Dermot Morgan's Welsh rugby player pokes fun at the perception that rugby in Ireland is played by the middle class.
This Dermot Morgan character, a social climbing Welsh rugby player, recites a poem about why he would rather play for Ireland.
In Ireland Rugby Union is often viewed as a middle or upper class sport, whereas in Wales, it is a working-class sport, with teams originally formed by the workers in mines.
To play for Wales is wonderful. What bothers me you see is, I'm a mobile forward, mobile upwardly.
This player from Wales is frequently reminded of his team's humble background. He felt deep social shame when a teammate shook hands with Princess Diana leaving coal dust on her glove. His perception of Irish rugby is that it is played by a better class of person.
But if I played for Ireland, I’d forget about the mines.
He would feel perfectly at home lining up with the Irish rugby team to meet the President of Ireland,
I could have great confidence as I reached to take his fist, that I stood between a solicitor and a gynecologist.
This episode of 'Kenny Live’ was broadcast on 4 February 1989.
