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I know weve heard a lot around how to bring fans into the sport and how to grow the game, but i kinda get the feeling lately the game is dying from within in this country

It feels lately like more and more players are walking away, Sarge (lost interest), Mamo (back injury that no one saw coming) in recent weeks, most young players want to go it in Oz - for all the talk of what the game needs to do for the fans, could we see the players give up before that.

Players retiring is nothing new granted, but the age at which players are walking away seems to be younger and more midseason jumps etc

The game is dying in schools. IMG didn’t even mention the Academy being a pillar of their proposals, that is scandalous in my view. We have got to get more kids playing the game and more quality British players in our squads.

Charriots Offiah wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:57 pm The game is dying in schools. IMG didn’t even mention the Academy being a pillar of their proposals, that is scandalous in my view. We have got to get more kids playing the game and more quality British players in our squads.

Don't play it in schools up here, in the mid 80's I played for Millom u13/15/17, but had to put up with playing union in school, boring sport, wish it had been league, though we did get one year of league in junior school when Dumpy Lupton and Tally Thompson would come every Wednesday and teach us this great sport, that soon stopped after Dumpy was crushed in a work accident, used to love those Wednesdays

Charriots Offiah wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:57 pm The game is dying in schools. IMG didn’t even mention the Academy being a pillar of their proposals, that is scandalous in my view. We have got to get more kids playing the game and more quality British players in our squads.

It's clear IMG are though are marketing men not their remits really to dictate to clubs do this and do that,plus the clubs wouldn't listen.

I agree with you btw.

Charriots Offiah wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:57 pm The game is dying in schools. IMG didn’t even mention the Academy being a pillar of their proposals, that is scandalous in my view. We have got to get more kids playing the game and more quality British players in our squads.

That's an easy fix though, with all the ex players and coaches on this site alone they could volunteer to run aftershock clubs.

Caboosegg wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:39 pm

Charriots Offiah wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:57 pm The game is dying in schools. IMG didn’t even mention the Academy being a pillar of their proposals, that is scandalous in my view. We have got to get more kids playing the game and more quality British players in our squads.

That's an easy fix though, with all the ex players and coaches on this site alone they could volunteer to run aftershock clubs.

Wigan are very active in schools in the borough and have taken over the running of some school sessions that i am aware of. Not sure how far it extends out, but surely it must be a pre-requisite for any club to be at least in the schools of their catchment area as a minimum

Wigan are very good with the school visits. Community work etc. In fact, So are the football team too.

the pieman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:14 am

Caboosegg wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:39 pm

Charriots Offiah wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:57 pm The game is dying in schools. IMG didn’t even mention the Academy being a pillar of their proposals, that is scandalous in my view. We have got to get more kids playing the game and more quality British players in our squads.

That's an easy fix though, with all the ex players and coaches on this site alone they could volunteer to run aftershock clubs.

Wigan are very active in schools in the borough and have taken over the running of some school sessions that i am aware of. Not sure how far it extends out, but surely it must be a pre-requisite for any club to be at least in the schools of their catchment area as a minimum

Is that realistic or fair?

I get the point and I get the need to increase amateur rugby and rugby at schools, however.

How does it work in schools with exam boards and curriculums? Rugby clubs could be offering X Y Z but can the school knock back and say rugby league isn’t on our curriculum? So thanks but no thanks.

Totally agree re academies, they should be included in IMG's points system.

Another thing about schools: I worked in a Leeds secondary school (not far from Ian!) in the 1990s. I organised a coach trip every year for international matches (remember them?). Iirc, it was £3 a ticket for kids and staff free.

Remember Diana Ross appearing before a match at Wembley (GB v Aus?). The front 15 rows or so all the way round the stadium were filled with school kids - future supporters. At Leicester Forest services, the lorry park was rammed with coachloads of kids from Yorkshire - presumably the Lancashire side was the same.

That was in the days of 3pm kick-offs and matches on BBC. Sky came along and it changed to evening kick-offs - no chance I'd run a trip when we'd arrive home after midnight, relying on parents to collect their kids. RLHQ also stopped the discounted tickets.

It's a big ask, but if we could get meaningful internationals back, on BBC or Ch 4, and give schools some incentive, we'd build our future support base and gain interest from the general population.

And btw, it was serious hard work organising a trip and being responsible for 45+ teenage kids, so the free ticket was only a small part of the deal!

I got my love for Rugby League by watching Granstand on a Saturday afternoon during the '60s when a "live" match at 3pm was a regular occurrence.
These days the exposure to League out with the "Heartlands" is down to Chanel 4 and Sky which have limited audiences especially as there is no promotion as such of our great game and therefore very little awareness by people especially in Scotland . Even the BBC Rugby League show is broadcast on BBC Two at something 2am . Very few people know the game even exists. During the 2 years Magic Weekend was up here thousands of tickets were available free to schools but very few were were taken up as nobody knew about it , another half arsed promotion by the RFL and one that was never followed up on . I have been stopped in airports and train station several times over the last few weeks while wearing my Scotland Rugby Leagie fleece with the comments that "Scotland are doing well" . When I point out that I don't watch Rugby Union but 'Support Rugby Leagie" I am looked at like I was from a different planet . I do suggest also that they should try watching it and you will never watch union again .

Bit of a rant but the jist of the matter is people don't watch League up here and in other places is because they don't know about it not because it isn't good .

EW