IL talks about SL expansion & how the global future of RL lies with clubs not national teams

[Wikimann]

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/stor ... rl/?cs=298

[SJ]

My first approximation on reading the Post subject is to say the clubs have not expanded the game beyond the M62 corridor in any consistently substantial way

[DaveO]

“I believe that club rugby league, rather than international [Test] rugby league is the future of the game,” he said.

“We’ll never compete with rugby union when it comes to the international game, but club rugby union is poorly supported everywhere.

He's talking complete and utter bollocks on all counts. It's RU's international game that that drives interest in the sport. Anyone who is English, Welsh, Scottish etc can get behind and be inspired by their national team doing well in the 6 nations or winning RU world cups even if they don't have a premier league RU club on the doorstep. Those who do are quite likely to go and watch if the internations caught their imagination. The interest after England won the world cup at Chester RU where I am was huge.

Clubs on the other hand do not inspire support nationally and as such any interest in "on thew road games" is a passing curiosity for the majority.

It's no use taking games to far flung places if after the clubs have left there is nothing for the locals to support and latch onto. The idea substantial numbers are going to become Wigan (or whoever) fans is nuts. A strong international game does potentially give them something to follow

The clubs have not got resources to set up the infrastructure to expand the game and one off trips won't do it. The best bet for a club doing it is not Wigan going all over the world but a club like Toronto who have a rich backer and who are a club in situ so the locals can start to follow the sport without having to become fans of far flung teams.

As to no one watching club RU, he really ought to do a bit of research before he comes out with tripe like that. It took me 30 seconds to find this:

https://www.ruck.co.uk/biggest-average- ... -revealed/

Compare that to last season in SL with Wigan and Leeds the highest attendances: Leeds 14418 and Wigan 13671.

That would put Leeds 14th in that list , Wigan Wigan 15th and Hull would just scrape in at 20th.

As the RU article says Sarries and Quins take games to Wembley and Twickers so that inflates their particular attendances but that is hardly a negative when they got 84000 and 82000 for the league games, both figures that comfortably exceed the attendances for the CC final and grand final.

To put these figures further in perspective the magic weekend got 35K and 30K each day and the crowd in Wollongong was 12416.

IL might think Wigan can make money out of trips to Oz or wherever but the idea RL clubs are the means to expand the game because RU has left a gap due to poor club support is just complete rubbish.

[keptinthedarkfans]

“I believe that club rugby league, rather than international [Test] rugby league is the future of the game,” he said.

“We’ll never compete with rugby union when it comes to the international game, but club rugby union is poorly supported everywhere.

He's talking complete and utter bollocks on all counts. It's RU's international game that that drives interest in the sport. Anyone who is English, Welsh, Scottish etc can get behind and be inspired by their national team doing well in the 6 nations or winning RU world cups even if they don't have a premier league RU club on the doorstep. Those who do are quite likely to go and watch if the internations caught their imagination. The interest after England won the world cup at Chester RU where I am was huge.

Clubs on the other hand do not inspire support nationally and as such any interest in "on thew road games" is a passing curiosity for the majority.

It's no use taking games to far flung places if after the clubs have left there is nothing for the locals to support and latch onto. The idea substantial numbers are going to become Wigan (or whoever) fans is nuts. A strong international game does potentially give them something to follow

The clubs have not got resources to set up the infrastructure to expand the game and one off trips won't do it. The best bet for a club doing it is not Wigan going all over the world but a club like Toronto who have a rich backer and who are a club in situ so the locals can start to follow the sport without having to become fans of far flung teams.

As to no one watching club RU, he really ought to do a bit of research before he comes out with tripe like that. It took me 30 seconds to find this:

https://www.ruck.co.uk/biggest-average- ... -revealed/

Compare that to last season in SL with Wigan and Leeds the highest attendances: Leeds 14418 and Wigan 13671.

That would put Leeds 14th in that list , Wigan Wigan 15th and Hull would just scrape in at 20th.

As the RU article says Sarries and Quins take games to Wembley and Twickers so that inflates their particular attendances but that is hardly a negative when they got 84000 and 82000 for the league games, both figures that comfortably exceed the attendances for the CC final and grand final.

To put these figures further in perspective the magic weekend got 35K and 30K each day and the crowd in Wollongong was 12416.

IL might think Wigan can make money out of trips to Oz or wherever but the idea RL clubs are the means to expand the game because RU has left a gap due to poor club support is just complete rubbish.

Could not have put it better myself. :eusa2:

[fozzieskem]

Won’t quote S.J or DaveO but both are correct in what they say.

[Big Steve]

These figures will include the European competition which drives much more interest and money than the old club rugby games.

Pretty much inline with where IL would like tomove the game here.

[Wiganer Ted]

This appears, to me, that there is a change in the influence of the power brokers in RL. The article is by IL but Pearson must go along with it for Hull to take part. They clearly have an ambition to expand the game and it can't be done without making money. This trip it is suggested with make the clubs £500k each.

This may be just the starter for ten, with expansion ventures ahead.
Where they take place I'm not sure. Although there is a club in Toronto and talk of others over there we aren't going to be playing in Feb anywhere in North America. Southern states maybe. Perhaps the Magic Weekend could be taken over there in a couple of cities.

The obvious one at present is Perth where IL mentions about the NRL expanding. The Western Australian Govt may be interested and that would be interesting. Perhaps Hull FC would do it again with it being one of their home games.

[old hooker]

IL does not believe this nònsense he is spouting, he has a very large ego and thinks that being first to deliver new practices within RL will give him a higher profile and an opportunity to make money for himself, RL comes second to IL after his pursuit of financial gain.

[medlocke]

This appears, to me, that there is a change in the influence of the power brokers in RL. The article is by IL but Pearson must go along with it for Hull to take part. They clearly have an ambition to expand the game and it can't be done without making money. This trip it is suggested with make the clubs £500k each.

This may be just the starter for ten, with expansion ventures ahead.
Where they take place I'm not sure. Although there is a club in Toronto and talk of others over there we aren't going to be playing in Feb anywhere in North America. Southern states maybe. Perhaps the Magic Weekend could be taken over there in a couple of cities.

The obvious one at present is Perth where IL mentions about the NRL expanding. The Western Australian Govt may be interested and that would be interesting. Perhaps Hull FC would do it again with it being one of their home games.

Jacksonville, Atlanta, Birminghan, Houston, i'd also try out Arizona

[thegimble]

This appears, to me, that there is a change in the influence of the power brokers in RL. The article is by IL but Pearson must go along with it for Hull to take part. They clearly have an ambition to expand the game and it can't be done without making money. This trip it is suggested with make the clubs £500k each.

This may be just the starter for ten, with expansion ventures ahead.
Where they take place I'm not sure. Although there is a club in Toronto and talk of others over there we aren't going to be playing in Feb anywhere in North America. Southern states maybe. Perhaps the Magic Weekend could be taken over there in a couple of cities.

The obvious one at present is Perth where IL mentions about the NRL expanding. The Western Australian Govt may be interested and that would be interesting. Perhaps Hull FC would do it again with it being one of their home games.

Jacksonville, Atlanta, Birminghan, Houston, i'd also try out Arizona

No sorry not for me getting to Atlanta, Houston even Arizona is not a big problem 10 hours away. But getting to Birmingham on the M6 Friday will take too long.

On Birmingham Alabama we stayed there overnight on a tour in 2005. We were told not to go out at night a block from the hotel. We stayed there as it was safer than Atlanta.

On a holiday before that we went to Houston some experience especially when the taxi driver just locked all the doors and put his foot down through a few areas.

No issue in Arizona though nice places to stay.