Diageo dump Irish

[Neils]

Premiership seems to end at end of June or July.  I think that is when a player ceases to be with his team and can move on. However I note Wasps are back on 24 June so may be completely wrong. It used to be specifically at the end of one of those months.
Yes the Jackson thing plays far far stronger in Ireland and especially the Dublin area with its heavy protesting groups.

[andermt]

I think the bigger question is  - How do the supporters (male/female) of London Irish feel about his signing (btw.. why don't they appear in the list of clubs on the other forum?).

The LI forum exists in the championship list just scroll further down.

I had a look yesterday and they were very anti Diageo which I have to say surprised me, to have a major Irish business walk away from LI as a sponsor is not a great situation for them.

[BG]

Good spot Andermt

TBH I'd never considered Diageo as Irish but a multinational drinks company (how many famous brands do they own.. a dozen.. more?) that happens to have Guinness in its portfolio.

LI posters seem to be expressing the same as others on here.. that its a bit rich for a multi-national booze company taking the moral high ground (given all the the problems that their products either directly or indirectly create).

[RBB]

Things get worse, another sponsor considering its position

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/paddy-whiskey-reviewing-its-partnership-with-london-irish-amid-paddy-jackson-deal-1.3926265

[BG]

Things get worse, another sponsor considering its position

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/paddy-whiskey-reviewing-its-partnership-with-london-irish-amid-paddy-jackson-deal-1.3926265

Seriously.. Paddy Whiskey       what genius came up with that..

Ah.. American owners.. called Sazerac.. bizarrely Sazerac are competitors to Diageo but Diageo recenty sold 19 brands to them worth £340m...??.. but both were sponsoring London Irish?? Err..

The world of distilling is a tight knit community.

I wonder if Diageo had to pay a cancellation fee to LI or would they have been able to fall back on some small print I wonder

[welsh wasp]

I wonder how we would react if either Folau or Jackson were to join Wasps?
Jackson & friends made some very disparaging comments about women on their social media conversations. Folau has done the same about various groups he seems to dislike despite his Christian beliefs.
Jackson was sacked from Ulster & his Irish contract, joined a second division club in France, and LIrish have now got him.

[BG]

I've had to think how best to express my thoughts on this before picking the grenade up and pulling the pin..

Neither Jackson nor Folau have committed a crime, or served time in a prison. Based on that I wouldn't have a problem with either being signed. Even if they had, I still wouldn't discount selection based just on that criteria. Everyone makes mistakes and deserves a 2nd chance

The connundrum is that the area of discussion around Folau and Jackson aren't as a result of a "mistake"

They are both being judged on their character, beliefs, personal moral compasses.

Don't forget Jackson's comments were part of a private conversation, it wasn't social media. It was no different to something being said behind closed doors in a changing room.  The difference being the private conversation took place on WhatsApp. (I'm presuming all players in all clubs have been reminded of the vulnerability of using digital/internet/phone apps to converse).

Folau is expressing his religious beliefs but at what point do they become offensive to others.

I've personally not been offended by either (i.e. I've not met them personally) so I wouldn't have a problem but in both cases I think I'd have to consider the impact within the club itself, that not only includes the squad but the wider staff.. the office workers, catering staff etc and whether they would have a problem dealing with both on a daily basis

I suspect both would be an unwelcome distraction within the club which is what has come to transpire at London Irish, so as a DoR I wouldn't sign either.

[Rossm]

I wonder how we would react if either Folau or Jackson were to join Wasps?

I would not be capable of mixing socially with either of them. Not my sort of people.

I think the reaction would be down to each of us individually.

Are we that desperate?

I think LI have made a huge error.

[Neils]

I wonder how we would react if either Folau or Jackson were to join Wasps?

I would not be capable of mixing socially with either of them. Not my sort of people.

I think the reaction would be down to each of us individually.

Are we that desperate?

I think LI have made a huge error.

+1 totally agree.

Neither for Wasps at all.

[RogerE]

If, as a result of the ill-conceived merger that resulted in the professional  LI,  they had decided to use the name of one of the other teams (London Scottish or Richmond) there wouldn't now be a problem

[BG]

Eh? What merger?

[Neils]

Back at the beginning of the Professional era the owner of LS got pissed off (as I remember it) and sold LS position in the Prem League to Bristol. LS went into Administration as did Richmond (same ground etc). These clubs were merged with Irish (who if I remember have to have the emblems of both somewhere on their kit).
The amateur sides of LS and Richmond started way down the leagues can't remember how far (something like 7 or 9 leagues down). However they have bounced back up and were both playing Irish last season.

[Trevs Big Tackle]

And, as I understand it, the IRFU have no connection with the current London Irish (like the WRU has no connection with London Welsh). But back in the amateur days I think there was some official connections with the various "exile" teams.

[Neils]

However the SRU do take an interest in LS.