Episode 1992: Covid Restrictions Lifted In The North And The GAA’s 32-County Approach Tears At The Seams, CJ Stander Retires, Day 3 Of Rabona-Gate

The GAA has always prided itself on being a 32-county organisation, but with vaccinations up north far out-stripping what’s going on on the rest of the island, does denying GAA clubs a quicker return to action make any sense?

©INPHO/James Crombie

With Stormont announcing an easing of restrictions from April 12th, we talk to Oisin McConville about why the 6 counties have often felt a band apart within the GAA, where that paranoia was justified, and where it was imagined, and why Covid means a 32-county approach is superceded by the need for us all to get back to something approaching normality as quickly as possible.

©INPHO/ Tom Honan

Ulster GAA confirm no return to activity until at least April 12th https://t.co/z7Wk4qBBUT via @IrishTimesSport

— Irish Times Sport (@IrishTimesSport) March 16, 2021

We’ll be talking rugby again on Friday, but we debate what precipitated CJ Stander’s retirement from all forms of rugby yesterday, and Erik Lamela is the itch that our listeners ensure Ken can’t stop scratching.

©INPHO/Tommy Dickson

All professional sports people are told “you will know when the time is right to hang up your boots”. It’s a sentiment one cannot fully comprehend until that day arrives.
For me, that time has come, and I hereby publicly announce my retirement from all forms of rugby. pic.twitter.com/KK5zgWC0O1

— C J Stander (@CJStander) March 16, 2021

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We speak to Lars Johnsen about the campaign to persuade the Norwegian national team to boycott the World Cup in Qatarhttps://t.co/fXXFEguLtC pic.twitter.com/8MUna7FOTw

— Second Captains (@SecondCaptains) March 16, 2021

After a deep dive in the podcast archives, a listener comes to a chilling conclusion: Ken has an anti-Liverpool bias

Ken responds. https://t.co/PFnsjVlzZd pic.twitter.com/TvDpvBXzIl

— Second Captains (@SecondCaptains) March 15, 2021