Ulster Rugby trial -continued

OP
On the Marian Finucane show this morning on RTE radio 1, a BBC Radio Northern Ireland journalist said he believed there was a pay off.
The show can be got in a podcast from the RTE radio app.

Pan you're right, French rugby fans will know who Paddy Jackson is. I was thinking more in the context of N Ireland, the whole big fish in a small pond thing, where even non rugby fans would know him. I'd heard of him when he was still a school boy player and I'm not even a huge rugby fan.

Jackson and Olding have released their statements in response now:

Can be read here

Bit surprised Jackson doesn’t mention suing anyone...

No one will be impressed with their school rugby glory days. People won't know who they are

The average person in the street will not know who they are but French rugby followers will have definitely heard of Paddy Jackson who has 25 caps for Ireland and over 120 for Ulster and was generally seen as the heir to Johnny Sextons shirt. I imagine they will be impressed by those rugby achievements rather then their ‘school rugby glory days’

Also while I’m being all facetious and obnoxious, can I just clarify what religion and average salary to the women posting in favour of ‘the lads’ hold?

I appear to be missing something glaringly obvious.

Ok, I’m happy to be educated here. How does one identify from a, for example Facebook comment, what class and religion a poster is?

I have to say that the thought never entered my head. Is there some clever way I have missed, of identifying these angry men of a certain financial standing and religious predisposition? Or do they write their salary and the church they rarely attend on the bottom of their profile picture?

I wish there was a LIKE button on mumsnet while I'm reading these comments. What a result today. I hope it gives that brave woman a little bit of healing.

I think they probably will go to France. But the great thing is that they will be nobodies there. No one will be impressed with their school rugby glory days. People won't know who they are. That will hit them where it hurts. Their egos led them to this place and now they'll be little fish in a big pond and they won't like it one bit.

This is very good news.

I’ve been thinking about the trial, if it was a male rape and the facts were the same (internal bleeding, witnesses to how upset the victim was on the way home, etc), would the trial have gone the same way. It just seems that women are the defendant when it comes to rape cases.

They will go off to France to play for the next few seasons at least.

I'm really happy about this. Might make sportsmen think twice if they lose their career over behaving like misogynistic idiots. It sends a sign it's not acceptable.
I hope the complainant takes heart that they have faced at least some consequences for how they treated her.

I also think scooby and craic have a point. I have seen the most vitriol coming from that community too. Vitriol about the mere fact that women have got the actual nerve to protest about something, how dare they? Whilst simultaneously demanding to know if rape culture is such a big issue, why have women never complained about it before?

So Jackson and Olding have been sacked - contracts terminated. I wonder whether this is only until matters calm down and then they'll be offered contracts again or whether 'this is it' the end of the road in Irish rugby for them.

This is the end of Irish rugby for them. None of us can say for sure just how much of an impact Bank of Ireland had on the final decision as maybe they'd have been out anyway. But reading between the lines it does seem like BoI made their continuing sponsorship contingent on Jackson and Olding being gone. I don't think BoI can go back on that. And while they are not Irish Rugby sponsors they are the title sponsors of both Munster and Leinster (the two most successful by far Irish teams), which means they hold a lot of sway in Irish rugby as a whole.

I'm really fucking angry that they were found not guilty and that the victim was put through the whole nastiness of that trial on top of their treatment of her. But she really has had a form of success here. They have lost their place on both teams. Their legal defence cost them both a fortune. And neither of them can ever, ever be sure that they can so much as get a spit free coffee again on this island.

I think scooby has a point. I also detect a lot of anger in the posts from white working-class prods in those comments. I don't think religion came into the incident itself, but it's my opinion that a lot of those men are angry that their privileges (male, religious, political, economic) are being chipped away. This case, where two fellas from the Protestant elite are being told "no" and women are protesting en masse and being listened to, is just bringing it to the fore again. They are a community under seige almost, and those posts show that they're a bit afraid and resentful of this brave new world they've found themselves in where they can't rely on old privileges to make their lives easier.

My own DF fits this type, but he's confronted daily and made to think more critically by his DDs and blow-in son in laws. Luckily he doesn't have Twitter!

I've just seen the news on the BBC news app. Good for the IRFU!

Also, there are quite a few comments that mention the fact this isn't the first time Paddy Jackson has been pulled up on his behaviour...does anyone know what that's about?

So Jackson and Olding have been sacked - contracts terminated. I wonder whether this is only until matters calm down and then they'll be offered contracts again or whether 'this is it' the end of the road in Irish rugby for them.

Bumble, I can't imagine the difficult position you are in..and I do not blame your friend for not coming forward. She is lucky to have you...

Annnnnnd....I made the mistake of reading the comments on Twitter...normally I can see both sides to an argument even if I fully support one side, but in this case I genuinely do not know how people are holding on to the views they have. If they have a sister, daughter, mother or are a woman then how can they support those men? I am reassured by the number of men (and of course women) posting their support of the IRFU outcome...it's not al bleak I suppose...

Credit to Bank of Ireland. Their statement was beautifully terse and unequivocal.

domthaveascooby...you are the one who referred to religion (Protestant) in your post. It was unnecessary and that is why people are commenting on what you said.

Don't bring religion into it...it doesn't have a place for the important and supportive discussions that are happening on this thread.