Titans: The Catalyst to a Greater Ireland?

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As a Rugby World Cup year for the Union form of the game, 2019 will be a true indication as to just how far the Irish national Rugby Union team can go on the world stage. Within the ranks there is plenty of Munster talent, but there is also a possibility that the region – and perhaps even Tipperary itself – could play a significant role in increasing Ireland’s presence in the less-celebrated form of the game.

 

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The Treaty City Titans’ own Limerick home has already seen the entertainment factor of Rugby League firsthand, with Thomond Park generating a gate of just over 5,000.

Integration key to success

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Between 2005 and 2015, Treaty City Titans won the McGettigans All-Ireland League on an astounding eight occasions. Of course, the likes of the Titans remain a galaxy apart from the likes of Warrington, who are current favourites in the latest rugby league odds to win Super League XXIV. Yet, should a team ever embark on such dominance again, particularly with a Rugby League World Cup in 2021, the possibility of a transfer to the British League system could re-emerge as a subject for debate.

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Over in northern England, Rugby League is the form of choice, but if the national Rugby League team of Ireland is to somehow topple the likes of Australia and New Zealand in many years to come, integration of Irish clubs into British leagues is seen as vital by some critics of the game. In the 2017 World Cup, Ireland demolished Italy and Wales, and gave Papua New Guinea an excellent game. The chance to build upon that was very much there, but the opinions – as to whether that chance is being taken as much as it could – remain mixed.

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Seen here in a Championship opener from 2018, Toronto Wolfpack’s success seemed impossible, but it can inspire Irish teams to follow suit for the betterment of the international game.

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Practicality over principles

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Though the idea of integration would rankle against the principles of many Rugby League fans – particularly followers of the respected Treaty City Titans who were once so used to domestic success – such integration is not without precedent.

Arguably, the Toronto Wolfpack is the most relevant case study of a team overcoming logistical barriers to mark a presence in the British game, and the Canadian outfit only narrowly missed out on promotion to the Super League.

So is there a chance that Munster could lead the charge for a better performance in 2021? The gate generated at Thomond Park in 2013 heavily implies that there is an undercurrent of Irish interest in the hitherto ignored form of Rugby. To make good on that, all the Irish game may need now is a team with a solid history of success – like Treaty City Titans – to sell a vision, where a proud team of Munster men can do battle with the greats.

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