HC Match in Boston

[tevisv]

Well, we have a team wanting to play a Heineken Cup match in Cape Town. And according to this article, looks like we will have one in America.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2011/11/rugby_coming_to.html

 

[Taff]

If you're going to play a Heineken Cup anywhere in the US, you could do a lot worse than get London Irish to play in Boston. The percentage of Americans living in Boston from Irish descent is pretty high IIRC.

And Boston's a gorgeous city anyway.

 

[MattyP]

If you're going to play a Heineken Cup anywhere in the US, you could do a lot worse than get London Irish to play in Boston. The percentage of Americans living in Boston from Irish descent is pretty high IIRC.

And Boston's a gorgeous city anyway.

For the two months a year when it's not a frozen wasteland...

 

[Rit Hinners]

How big is Fenway? Can you even fit a rugby pitch in there?

I can attest from first hand experience that tackling/being tackled on infield clay is not much fun.

 

[ckuxmann]

If it can host a soccer match I'm assuming a rugby pitch will fit, seeing as a soccer field is bigger.

 

[Phil E]

The percentage of Americans living in Boston from Irish descent is pretty high IIRC.

According to them, every single one of them is from Irish descent..........of course not a single one of them can point to Ireland on a map :shrug:


Ahhhhhh, Boston. That's where I met an Admirals Daughter........ She was No 3 on my things to do before I die list epper:

 

[DrSTU]

I always enjoy asking "Irish" people on St Patrick's day "how Irish they are". Yet to find a proper Irish person that has recent ties to Ireland or has ever been there!

According to them, every single one of them is from Irish descent..........of course not a single one of them can point to Ireland on a map :shrug:


Ahhhhhh, Boston. That's where I met an Admirals Daughter........ She was No 3 on my things to do before I die list epper:

 

[Bryan]

Is it actually true that there are what, 3-4 million people living in Ireland and close to 20 million Irish Passport holders?

London Irish will confuse the "Southies" in Boston:

"Hey Jimmy, I nevah noo London was in Iah-Lind."
"Yeah, us Irish, we'uh wicked smaht, we even took ovah England. Kell-Tick Tigah".
"Yeah, I gotta get ovah theh laytah this yee-uh to see my old home in Port Lay-oh-ish. Wheh's yuh family from?"
"Somewhair near Kuh-Larnie. Or maybe it was Kerry...or Derry...whatevah, it was neeah Dublin..one-adda suburbs"

I'd choose a better team to play than one of the Italian teams. I was hoping for Ulster or something but alas they're in a different group. That being said Racing Metro 92 will confuse the sh!t out of us North Americans. What a stupid name for a town: Racing Metro. I mean ok, we have the 49ers, but the 92s? WTF.

 

[Taff]

According to them, every single one of them is from Irish descent..........of course not a single one of them can point to Ireland on a map :shrug:

From what I've heard a surprising percentage of Americans couldn't even point to the US on a map, let alone Ireland but it at least it gives the Bostonians a chance to show support for their Irish heritage.

 

[Pinky]

Cody, Soccer pitches are not necessarily bigger than rugby. eg Wembley is, I think, 105m by 68m. This is too small for a full size rugby pitch as at least 120m is required to get 10m in goals. Wiki says Twickenham is 125m by 70m. Murrayfield is 144m by 70m. Most big soccer grounds seem to be about 105m, although I think the largest permitted is 120m. Width seems to vary more.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Doncaster Rovers used to have the biggest pitch in the Football League.:wow:

Billy Bremner made it "normal size" when he became manager.

You're welcome.

 

[MrQeu]

Cody, Soccer pitches are not necessarily bigger than rugby. eg Wembley is, I think, 105m by 68m. This is too small for a full size rugby pitch as at least 120m is required to get 10m in goals. Wiki says Twickenham is 125m by 70m. Murrayfield is 144m by 70m. Most big soccer grounds seem to be about 105m, although I think the largest permitted is 120m. Width seems to vary more.

105m from line to line, not counting the grass on the back and inside the goal line, isn't it?

IIRC some Premiership matches are played on football grounds, aren't they?

 

[4eyesbetter]

The limits are 90m-120m by 45-90m, but there is a current international standard of 105m by 68m.

 

[Camquin]

The best plan I found was here

http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/FenwayPark.html#diag

This shows how they have fitted both a gridiron and a soccer pitch at various times.

What I cannot find is the dimensions for that soccer pitch.


Surely it would be easier to play at the Patriots Gillette stadium.

When set for Gridiron the pitch is 120 yards (109m) long
When this is set for soccer the pitch is 75 yards (68m) wide.

So you might have short in goals but you should be able to fit a full sized pitch.

Camquin

 

[4eyesbetter]

They've got FieldTurf, and I can't see everyone agreeing to play on a pitch that's covered in pointyball markings, nor the Pats agreeing to drill extra holes in it for H posts.

 

[MrQeu]

Here's a YT of Fenway makeover for a football (soccer) game.

The only doubt I have is how will it handle to run a touch line along the Great Monster. There seems to be enough space, anyway, no quick throws on that side!

 

[Camquin]

I missed the fact that Gilette was Fieldturf which is going to be a bigger problem than markings.
Painting over the markings would be less effort than flattening a pitchers mound and laying new turf.
Fieldturf Prestige XT is approved by the IRB. Lyons OU and Bayonne have Fieldturf surfaces but I think these are only at their training grounds and they play on grass.

I agree you would be brave to play a HC match on it just yet.
I think we will see rugby on artificial surfaces before I pop my clogs.

Camquin

 

[tevisv]

I wouldn't worry too much about the artificial turf and the markings at Gillette Stadium. Before the Patriots season starts, the grounds crew either rolls out another field or they "scrub" the gridiron lines clean because the footy pitch is lined with footy markings only. They have brought in a temporary natural grass pitch for international and top flight European matches, but the hold just isn't there like a properly sown pitch.