The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) was the most successful of the âbig threeâ sports in getting Covid-related funding from the state last year, according to documents released under freedom of information to the Sunday Times. The rugby association asked for up to â¬20 million and received â¬18 million, or 90 per cent of what it requested, while the GAA sought almost â¬44 million and was allocated â¬30.8 million, 70 per cent of what it wanted. The Football Association of Ireland, which received a bailout of â¬52.5 million in January 2020, later sought â¬19.2 million from the Covid relief scheme and was given about two-thirds of this, or â¬13 million.