland”.

A Scott McMonies took this view: “Any unionist supporting a united Ireland sports team need their head examined.”

A user called Neal Thornton said “playing both national anthems (or none) and flying both flags, Tricolour and Union Jack (or none), would go a long way towards inclusiveness”.

Others simply lamented any attempt to link sport and politics – like Andy Simpson who said: “Brexit or any kind of politics has nothing to do with rugby. If you don’t want to support them don’t you certainly won’t be missed.”

Fifty nine-year-old Mr Ringland, who was capped 34 times for Ireland from 1981-1988, said: “There’s a way to promote and inclusive concept of Irishness – and Irish rugby shows that.

“Rugby brings people together. It shows a way forward for better relations on the island and some who should know better should try and learn from what it achieves.”

As to whether he and others have fallen out of love with the team to some degree due to political friction, the former co-chair of the NI Conservatives said: “No, Brexit has not affected my support for the team one bit.”

He said it offers an “inclusive concept of Irishness” and suggested politicians should look to the sport to learn “the way to do proper relations across the island”.

As well as praising the atmosphere pervading Irish rugby, he also praised the strides made to make Northern Irish football more inclusive, too.