A good news read

[Cronulla_Mania]

Very interesting....thanks gav, it just goes to prove my theory that below international games, union still doesn't have much of a foot to stand out, particularly in the so called 'heartland' of britain...
Even the kiwi club competition is struggling. Many are disenfranchised with the fact that the super12 has taken away much of its spotlight. I would agree, the tribalism has gone from over there, they used to have a comp similar to the pre 1990s NSWRL, now they are treated to matches such as Waikato vs Northern Bulls, where i dont think 10% of the audience would have any idea of where the bulls are from....
And the aussie club competition...don't make me laugh! In all seriousness, if you took out family and friends an average of about 50 people would attend each game...
The Fan.

 

[legend]

I think we are still our own worst enemy. If we had our house in order League would be untouchable by Union in Australia. I remember back ten years and the Kangaroo tours were huge and the coverage was awesome. The test series of 1990 produced some of the best football I have ever seen in my life. If GB had won that series things may be a lot different and people in the U.K would have jumped on the league bandwagon as the poor old poms would have had a successful side for a change. I hope the Lions are competetive when the Kangaroos tour later this year. The game needs a kickstart in the international arena and the Kiwis have shown they are not quite up to the task. Let's hope David Waite can pull a rabbit out of his hat.

 

[G@v]

No matter what David Waite manages to acheive with the GB team the game will remain a second class sport in the UK. We have beaten you Aussies in the past and it never made Rugby League a major sport. Even if we dominated the game for the next decade we would still struggle to get the coverage that sports like cricket and rugby union recieve.

Soccer only dominates the sporting media because it is far bigger than any of the other sportsin Britain, so much so that the media can't afford to ignore it.

The sad fact is that the influential elite in the UK don't follow Rugby League, and until that changes things will probably remain as they are.

 

[pepe]

gav

those figures for the london broncos are appalling, a city the size of london,3100 what a disgace.

do they have a future in london,i know they have some top players but who would want to play there in front of a handfull of people.

 

[G@v]

Pepe, London is a very hard nut to crack for any new sport. Ok, there are over 10 million in the London region, but there are so many other attractions on offer. Then there is the problem of about 14 or 15 professional football clubs in and around the city. A large population who are foreign nationals, plus a very transient population in comparison to other British cities. Then there's the problem of where they are based in the south east of the city at Charlton,an area which isn't very accessable, in fact travelling across London is a nightmare.

These are not excuses but just a few facts that make London such a different place, and a very difficult city to grab centre stage.

London is also (According to many who live and work there) the centre of the universe, and is therefore very important if you want to stand any chance of getting Rugby League noticed.

 

[imported_kier]

London does have a future - and as Gav says it is imperative that RL maintains a pro side in the capital or it will be another excuse for the media to ignore us........

Like all things in development we need time - anyone who goes to a Broncos game will be amazed by the number of kids there........these will grow up into people who will see RL as "their" sport........at the moment nearly all adult supporters are (hard won) converts.

If anyone goes to a RLC tournament you'll see hundreds of london/southern kids playing RL.........again, they'll grow up seeing RL as "their" sport - something natural for thme to play and support.

London has the same problem that the NZ Warriors have - they need a winning side........and unfortunatly a team that nearly makes the play-offs may as well have come last!

When the Broncos came 2nd a few seasons age their crowds were healthy..........a few seasons of crap football (and a move to the other side of the city) and they fell away...........what London needs is to be able to jump from a support of predominantly "fair weather" fans to a core support of fans who will not be detered by results.

This is where those kids I mentioned earlier will eventually come in...............

BTW Gav - do you also have the averages for the ZP 2nd div and (to keep the comparison even) the top 12 NFP teams? I ask because several top NFP sides would have support that would put them ahead of several sides in the list you put up...........again highlighting the draw of RL as a spectators game.

 

[G@v]

Kier, I got those figures from a letter that appeared in last Novembers 'Rugby League World', unfortunately, they only show the figures for the top divisions in each code. I'm sure that Leigh and Widnes would attract more fans than the bottom two orthree sides in the ZP.

On the Broncos, it would be in their best interest to concentrate on oneregion of London, ie, the southern and southeasten suburbs; there must be a good3 million plus living in that area.

 

[imported_kier]

It's a shame the details are not available.

I know that the Leeds Tykes won promotion to the ZP1 attracting average crowds of less than 1,000!

Oldham, Leigh and Widnes (at least) get several times this amount.

As for London staying in Charlton/Greeenwich - I'm sure this is for the long term. There are people sitting on the boards of both Charlton and the Broncos - and all facilities are at the disposal of the Broncos, icluding allowing a 50% cut from all to concession stands.

In case you think this doesn't sound so good I'd better point out that when at the Stoop the Harlequins kept ALL bar and food revenue - and charged ludicrous rents for the pitch.

Also - don't forget that the Broncos are starting to create genuine local RL talent - Dom Peters, Stefan Hughes and Joe M'bu being the first of what will become a production line.

 

[imported_kier]

The better treatment for RL in the media seems to continue!

I've just looked at ceefax and the headline is about how Peter Wheeler negotiated to get a team into the Super League a while back.

"Leicester Tigers considered switching codes to rugby league, thyeir chief executive Peter Wheeler has admitted. Wheeler said that only a deal with with the Rugby Football Union stopped Leicester joining the Super League."

Blimey - puts a different slant on his comments in Australia! Especially as on the same page the other story was how Whelan has "pledged" to RL.

 

[G@v]

Surely the last couple of days have seen a BIG turnaround in this ongoing war between the two Rugby codes.

Keiron Cunningham has surely shown RU and it's legions of acolytes within the media that money doesn't mean everything, at least to some players of our game. On top of that, Paul Johnson's extension of his contract at Wigan is a another snub to the kick and clap brigade who believe that they are the superior code.

Several days back we had Ian Millward commenting on how he was approached by RU soon after St Helens victory in the challenge cup, and thatClive Woodwardhad been tapping up several young League players.

If Cunningham had switched along with Iestyn Harris it would undoubtably have recieved far greater headlines than KC's snub, but that's the way it will stay until we have an unbiased media.
Harris's £800,000 switch of codes from Leeds Rhinos to Cardiff was put on hold yesterday after the Welsh Rugby Union was spooked by the ghost of Grannygate.

Harris was expected to be unveiled at a press conference in Cardiff but the announcement was postponed after the collapse of the Cunningham move because Cunningham failed to satisfy the WRU, which had agreed to pay his £400,000 transfer fee, that his grandfather had been born in Swansea.

 

[legend]

I already think the tide has turned Gav. Some people I work with are upset at the rule changes and the way the game is being bogged down with technicalities. As soon as we get our repsective admins in order, we will quickly leapfrog Union in every, way, shape and form. Of that I am certain. They simply can't compete with league on a level playing field.

 

[G@v]

Legend, the Wallabies are at the top of their powers, I have never known an Australian RU team that came anywhere near. Once they start to slide any small gains they might have made will start to disappear.

In the UK things are a bit more lopsided. The playing field is far from level, in fact it resembles the north face ofEverest from a League point of view. We have won the latest battle, but I'm sure those low lifes will keep on coming back until they realise the futility of trying to buy us out.

If we get a significant section of the media to give us a fair go, then the tide would really start to turn in our favour.