what state rugby union ?

[gillysmyhero]

I played league for 14yrs and also played union for work on a quite a few occasions.In one game of union against Scotland the Ref asked me halfway through the 1st half if i was a league player which i told him i was.From that point on wards he penalised me every time i got the ball or tackled an opponent (i hadnt been penalised once before he found out i was Rl player).At one point i had chased a kick which had gone dead,as i was walking back the scots flyhalf smacked me in the face so i smacked him and we got into a scuffle.When it ended the ref penalised me for being in the wrong place.The ref then told me to stck to my own crap game.Stuck up set of tossers.

[TonyH]

The marketing in rugby union has to be top notch because the actual product is sh*t.

I'd like to smack Jeremy Guscott in his face, I can remember when he sh*t himself about playing against Wigan for Bath so he said he was 'injured'.

In Union the ball is hardly in play, probably about 30 minutes out of 80 it is actually in play and anyone I speak to who are die hard Union fans say 'League is too stop start' And my reply is, "Your having my eyes out with that one, Union isn't even too stop and start because you actually have to get started to stop"

It's totally and utterly the w*nkest sport in the world played on the most part by toffee nosed d*ck heads too unfit for Rugby League.

Narrow minded Union fans actually think that when someone takes a ball in in League that thats it, everything stops, they dont realise the getting back ten metres, the wrestle on the ground and the push through from the attackers is happening aswell. Tossers the lot of them. Their idea of taking a ball up is picking it up from the back of a ruck and then falling over a further metre forward.

It really winds my ticket that our sport which is so great gets cacked on by these knobs who can't pass properly, have no rugby brain and kick the ball every chance they get.

Oh and 3 points for a drop goal? F*** me readers, let's give them 10 points for a try, there that few and far between.

Rugby league - Too tough for Jonny, Danny and the rest of the Ping Pong players.

As you can tell I love Union like an STD

[mitch2k9]

ru is a waste of a good 80 mins,it's a version of tennis on a bigger scale.and the salary cap is rediculous.they have a damn cheek robbing the great game (RL) of players BUT this will be there downfall hahaha. [/quote]

[exile in Tiger country]

I was talking with a Leicester Tigers supporter the other day about the lack of tries in union, and it being caused by the three point penalties and drop goals.
I also think the losing bonus point has a lot to do with it.
He said the stats for last season showed an average of 4.5 tries per game. This season new rule changes have reduced this average of 2.5 tries per game.
That is appalling.

[the_cow]

I find these kind of threads pretty pointless really- the die-hard league fans hate union, the die hard union fans hate league and they will never see eye to eye. I don't really see the need for each party to throw stones at either code as each code is in essence it's own sport- different type of supporters in primarily different regional areas.

I however find myself in the middle as I play union and watch league primarily. The only thing I find annoying is that union has the money to cherry pick league players, but even that only happens occasionally.

Union's current problems predominately lie in the Northern Hemisphere where defence is the main aim. Player development in union has now focused on being physically big at the cost of learning to be skillful (don't we hear that in league though off the older supporters?).

The argument of kicking I find is amusing- in union you kick to gain yardage normally when you are in a defensive position....but then isn't that the same in tactics as putting in 4 drives and a long punt on the 5th tackle. However, in league a kick is used in an attacking sense whereas it is very rarely used attackingly in union because of the difference in the rules.

I agree Northern Hemispehere club rugby is pretty dire to watch but try watching the Super 14's for some entertainment.

PS. Johnny Wilkinson would be superb in either code with his handling & kicking skills and his tackling technique is superb

[stevethegas]

IMO, RU has the overall model that RL craves a premiership , cup comps, euro cups and very high profile international game.

What is lacking is the product it serves up is very dour indeed , I do fear for RL should ru get it right on the pitch.

You're absolutely right about the substructure of RU. The simple truth is that until very recently the League (in Britain) simply failed to believe what an excellent product it had and one way or another allowed the RU to dictate terms. During the last war the Vichy government in France actually banned the playing of Rugby League. (Lest we get too precious about that always remember that the Westminster government also banned Hurling and GAA in Ireland before independence.)
However you must not fear for League. You state "if the RU get it right on the pitch". In reality to get it right on the pitch they'd have to adopt so many of our laws that the product would be indistinguishable. In that case we'd be happy to welcome them into our fold, and we'd be back to the pre 1895 situation. All the talent would still be in the North, as it is now and ever was!

[doc]

Given its in London (pop ~ 7 million with another 7 million in easy travelling distance - thanks Wikipedia) over Xmas holiday its hardly surprising, especially on a day with v little football / other RU in the capital.

As a %age of total population it's about the same as the 25k plus gates we used to get vs saints on boxing day.

[Panchitta Marra]

Wow , 80,000 people for a club derby game in the guiness premiership.

Could a Saints v Wigan game ever generate such a crowd ?

Maybe not the crowd but the game would certainly be more exciting to watch.

[Mike]

Tickets for that match were about £2 per head. Like what we did with Leeds.

Personally, I think its a great idea. I'd rather the club have 25,000 each week paying a fiver than 12,500 paying 20, but the club has to maximise income. If you have access to a vacent and friendly large stadium every now and again, you can do this and still retain your income.

[NewYorkWiganFan]

Great stuff.