COMPETITION'S DECLINE COULD HURT IRELAND MOST

Which leaves the IRFU encountering a bind where they, via URC representation, are outflanked by the English and French Rugby Union (RFU and FFR) voting blocks who, in a side war, are not anxious to share English or French sponsors that could directly benefit their domestic leagues either.

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Take that down a layer to club (provincial) level in our case and worry from there about the growing disparity between Leinster and the other three.

Leinster dominance was not necessarily written in stone when rugby went professional.