time for an all Ireland rugby side

"the other talented northerners all seem to want to play for ROI at this time."

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These "talented" (your words) players all have one thing in common. Ultimately we will be left with sporting apartheid on the island of Ireland. Way to go

Your point about the anthem is moot, since if it makes no difference to you non Norn Iron fans, then your view on it is rather foundationless. If it actually mattered to you, your view would definitely carry more credence.

Ironically, it matters not my view on The Soldier's Song, but what relevance does the "Saxon Foe" have in 2012?

Unfortunately the Irish Rugby set up, despite many improvements, is still not totally inclusive as it forces players from an Ulster Protestant Unionist background to stand for the Soldier's Song. They could take that final last step to total equality by banning all national anthems and playing only "Ireland's Call" which is much better than either SS or GSTQ. It would save a lot of time too!

Reiver, you make a valid point. They would also have to remove the tricolour from the Aviva and confiscate those carried into the ground by fans too.

Or allow the Northern Ireland flag to fly alongside the tricolour and not the irrelevant Ulster provincial flag.

Hell would freeze over first tho.

FOKBAIT:
Time to design a new NI flag! I have a few ideas. My current favourite is a green, white, green tricolour with a large red hand of Ulster in the central white column. Another is a large Red Hand on a green background. Contact your local MP about it. High time we had it!

Perhaps its time the orange ( or gold depending on what you read ) was dropped from the ROI flag, given the contempt with which the " orange " are seemingly held by the green

When we were growing up it was always termed by both "sides" as green, white and GOLD. However, I believe the orginal designer of the flag in the 19th century, did deliberately select ORANGE to represent the Protestant community. Of course, many Protestants would object strongly to being described as "orange".

Reiver orange isn't my colour lol!!!! And it never will be!!

Reiver your falling into their trap!! The ROI wums on here think that only OUR flags and anthem needs to change whilst theirs is fine!!!

My flag, anthem and emblems suit me fine!!!

Fokbaik my advice is to filter the bigots lol..................

That's what I do, I wouldn't talk to them in real life and I don't have to here..................

NILPOINT:
Dont worry, I aint falling into anybody's TRAP.

NILPOINT:
I suppose for them, ie. The Republic, the flag and anthem are appropriate.

For us, the fact is that it appears we do NOT officially have a national NI flag anymore. Another brain wave on the part of our leaders. Can you believe it! Im merely suggesting one for ourselves in the same way that our partners in the British Federation each have one for themselves. Same goes for the anthem. We should have our own in the same way that Scotland has, "Flower of Scotland" and Wales has, "Land of our Fathers". This would reinforce, rather than weaken our NI identity allowing us as confident NIers to decide our future destiny rather than leaving it to the people in the Republic, England, UK, EU(heaven forbid) or wherever. Being an NI supporter, Im sure will agree with this. The present state of affairs leaves us looking like some sort of nebulous, second class entity not worthy of its own flag and anthem in contrast to its partners in the Brit Federation. This of course delights the extreme Republicans no end.