Russell Crowe has tweeted his affection for Munster Rugby, in repsonse to a fan's invitation to come and watch real rugby - in the form of a Leinster match. Crowe, as the people of Ireland learned in excruciating fashion, is the owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team.
The Oscar winner's tweet confirming his knowledge of Ireland's sovereignty was in relation to the same conversation, in which the young reporter fails to get one back on Crowe by claiming that Crowe thought Ireland was part of the UK.
Crowe's affection for the men in red is well known, and stems from his relationship with Limerick actor and hellraiser Richard Harris, with whom he developed a friendship during the film of Gladiator.
The two has promised to watch the Ireland - Australia match at Lansdowne Road in November 2002, but Harris died a couple of weeks before the Test match. Sitting alone with a pint after the game, On the back of a beer mat, Crowe wrote a verse... thing, "in the idiom of a football song you may hear at Lansdowne road," in praise of his departed friend.
Mr. Harris take the field
And play the 16th man
We’ll sing of Athenrae
And you’ll do all you can
For the green
The glorious green
The emerald green
Of Irelands pride
We’ll take the fight
We’ll never yield
For Irish sons have Irish hearts
And Mr. Harris, Mr. Harris take the field
I, and at least one other person on the internet, can remember a story Harris told in a TV interview about how Crowe offered him his Oscar statue, or a million pounds, in exchange for the Limerick man's 1948 Munster Schools jersey.
Harris, of course, would not part with the garment, which can be seen on this memorable pissup with fellow acting legend and soak, Peter O'Toole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkl1Uvd8LR4
The Australian-New Zealand actor might also be wearing a Young Munster RFC tie here in the 2000 film Proof of Life.
Legend! @russellcrowe #CookieCrowe pic.twitter.com/SLMVjHjQ
— Young Munster RFC (@YoungMunsterRFC) December 2, 2012
