Irish rugby jersey auctioned at hunt cruelty fundraiser 30 June 2004 The Irish Council Against Blood Sports was shocked and disappointed that Irish rugby captain, Brian O'Driscoll, saw fit to present a signed Irish rugby jersey for auction at a fox hunt ball recently. The so-called 'Mid Summer Ball' was hosted by the Duhallow fox hunt club at the Castlehyde Hotel, Fermoy, Co. Cork, and was attended by members of several fox hunts from around the country, including the infamous South Union. This hunt celebrated their 100 year centenary some years ago by having a film made of their cruel activity. This included grisly scenes of a fox being dug out of the ground and thrown in an injured state to a pack of dogs to be ripped apart. "Items up for auction [at the hunt ball] included an Irish rugby jersey presented and signed by Brian O'Driscoll." (from a report in The Avondhu newspaper, June 17th, 2004) We feel sure that the vast majority of Irish citizens who support rugby would abhor the idea of an Irish jersey being auctioned off to raise money for the coffers of a fox hunt club whose sadistic idea of "sport" is the hounding down and brutal killing of foxes. ICABS has today written to the Irish rugby team and the Irish Rugby Football Union, expressing our great disappointment on the issue. We appealed to them to, in future, dissociate themselves from such activities involving animal abuse. A hunter grips a terrified fox by the neck. This is one of the sickening scenes of cruelty which form part of the South Union Hunt's centenary video. More information: Foxhunting in Ireland For more information on the cruelty of foxhunting in Ireland, please visit our Ban Foxhunting website. Petition: Please sign our Ban Foxhunting petition Keep hunts off your land - essential information for farmers News Menu | Join | Top | Home