England, Great Britain, Northern Union. What's in a (rugby league) name?

[The Partisan]

As this subject gets raised every now and then ..i thought we'd hear from the erudite Professor Tony Collins !


http://www.tcollins.org/

Need to click on the Rugby Reloaded section if not taken to the article automatically.


Something to read on a rainy weekend for us East Coast Aussies ( well at least here in South East Qld !)

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Good read. Ive never heard of this guy before...

 

[The Partisan]

Was fortunate enough to be in the audience at a RLWC2013 function where Professor Collins was a guest speaker. Met him very briefly afterwards and have made contact via email since then. Possibility of catching up again when over their in August.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

Georgeball?

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

https://tony-collins.squarespace.com/rugbyreloaded/2015/6/16/the-walter-camp-myth-and-the-origins-of-american-football

True believers of the Walter Camp myth believe these changes were uniquely American. But similar changes would take place in Canadian rugby and in rugby league.

From another of his articles, this is why i think the game should be called Gridiron Rugby (specifically for branding in non-RL countries)...

I think its a shame that Northern Union didnt develop into something more universally applicable (like how Association became Soccer), however that ship has sailed.

RLs historical development is inextricably linked to American Football and i believe we would gain a lot from broadcasting this association (and differentiating more strongly from RU)

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Watching some collegiate rugby 7s and listening to the commentators and players (north americans) talk about rugby and the olympics, noting that the USA hold the olympic medal for rugby, they are obliged to distinguish between rugby 15s and rugby 7s (you can thank the rise of 7s for this, as previously just rugby would have been used).

So, rugby 13s is the natural extension and I'm sure this will be the most common expression if league manages to get bigger in the wake of 15s and 7s.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Watching some collegiate rugby 7s and listening to the commentators and players (north americans) talk about rugby and the olympics, noting that the USA hold the olympic medal for rugby, they are obliged to distinguish between rugby 15s and rugby 7s (you can thank the rise of 7s for this, as previously just rugby would have been used).

So, rugby 13s is the natural extension and I'm sure this will be the most common expression if league manages to get bigger in the wake of 15s and 7s.

This will only make it worse when we get Union bodies claiming ownership of the Rugby Competition...

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Should of just kept it NRU, and eventually changed it to Northern Rugby League or NRL.

Northern Rugby League, its roots, its history, maybe its name?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

I always thoughts the Northerners were very proud hard working people who so happened to play hard too, so why not use all of that goodness of quality and play on it .

 

[siv]

We are a different game

Different rules etc

RL is as much RU as Gridiron is - do we start calling Gridiron Rugby 11s ???

 

[siv]

Or what makes Gaelic Football or Hanball different to Soccer ??

 

[siv]

Or do we also claim that AFL is Rugby 18s

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Should of just kept it NRU, and eventually changed it to Northern Rugby League or NRL.

Northern Rugby League, its roots, its history, maybe its name?

A compass direction wouldnt have really worked, but a meaningless nickname could have been derived from it (like Soccer from "Association").

Nor-yew (frenetic; god knows how it would actually be spelt) or something similar would have been easy; Aussie's can make a nickname out of anything given time. Obviously it sounds ridiculous now, but thats how every brand begins...

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

We are a different game

Different rules etc

RL is as much RU as Gridiron is - do we start calling Gridiron Rugby 11s ???

For the casual observer who hasnt studied the finer details of the game, the broad opticts are very similar between RU and RL...

The comparisons you made (VFL to Gaelic football/handball/soccer, Rugby to gridiron) dont have the same problems we do because the superficial image is so different.

While the game play and tactics of VFL, Gaelic football, handball, soccer and Basketball are all extremely similar and while American Football is only 2 or 3 rule changes away from being another Rugby, you would never flick on the TV and get them confused.

Minus the PlayTheBall, RL and RU look incredibly similar at first glance. That is where all of these problems come from and why it is a genuine possibility for RL to be confuse with any of the other Rugby's

Edit: Thats why i like Gridiron Rugby as a name. No one will ever confuse us with the other forms of GI, but broadcasting this association would benefit us...

 

[miguel de cervantes]

This will only make it worse when we get Union bodies claiming ownership of the Rugby Competition...

With SportsAccord they can claim all they like, it won't help them. To the public, rugby 13s (and 9s) will just be known as a rugby with different rules to 15s and 7s.

 

[BODISGOD]

The idea of calling the sport Rugby 13s is ridiculous if you are serious about it ever growing to 1) overtaking rugby union worldwide and 2) becoming a genuinely major international sport. If you are happy to gain some residual gains off rugby union then okay but otherwise it is ludicrous.

Rugby Union is far better organised worldwide and can suck up public funding far quicker and efficiently. A major issue for RL worldwide is the confusion with Union for money and that will not change if you are hanging onto rugby union subtly, which is what calling it Rugby 13s is an attempt to do.

Brand the sport with initials as suggested above or even a totally new name. You can keep the rugby name as a part of the initials or a sub name of any rebrand.

 

[Evil Homer]

"Rugby 13s" is absolutely horrible and shouldn't even be considered.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

"Rugby 13s" is absolutely horrible and shouldn't even be considered.

Indeed. Georgball.

 

[siv]

Question for USA folk

What is gridiron known as in the USA ?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Football.