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Another airline has enraged rugby fans with a Autumn Nations Cup Twitter blunder

James Ryan /PA

Fresh after British Airways infuriated Wales fans by wishing England ‘good luck’, another airline has followed suit with a rugby-related Twitter blunder. Yesterday British Airways – an England Rugby sponsor – was forced to apologise after wishing Eddie Jones’ men good luck against Wales in the Autumn Nations Cup. Plenty of Welsh fans took exception, many of whom pointed out that as BA is the UK’s national carrier and also represents Wales.

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That Tweet was taken down and a spokesperson for British Airways said that they had ‘unintentionally strayed offside’.

Now Virgin Atlantic have put their foot in it, by insinuating that Ireland is ‘British’. However, they appear to be sticking to their guns on Tweet. The airline Tweeted: “Good luck to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the rugby this weekend. Nothing beats a bit of healthy competition. #British ”

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Apart from the fact Scotland aren’t playing this weekend, many Irish fans were quick to point out that Ireland isn’t British.

https://twitter.com/conorgriffin11/status/1332649995732971521

Their upset at the Tweet then kicked off a debate around whether the term ‘British’ is a geographic rather than a strictly political designation. Others pointed out that Northern Ireland, which is part of Ireland in rugby terms, but separate from the Republic of Ireland in political terms, is politically British.

“For those that keep saying Ireland isn’t British, it is. Ireland is not part of the United Kingdom, which isn’t what Atlantic said and Ireland is not apart of Great Britain which Atlantic also didn’t say. Britain is incorrectly used as a political term, it is purely geographical.”

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The Virgin Atlantic tweet was meant as a witty repost to the British Airways social media fumble, but it seems they managed to side-step straight into their own political quagmire. While they are standing by the Tweet, it’s not entirely clear if the use of the term Ireland and British together was deliberately to troll rugby fans, as opposed to just British Airways. It seems unlikely.

Who knew wishing rugby fans good luck was such a tricky business?

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RedWarriors 11 minutes ago
'Most complacent selection decision you will ever see': Barrett benching slammed as Leinster knocked out

I can read out the headlines to you in all the National Irish Papers and none were complacent. To say they were is a fabrication pure and simple. People (including you) saying that Irish media are arrogant does not actually equate to Irish media being arrogant.

Since Ireland beat NZ in the 2022 series Irish supporters have had to deal with these accusations of arrogance. Out of nowhere. If you wish the International game to grow then please dont make supporting rugby this unpleasant for emerging nations.

Lets look at the Wales match in the 6N. One Irish podcast took the piss. 99% were completely respectful to Wales a few actually doing useful research in which Irish successes could be transferrable to Wales and which couldn’t.

Ofcourse the internet lit up. Ireland were arroagant. The Telegraph did a big column on it. Their substantiation? The same off the ball piss take and some hearsay about one Irish supporter at the Ireland/Scotland RWC match.

Things were dying down when Pundit Brian O’Driscoll claimed he read the Telegraph article and thought Irish supporters needed to have a good look at themselves. Everything was about that one piss take. And so what? Every Scots and irish supporter knows that the Welsh took no prisoners taking the piss during their scores of victories over us over the years. They like a bit of fun.


Next time you want to accuse Irish of arrogance then read all the articles and make that decision. Otherwise its disingenious.

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