Euan Murray wants Sunday matches banned

My two cents on this is that the guy is an absolute clown - he wants international rugby to ban Sunday matches because he cant play on Sundays due to his faith - unbelievable.

"I don't see why there have to be games on Sundays," said Murray. "I hope things will change in future."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15016776.stm

As a falcon fan...I agree...BAN SUNDAY GAMES!!!

have to agree, muppet springs to mind

Can't see that occurring when the teams in the PRL couldn't even agree on playing 6 weeks of LV Cup games in order to retain the value of the AP. Won't happen there is no chance Sunday games will stop as it's good TV money.

Because Sunday is the weekend so more people can watch the game. Why would we cancel Sunday games because a tiny minority of people have a belief that you shouldn't do anything on a Sunday? What a clown. I'll stand by him for standing up for his beliefs (and to not play on Sundays) because you shouldn't force your beliefs on others. For the same reason I'll call him a clown for saying this.

I have no problem with him having a belief that's strong enough for him to not play on Sundays. It's not like every rugby playing nation is Christian though, so a ban on Sundays would be pretty silly.

Keep it to yourself, Murray!

In the Islamic world Friday is the religious day. So that's no games on Fridays and Sundays.... anyone else have a problem with certain days?

rugbyfan wrote:In the Islamic world Friday is the religious day. So that's no games on Fridays and Sundays.... anyone else have a problem with certain days?

I don't like games on Saturdays - it interferes with my concentraing on

And I think Saturday is the Hebrew sabbath - so that rules out Saturday too!

I don't like games on a Saturday as I'm busy playing for my own team. Much prefer the opportunity to nip down to Welford Rd on a Friday/Sunday or just watch live rugby on the tv at home.

He is a professional player - I dont like mondays but I still go to work!

I don't like sunday games either. Mostly because I don't like drinking on a school night so it means I can't get boomed on a Sunday match.

The atheist in me is angered

but i respect his believes
but i dont like someone messing with my sunday rugby

THERE IS NO GOD!!!

Just my belief of course and I'm not forcing my opinion on anyone

So don't mess with my Sunday's!!

If Murray chooses not to play on Sunday thats his business but if he thinks everyone else shouldn't be able to play or watch rugby on a sunday as well he needs to catch himself on.

It's the 21st century FFS!

roddersm wrote:If Murray chooses not to play on Sunday thats his business but if he thinks everyone else shouldn't be able to play or watch rugby on a sunday as well he needs to catch himself on.

It's the 21st century FFS!

The 21st century A.D.

luckless_pedestrian wrote:

roddersm wrote:If Murray chooses not to play on Sunday thats his business but if he thinks everyone else shouldn't be able to play or watch rugby on a sunday as well he needs to catch himself on.

It's the 21st century FFS!

The 21st century A.D.

By jeebus you've got me there! Down with Sunday games!

I think there is a compromise everybody's missing here. Ban Sundays. Not Sunday matches.

No more Sunday times, no more church for Euan because there will be no more Sundays. We call it Funday. Everybody does what they want to do, no more wars, no more religion.

You may say I´m a dreamer but I´m not the only one. Funday. Imagine...

You could change 'week' to 'wheee!' and everyone could ride waterslides for ever.

rugbyfan wrote:In the Islamic world Friday is the religious day. So that's no games on Fridays and Sundays.... anyone else have a problem with certain days?

Islamic sabbath is saturday not friday saturday is the last day of the week, the day according to the bible, koran, torah that God rested after 6 days of hard work.

honestly I have no problem with the guy not playing because of his faith, Michael Jones did the same in 87. As for some of teh comments on here tehy make me a little ashamed to be an atheist.

I admire the guy.... but that doesn't mean I'd make the same choice. I do respect his decision to do so however.

When was it that a player last put aside personal glory to stand by his own beliefs/principals?

Scotland know the score, its nothing new and if it was a problem, Robinson would not have continued to pick him.

So he doesn't want games to be played on Sunday... big deal... I'm sure most NZ fans would want tries to be worth more and JW would want drop goals/penalties to be worth more etc. Obviously he would like to play more so if Scotland could avoid Sunday matches then it would suit him and I can't see it hindering his teammates either.

Sunday matches aren't great for fans anyhow.... you can't celebrate like a Saturday due to work commitments the next day (unless you are hardcore), its still seen as a family day also so people will be less likely to go down the pub with mates to watch the match etc.
I'd prefer Friday night matches to Sunday ones for those reasons above.

Probably all TV influence... attempt to spread sport across the weekend to maximise the number of viewers... you don't want half people tuning into football and half rugby when you can get all on one sport on consecutive days.

Way I see it, if he doesn't want to play Sundays then thats fine. Teams will take it into account when hiring him and if he can accept that risk - its fine.



But there is no logic to forcing your religion on everyone.

