The Irish protocol.

They don't claim to represent the 2 countries they specifically represent the 4 provinces and Island of Ireland. Id guess the tricolour is flown in Landsdowne for procedural reasons as much as anything else as either the president or a representative for them is always present for games and therefore it is probably required.

I dont think its the IRFUs fault that there is no country flag for NI though, maybe DC should get in touch with his MLA if he feels this strongly about it and ask them to try come to a consensus on one in stormont, they love flags up there im sure it would be a great project for them.

Northern Ireland doesn't have a flag and nobody plays as the 'UK'. The players are from Ulster which is a province of 'Ireland'. There is no distinction made between Tommy Bowe or Rory Best both proud former members of the squad.

The desire for belligerents to destroy Ireland working as an island says a lot. The same sort of jealousy and bitterness is why the Protocol is where it is and why Unionism is in the cul de sac that it is in too. People can see with their own eyes what works n this island.

I'll be honest with you; I struggle to get excited about representative sports or sportsmen. What they do on the field of play is of some interest if you are interested in the sport concerned; I'm mostly not interested. What they do before kick-off or after the final whistle is of no significance to anyone other than themselves.

So, on the matter of what flags or badges the IRFU (or any other sporting organisation or team) uses — the choices they make may tell us something about the IRFU , but I don't care about the IRFU; why would I? It's hard to see, though, how it can tell us much of any interest about Ireland, or Northern Ireland, or nationalism, or republicanism, or unionism, or loyalism; the IRFU does not speak for any of these entities or movements.

People's reaction to the choices the IRFU makes - your reaction, my reaction, anyone's - tells us more about the people concerned than it does about the IRFU.

My guess would be that, if the IRFU has opted not to adopt the old red hand banner as the symbol of its connection with NI, that's likely to because they perceive that flag to be itself a divisive symbol in NI. Your upset at their failure to use the red hand banner may reflect a deeper upset at the fact that it's a divisive flag, or it may reflect a rejection or denial of the idea that it is divisive. But the fact that there is no uncontested flag to represent NI, and the Assembly has been unable (or unwilling?) to adopt one, suggests that the IRFU's wariness about adopting it is not entirely without foundation.

My own position would be (for the reason stated in my first paragraph) to be unbothered by this. The IRFU may be right in thinking that the red hand flag is divisive, or they may be wrong. Who cares? Why does it matter whether the IRFU's political antennae are well-tuned or not? They have no political role or authority. Myself, I think they should have stuck with the four provinces banner and I don't really know why they didn't. But, if they have made the wrong choice here, so what?

Once again, even when pressed, Frost fails to produce any evidence of 'division' on the effects of the Protocol. Really isn't good enough. He is over here (like Boris came) and his intention is once again to bluster and talk the fighting talk to appease Unionism and Unionism will once again buy into it and get sold down the river some more.

But then you lose the NIP and its economic benefits. Miniegg post was about the benefits the NIP will bring and that the only down sides are of a few checks in the sea. But if you move these checks to land then goes the unique economic advantage that the NIP brings as it is no longer needed.