Ulster Rugby trial -continued

I was shocked to see someone i know in RL sharing the petition on Facebook. A lady i know fairly well.
I tried clicking on the link to see who else had signed it - but the link doesn't work anymore.

I think I read somewhere it had been removed?!

I can't find it either. I hope it was hacked!

No, I’ve searched every which way I can think of, it’s not there anymore. I think whoever told you it’s growing is misinformed. It looks like it has been removed.

I can’t even find it on change.org anymore when I search?

Apparently the petition to reinstate the players is growing

I will be at Ravenhill / Kingspan on Friday evening. Anyone else?

Thanks for that.

The application was listed in front of Judge Smyth earlier today, when a barrister representing the media outlets claimed there was no basis for reporting restrictions to remain in place. Gerry Simpson QC said: "This is a matter which we say should be dealt with very quickly.”

Stephen Toll, who represented Mr Jackson during the trial, also spoke during the brief hearing, and said: "I do not think we have proper focus on the issues because the media are refusing to say what applications they are wanting to rule on.

"They can stand on their rights and that is their prerogative. We may have a concern about the Convention rights (human rights) of the defendants and other persons that may be affected."

This prompted Mr Simpson to tell the court: "The media are not refusing to do anything. I have no idea because I do not intend to ask the media. That’s the wrong question to ask." The right question, the barrister suggested, was to ask if there was a lawful bias for the restrictions remaining in place.

Agreeing this was the "correct question" that needed to be addressed, Judge Smyth said she would listen to the legal arguments on Wednesday afternoon.

Is it 'just' the texts though? Surely it's the bleeding, hysterical girl leaving, no?

Do they have an official code of conduct? E.g. the Teaching Council etc.

No word 're inadmissible evidence yet?

Perhaps in the future they should have clause in the contract that says don't bring us any bad publicity. Won't Matter if your innocent or not.

My BIL made the point that if the IRFU do just get shot of them then they could face issues around chats involving other players being "leaked". I don't think anyone thinks that this pair were the only ones displaying this kind of attitude and this has the potential to expose that. His view was that if they do get shot they'll have to give them decent enough terms to make it palatable, and tie it up with a strongly worded NDA.

I am afraid sexism and misogyny is not seen as bad as racism. Perhaps because racism enrages men and sexism only women.

Because when you attack a race or religion, half of that group are men. And when men get angry everyone has to listen.
Women are a soft target, innit.

www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/mixed-response-to-paddy-jackson-apology-over-whatsapp-comments-1.3453324

*Mr McKane says the IRFU and Ulster Rugby face a difficult task. “If the equivalent language had been used about religion or race, the organisation wouldn’t have a leg to stand on,” he said.

“If Ulster believes in values of wanting it to be an inclusive family sport they have to take this very seriously and address every issue.

“Sponsors also will be looking at this very closely,” he said. “There will be a need to look at the business goals of those sponsors. It’s not just to give them money, they don’t want to risk their customer base. They will have to be taken into consideration.”*

Puzzled - why is it that if equivalent comments had been made on the basis of race or religion, the IRFU and Ulster would not have a leg to stand on, but not on the grounds of sex?

Because women deserve less protection?

Well I was brought up in a dirt poor Catholic family in a Catholic area of Mid-Ulster too, and reason the attitudes around this case didn't surprise me in the slightest is that I can so easily imagine the same thing taking place in GAA circles - because those boys get smoke blown up their arse all their lives too. What "community" rugby is associated with has bog all to do with it.

I have a bad feeling that they will be allowed back to play because the men at the top don't think any boycott will have much impact given it is a sport mainly played by men and supported by men. There lawyers have already cowed the senator into apologising and are probably threatening to do the same to the rugby club.

ExMCB I feel the same way. Love living back home but this case is so depressing-deeply mysogynisfic views all round. Seriously considering ending a friendship with close friend of 30 years due to her unpalatable views on it. Can't stop thinking about it but also determined to somehow help make a change so this society progresses & women are safer.

m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/judge-to-hear-arguments-over-lifting-legal-restrictions-on-rugby-rape-case-36788901.html

Chuckle - I referred to a school in the east of the city.... That's the one East Belfast boys only boarding school with ingrained rugby culture. Hardly a surprise that without girls they have some weird attitudes.

I am ex methody. Rugby culture was bad but not as bad in my time and in my view as that of Campbell or Inst. I grew up with a lot of Campbellians and look back in horror at their attitudes to women. Then again i hung around with the indie band kids at school and the rugby boys were not that high status in our year - maybe to the lovestruck fourth years but not to us. They weren't the centre of the it crowd or anything.

Although, typical school assembly was like 'whisper, whisper, some girls apparently won lots of stuff,' 'mumble, mumble, boys first eight bla bla whatevs who cares', then... drum roll... 'EVERYONE, I'm sure you'll all be as DELIGHTED as i am to hear the rugby team came EIGHTH in something. Sure let's get them all up on stage and give them a big hand. Aren't they great? Now, how about a half day for them?' etc etc. So attitude definitely coming from the school.

I have recently returned to northern ireland to bring my kids up in a nice place with good schools etc etc... I love so much about society here (community, friendliness, relative safety, affordability) but this case has horrified me to the point of wanting to go back to London. It's the deeply ingrained misogyny that I really, really thought would have moved on a bit but seems to have gone only backwards.

I saw AO'R's apology and presumed it was some sort of settlement and the threat of a case against him is dropped? Pure speculation on my part.

Shame. You never know what his party have told him to do either though.

www.balls.ie/rugby/aodhan-oriordan-apologises-for-tweet-on-belfast-rape-trial-386706