Artful Dodger, it would be a good idea if you got rid of the speechmarks in the title of this thread. Nowhere in the BBC article does Euan Murray say he wants rugby on Sundays to be banned.

Yep, have to agree with the sentiment here. Faith is a personal thing, not a societal thing. Example, the Irish poster will get this one more but Good Friday and the ban on the sale of alcohol.

A) this is a Republic, not a theorcracy so a law informed by religious observance is lacking legitimacy, imho.

B) if you cant readily obtain the substance, then it i not a sacrifice to gove it up. Butcher shops are still open on Good Friday, VOLUNTARILY not doing something is what makes it a sacrifice. I mean if i go to Antarctica and 'give up' Facebook, im not really giving it up as i cannot do it. In my own home with fucntioning broadband however, that is a sacrifice.

C) Society's problem with alcohol is not in anyway altered or addressed by a 24hr ban, esp when the day before is the busiest day for Off-Licences.

So Euan calling for nothing to happen on a Sunday is not a display of his fauith but rather an attempt to impose his inactivity on Sundays upon us all; which is also undermines his own sacrifice for God. But then again, logic has no place in religious practice.

Wholeheartedly agree Debaters.

I don't mind anyone taking a stand for what they believe. I do mind people who try to force their belief on me. If you don't like Sunday games because you can't go to the pub - that's your lifestyle choice. It's no different to the faith argument. Each to their own, but keep me and my lifestle choice out of it.

Spot on Debaters !

Cheers Stag. I also add the caveat that I was talkign about ROI when i said 'this is a republic'. I genuinely am not trying to offend anyone with that line, in case anyone should take issue with it.

Sorry debators but you are talking bollix sir.........you can get Facebook in Antarctica with a satellite internet connection.......

If that's his own personal belief (not to play on a Sunday) then fair enough. However, he can't expect everyone else to do the same though, surely? Look at the non-professional sports that go on - they have only Saturdays and Sundays to play their games, what are they expected to do - wear themselves down during the week so that they can have Sundays off? I don't know what Murray would do if he played in Ireland's GAA - most of their games are held on Sunday afternoons.

Also, I hope he's not hypercritical by using shops, cafes and the like on Sundays - surely the people who work in them should have Sundays off too in his view?

Ah but rodders, the connection will keep dropping out and i cant afford the cost. Right, in Antarctica there are McDonald's, therefore if i go there and then 'give up' McDonalds, it is a false sacrifice. Can i get agreement on that or is that another case of my reproductive organs assuming control?!

rugbyfan wrote:In the Islamic world Friday is the religious day. So that's no games on Fridays and Sundays.... anyone else have a problem with certain days?

I can't make Saturdays, my son plays cricket.

biltongbek wrote:

rugbyfan wrote:In the Islamic world Friday is the religious day. So that's no games on Fridays and Sundays.... anyone else have a problem with certain days?

I can't make Saturdays, my son plays cricket.

lucklily I live in France and my son will not go the same route !

OK Debators I've just checked and there's no Macdonalds listed in antarctica. You can have that one

more seriously I think there is one "adventist" player in this RWC that cannot play on saturday.

Fair enough if he has a clause in his club contract but I can't understand why Scotland put up with this.

I'm good at my job and because I have a knack for it I also run the office IT which almost makes me indespensible.

However if I turned up in the morning and said my religious beliefs won't allow me to work Mondays anymore I know exactly what the answer would be.

And that would be even before I got around to trying to convince my boss that no one else should work Mondays either!!

"I don't see why there have to be games on Sundays," said Murray. "I hope things will change in future."

Dodger - it's a bit of a stretch to say that he wants to take proscriptive action?

As someone else has already said, the BBC article does not quote him using the word 'banned', so unless you or 606v2 want a libel suit it would be prudent to modify the thread title pronto.

Why doen't he just play and give his match fee to charity!
As an Atheist I just don't get it.

MunsterMac wrote:Fair enough if he has a clause in his club contract but I can't understand why Scotland put up with this.

I'm good at my job and because I have a knack for it I also run the office IT which almost makes me indespensible.

However if I turned up in the morning and said my religious beliefs won't allow me to work Mondays anymore I know exactly what the answer would be.

And that would be even before I got around to trying to convince my boss that no one else should work Mondays either!!

Except there is no faith that has its holy day on a monday whilst sunday worship has been around for about 1400 years.

Honestly this is a nothing story on the bbc hyped by this thread I actually am stunned by the small mindedness on here from some of you.

To be fair Bath, I am an Atheist too, but I can still understand that this forms part of his faith. the only poblem I have with it is the suggestion that we have to conform to said tenents as well.

Sheikh's are obliged to wear a turban, I barely wear a cap in the sunshine, doesn't mean I am unable to fathom their need in this respect.

