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'Utter rubbish' - Ferris jumps to the defence of papped Ulster players

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Former Ulster and Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris has responded to The Belfast Telegraph after it exposed Craig Gilroy training with someone from outside his household during lockdown.

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The paper used a photo that the winger briefly shared on Instagram of him training outside with someone who it said is not believed to be a member of his household. People are currently advised in Northern Ireland not to leave their house for anything other than essential travel, which includes shopping and exercise, and this should be down either individually or with someone from the same house.

Gilroy is not the first player to be exposed by the paper, who have highlighted which players have gone against regulations during the coronavirus pandemic. The paper also snapped brothers Alan and David O’Connor (both who live in the same household) and Marty Moore training in a Belfast city park.

However, Ferris, who played for the province for nine years before retiring in 2009, has taken exception to players being singled out and appears to feel that they are being excessively criticised.

He said on Twitter:

“Yet another embarrassing article. Please Belfast Telegraph I’m urging you to stop with this utter rubbish.

“You have done so much for Ulster Rugby over the years in a positive way…. it’s your 150th year, make it a good one for crying out loud.”

Some might argue that in the current circumstances, The Belfast Telegraph are at liberty to highlight those that may be flouting regulations, but by the same token, Ferris is also entitled to defend the players, particularly given a photo doesn’t necessarily paint the entire picture.

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NB 37 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

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