Aussie Rules, survival chance?

[dimitri]

AFL has minimal presence in sydney

 

[WH Nook]

AFL has minimal presence in sydney

I wouldn't mind a comparably minimal level of support for the Broncos in London, or even the Storm in Melbourne. It's probable that both London and Melbourne face greater obstacles in generating support from the localities they represent than the Swans ever encountered.

 

[WH Nook]

Globalisation is no guarantee of future success for RL, which is hardly an international game in the same way that Soccer, Rugby Union & Basketball are.

League is still an international game ya goose. Heard of the Roo tour at the end of the year? Australia plays 3 tests against GB in the game they actually play here. Not like the AFL which has to play a totally differnet game to get an international. Joke.

Wrong stick! If you want to propagate the "League is international" argument (Something which most RL fans in the UK tend to baulk at) perhaps a better option would be to point out that League has professional competitions based in two countries in two continents and two hemispheres.

 

[Alan Shore]

What all the ignorant fools are forgetting is that The Greatest Game is growing at an astonishing rate. I guarantee you, within 5yrs:

*NZ & GB will be beating Australia as the standard will have gone up

10yrs:

*USA comp grown even more
*Top Russian clubs will be able to compete with the lowly ESL clubs
*RRL have NL1 standard
*Russia will be able to compete with GB & possibly NZ
*Same thing for Lebanon

 

[CyberKev]

What all the ignorant fools are forgetting is that The Greatest Game is growing at an astonishing rate. I guarantee you, within 5yrs:

*NZ & GB will be beating Australia as the standard will have gone up

I'd like to believe you, but I've been hearing this fanciful talk for decades and it hasn't eventuated... If anything, NZ & GB are further away from being genuinely competitive with the best Australia has to offer than they have ever been.

Ten years is a long time in sport, but I'd think you'd need at least twenty for your other predictions to come seriously into focus, assuming that they do at all.

CyberKev

 

[Wild Man From Borneo]

AFL has minimal presence in sydney

Yeah. That's why the swans drew 72,000 to stadium Aus. in a club game. Just face it, support for AFL/Swans in Sydney is growing.

 

[TheFirstRabbitoh]

AFL has grown 200% plus in the last few years in the northern clubs - and that's senior club footy even not including Auskick - whereas league has steadily shrunk in the southern states over the last decade. Just get over it, AFL is bigger than League in Australia, and it isn't going to change.

Another thing to note - AFL's biggest playing base outside Australia is the USA, where it is approximately 12 times the size of rugby league going by playing numbers. If anyone here reckons they can hold up the USA as proof that rugby league will flourish whilst AFL will die - sheesh.

The fact this thread even exists suggests a few guys may be a little insecure and even scared of AFL.

Not everyone is going to like league. Not everyone is going to like soccer or AFL. Globalisation is seeing the world play more and more varied sports - sports aren't killing each other off.

 

[WH Nook]

The fact this thread even exists suggests a few guys may be a little insecure and even scared of AFL.

It exists because the person who initiated it is a fan of both codes.

:roll:

Another thing to note - AFL's biggest playing base outside Australia is the USA, where it is approximately 12 times the size of rugby league going by playing numbers. If anyone here reckons they can hold up the USA as proof that rugby league will flourish whilst AFL will die - sheesh.

I don't doubt that many more play AFL in the US than play RL, but unless you can show hard facts to back up such claims, that statement belongs in the imagineered department, alongside Tamazoids crystal ball and the TV viewing figures for any RUWC, which is approximately 300 billion.

 

[timmy!!!!]

I don't doubt that many more play AFL in the US than play RL, but unless you can show hard facts to back up such claims, that statement belongs in the imagineered department, alongside Tamazoids crystal ball and the TV viewing figures for any RUWC, which is approximately 300 billion.

The last figure I heard from the USAFL was almost 1000 americans playing Aussie Rules.

 

[Moffo]

I don't doubt that many more play AFL in the US than play RL, but unless you can show hard facts to back up such claims, that statement belongs in the imagineered department, alongside Tamazoids crystal ball and the TV viewing figures for any RUWC, which is approximately 300 billion.

The last figure I heard from the USAFL was almost 1000 americans playing Aussie Rules.

80% being ex-pat

 

[dimitri]

thats the difference

the majority ar expat players of officials


and the afl hold a lot better records than what the rlif do


eg we would hardly have a clue what was going on in russia even though thousands play the game

same with morocco usa etc

 

[TheFirstRabbitoh]

The official total for the USA is about 2000 playing AFL - and it's 80% locals. The USAFL has had the majority of its growth in the last two or three years.

There are about 50 AFL clubs in the USA and only 8 RL.

Talking to friends who have lived in the states, I have a feeling, though, that the growth of league is hurt in the States by the fact that union is well established. When an Aussie expat moves to the US, if he's from the north he would tend to drift to a union club than go to the effort of starting a league club.

Whereas with the Mexicans, they actually have to go to start a devoted club to get a chance of playing.

Or I suppose they could go and play Gaelic (which is stacks bigger in the USA than AFL and league put together).

Either way, the thread was about AFL's survival chances and my point was that AFL is growing, whether you believe it or not. I really doubt that any sport is going to die from globalisation - if anything it will lead to a proliferation of the different codes played everywhere.

Alternative sports remains one of the world's biggest growth markets - think about ultimate frisbee and canoe polo. Think about lacrosse and floorball. Every year the crop broadens.

 

[TheFirstRabbitoh]

It exists because the person who initiated it is a fan of both codes.

Sorry, didn't mean it to sound that harsh.

 

[timmy!!!!]

I don't doubt that many more play AFL in the US than play RL, but unless you can show hard facts to back up such claims, that statement belongs in the imagineered department, alongside Tamazoids crystal ball and the TV viewing figures for any RUWC, which is approximately 300 billion.

The last figure I heard from the USAFL was almost 1000 americans playing Aussie Rules.

80% being ex-pat

I did say americans didn't I? If there were 80% expats then there would be 5000 players in total which is too high.

 

[Stevo_G]

i just hope in 10 years aus nz gb and maybe france as an outsider can have tests where there are no blowouts

 

[TheFirstRabbitoh]

It might happen, if there was actually money and development work done anywhere outside NSW and Queensland.

But hey.

 

[Dean Moriarty]

i just hope in 10 years aus nz gb and maybe france as an outsider can have tests where there are no blowouts

It would help if English Super League chairmen actually gave a rat's ass about the international game. Then they might develop British talent instead of bringing in NRL retirees all the time, and allow time for sensible tours during the season.

 

[dimitri]

the english super league do care about the game

and such have created the new european international board

however there are certain rules enforced by the EU which means that they cant stop clubs bringing in retirees

 

[Dean Moriarty]

the english super league do care about the game

and such have created the new european international board

however there are certain rules enforced by the EU which means that they cant stop clubs bringing in retirees

ESL may, but the club chairmen do not. Yes, I know some of the chairmen also sit on the ESL board, but their actions do not support their commitment to international league.

EU employment laws don't make the clubs hire Aussies; they do that because it's easier than investing in junior development.

 

[dimitri]

yes

but the ESL cant stop the clubs employing aussies

it would be the same if the GAY FL had a pro comp in europe

they would hire all the aussies