Thanks to Belfast Gonzo for pointing out the bigoted decision of the IRFU not to play the national anthem or fly the Union Flag when they face Italy in Belfast next year. Instead, Ireland will be represented by the IRFU flag and the 'neutral' song Ireland's Call, usually accompanied by the southern tricolour and Soldier's Song at games in Dublin. In my opinion this is a disgraceful way to treat the players and fans from Northern Ireland who have respected the flag and anthem of the Irish Republic at games in Dublin for so long now.

From some point after partition up until the 1950s, the Ireland rugby team would alternate matches between Dublin and Belfast, using the flag of whichever jurisdiction the match was to be held in. However this agreement was broken after Ireland's last full international match at Ravenhill in 1954. From that time, all Ireland matches were played in the Republic.

In 1995 the IRFU adopted the "neutral" anthem Ireland's Call at both home and away matches, and that could (and should) have been the end of it. If at that point they had ceased using the flag and anthem of the southern state, no issue would have arisen today.

However, the IRFU have continued to play the Republic's national anthem (and fly the Republic's flag) at home games at Lansdowne Road using the logic excuse that this was done on the basis that the Republic of Ireland was the home jurisdiction. On this logic, any future matches in Belfast would theoretically be played under the Union Flag/Northern Ireland flag with both Ireland's Call and God Save the Queen played. The IRFU managed to maintain that pretence for 11 years, in the belief that their explanation would never be challenged by the staging of an international match in Belfast.

However, last month the IRFU confirmed that the Italy match next year would take place at Ravenhill. A month later, they have confirmed that they will not show the same respect to Northern Ireland that they have always shown the Republic, and that they will only fly the IRFU flag and only play Ireland's Call. This gross hypocrisy means an Ireland match at Ravenhill will be played like an away match, and confirms once and for all that the team is not an Ireland rugby team but a Republic of Ireland rugby team.

Follow up:

Let me clarify. I would have no problem with not playing God Save The Queen nor with not flying the Union Flag/Northern Ireland flag in Belfast if the same procedure was followed in Dublin with respect to the Republic's flag and anthem. This may eventually be conceded, but I won't be surprised if in 10 years time Northern Irish rugby fans, having stood quietly through the Soldier's Song for 50 years in Dublin, are still being treated as second-class supporters by the IRFU - not to mention the players. Apparently Geese and Ganders are to be given very different sauces at the IRFU.

The Ireland rugby team is supposed to represent both parts of the island. To treat one part of the island as somehow better than the other in this way is a deliberate insult to Northern Ireland and the Ulster Branch should be ashamed of themselves for going along with it so easily. Despite having the double standard here pointed out to them, the IRFU will not reverse their decision and the Ulster Branch are backing them all the way.