A love of sport can so often be a “disaster for longevity in relationships”, a leading family therapist has said. 

Ireland may be out of the Rugby World Cup, but sports fans still have football, GAA, golf - the list is endless - to distract themselves. 

Generally, the most hardcore fans tend to be men and psychotherapist David Kavanagh said many of them end up neglecting their family obligations. 

“Obviously, the hangover the next day isn’t great,” he told Sarah Madden for Newstalk Breakfast. 

“A lot of people have children, so you have some trying to look after two or three children by themselves while their partner is recovering with a terrible hangover. 

“I think the way society is constructed, I think it actually expects men who love a sport to attend the events that are connected to that sport. 

“If you’re a real true supporter and a real fan, you will be there with Ireland in Paris. Why wouldn’t you be? 

“If you try and get 65,000 women to do the same thing and just be unavailable all that day and unavailable the next day when they’re hungover and can’t look after children, it’s just not done. 

“It just wouldn’t happen.” 

'Golf widow'

If watching sport takes up a couple of hours every week, playing it can take up entire days and Mr Kavanagh said he has particular sympathy for people whose partners play golf. 

“It’s all day,” he said. 

“Your partner isn’t going to come back exhausted and tired but then there’s the after-golfing recreational stuff. 

“Maybe a dinner party, it’s a whole thing really and a golf widow is a real thing, I think.” 

Former U.S. President Donald Trump plays golf.  26/05/ 2019. Image: Alamy.com

Mr Kavanagh said sports fans need to make things up to their partners, otherwise their passion could end up being a “disaster for longevity in relationships”. 

“He should say, ‘If I’m going to Portugal, why don’t you go off to Madeira with the girls then?’” he said. 

“I think when men presume they have the right to go to these events without really checking in with their partners without really checking, ‘How is this going to impact you?’” 

Main image: A woman and her excited boyfriend. Picture by: Alamy.com