Ok, lets get one thing straight. Murray hardly lifted the phone and said 'hello, bbc? yes i'd like to have an interview with you about Sunday matches, i've something i want to demand from the world!'

no. he was asked questions. he answered questions, they wrote up an article based on his honest answers.

HE DEMANDED NOTHING. HE JUST SAID WHAT HE WOULD LIKE IN HIS IDEAL WORLD.

FFS, some people just spend their days looking for stuff to be outraged about!

T-Osprey,

I'd like to think I am not being small minded, simply pointing out my reasoned onjections to teh suggestion, and it was simply a suggestion, that the RWC/HC/Jeff/Top14/Super Rugby/Rabo12 conform to his practices and not have matches on a Sunday.

BBC Sport have an article on Euan Murray's questioning the need to have WC matches on a sunday as it interfere's with his Devout Catholic Beliefs. As such, he has pulled out of this sunday's game, and should Scotland prgress through to last 8, he would also need to pull out of that game.

Now, i am not gonna question or denegrate his beliefs, but should religion be allowed to dictate when a game can be played, especially on a world stage?

Would people construe this as forcing a belief onto the rest of the competitors to be unfair? We must all respect each other Religious Beliefs, but we should also refrain from trying to impose our own beliefs onto others.

I think the vast majority think that:

A) it's fine for him to not play Sundays - he's never said that he would.

B) The fact he "[doesn't] see why there have to be games on Sundays," would show that he's a little out of touch with commercial realities and with what the average fan and player want.

To be fair his quote was probably taken out of context. Mountains and mole hills.

Clive, nobody is "outraged". I just disagree that it should be this way for all.



I have friends who are really really religious and would rather lose a leg than not go to church on Sundays. And thats fine. And its fine that Murray is unwilling to play Sundays. Thats his thing.



However he has suggested that ideally there would be no games for anyone on Sunday.

Someone has to stand up for the guy.

Yes I agree with him, Sunday games should be banned.

Jesus was born in a stable, as the pub was full. This meant that Jospeh (his dad) wasn't able to get a beer to wet baby Jesus's head. Which really annoyed him, as he needed a beer, because during the pain of labour his mrs (Mary) told him to p!ss off back to Jordan (a model he had been seeing with enormous t!ts, not a area in the holy lands), because she didn't love him and had been unfaithful with an old guy with a white beard. The bible doesn't say who this is, but I think it's Santa, which is why we always see Santa at Christmas (Jesus' birthday).

Anyway, back to Joseph, he couldn't get that beer, because the pub was full OF RUGBY FANS watching the Heineken Cup which they couldn't see at home, because it was on Sky.

So YES, I'm backing Euan Murray. Playing Rugby on Sunday should be banned........













...... Think you can guess from the above my real thoughts on religion (and that's all religion), and Murray's beliefs....

Fact is I respect your beliefs, respect mine....

A) it's fine for him to not play Sundays - he's never said that he would.

He made his international debut in 2005.

He only decided he wouldn't play on Sundays in 2009.

debaters

where in the article does he suggest it? he says he doesnt understand the need for it and hopes it would change but at no point is Murray lobbying for a change is he?

As I said its a nothing article inflamed by an incorrect thread title. Really false sacrifice argument in a rugby forum?

He was asked his opinion and given his beliefs the response is predictable and nothing that deserves some of the responses on here. I may be an atheist but I respect his convictions.

Growing up in West Wales the argument between chapel or the club is one I had regularly. The club always won out for me, doesnt mean I am about to belittle those for whom chapel was the draw.

"As I said its a nothing article inflamed by an incorrect thread title. Really false sacrifice argument in a rugby forum?"

Sorry Tycroes but the BBC headline which is what i based my thread title on is....

"Murray in Sunday rugby ban plea"

Thats on the main Rugby Union page on the BBC website.

red_stag wrote:Clive, nobody is "outraged". I just disagree that it should be this way for all.



I have friends who are really really religious and would rather lose a leg than not go to church on Sundays. And thats fine. And its fine that Murray is unwilling to play Sundays. Thats his thing.



However he has suggested that ideally there would be no games for anyone on Sunday.

Yes Stag, and i would understand the reaction if Euan Murray was someone who might actually have an influence on the matter. He does not however. There is no threat here.

Theres plenty of things I don't agree with. For example, drinks manufacturers have to tell everyone to 'drink sensibly' these days. You don't need me to tell you that there are still a heck of a lot of people who spend there weeks looking forward to the opportunity at the weekend to drink with as little sense as possible.
But they don't all go on forums in uproar because there are people out there (including myself) who see unsensible drinking as a problem in modern society and insist upon these labels in packaging/advertising.

We just get on with it.

So likewise, i say to everyone now, just get on with it.

He's not forcing anything on anyone. He's not even saying he'd like to be able to. He is probably just saying, he would love to be in a world where it wasn't a conflict for him or others.