News

Footballers, Men's and Women's Rugby Teams Set to Take the Field

July 21, 2009

While for some people attending the 2009 Great American Irish Festival, athletic activity will consist of hoisting pints of stout, others may prefer their pastimes to be bit more strenuous. Those folks will not be disappointed again this year, as Gaelic sporting events of all kinds will be on display at the GAIF.
The 2009 Great American Irish Festival, scheduled for July 24-26 at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in Frankfort, will feature its 5th Annual Gaelic Football Tournament as well as a men's rugby competition, and, for the first time, a women's rugby event.
The action - and we do mean action - begins Friday, July 24 with women's rugby from 6-8:30, as the host Utica Hellbender's will compete against the Syracuse Harlots, Saratoga Stallions, and Saranac Lake Lady Mountaineers. This year's Gaelic Football Tournament is scheduled to begin at noon on Saturday, July 25, with two teams advancing to contest for the GAIF Cup in the championship game at approximately 7 p.m. Clubs competing in the tournament include the Montreal Shamrocks, Quebec Patriots, Baltimore Bohemians, Mason Dixon, Syracuse Celtics and Rochester Erin's Isle. On Sunday, the men's rugby teams will take over the pitch as the host Utica Klubs will vie for tournament honors with the Utica Klubs Old Boys, Syracuse Chargers, Saratoga, Saranac Lake Mountaineers, and Binghamton. Gaelic Football has been described as a mixture of soccer and rugby, but it predates both of those games and there are distinct differences. It has been said that rugby is a thug's game played by gentlemen, soccer is a gentleman's game played by thugs and Gaelic football is a thug's game played by thugs. The players may kick, punt, or punch the ball, or they may bounce it while advancing. Throwing or carrying the ball is not allowed. At each end of the field is a goal consisting of two vertical posts and a horizontal crossbar with a net under the crossbar. Kicking or punching the ball over the crossbar counts one point; punching or kicking it into the net counts three points.
Although the game of rugby appears complex, it is governed by only two major rules: (1) players may not pass the ball forward, and (2) players may not touch the ball while it is in play if it was last touched behind them (nearer their own goals) by players on their own teams. A goal scored from a dropkick (when during play a player drops the ball, lets it rebound off the ground, and kicks it over the crossbar and through the uprights) counts 3 points. All athletic events will take place on the village athletic fields adjacent to the festival grounds and admission to all sporting events is included with the festival admission. The athletic events are sponsored by the Herkimer Telegram and associated newspapers.

Herkimer Telegram