Fair enough about the NFL, but I'm not claiming the IRB bought Georgia. Union in Georgia had been there for a long time but was relatively stagnant. In a very short space of time league arrived and seemed to be making an instant impact.
That link was the official site for league in Georgia and details how the game was starting to get a roll on. They played in a newish stadium in the affluent part of town, creating a "buzz" in the Capital, attracting 10,000 fans and a live TV broadcast for a game against Holland, even selling the rights. The TV channel was also interested in showing the Tri-Nations. The author laments the fact that the bigger rugby unions never bothered touring Georgia whereas the french13 came and played a game when no league even really existed in the country. Despite union's long existance in the country, in a very short space of time league had a chance to rival them.
Well League can't have been going that well if they couldn't afford proper website hosting and a domain.
Also Georgia doesn't have much going for it sports wise, it's always been ripe for the picking and a token 10,000 game that's broadcast on TV I don't think says much. Especially when we don't know which station carried the game and why. The Georgians are a proud people, their patriotism could be the reason they picked up the game, rather than any huge growth or demand.
I also don't believe League ever rivaled Rugby in Georgia. As a content writer I spend my time spinning stories and often lying, outright, to promote products and brands. I imagine while the growth in Georgia was good, their website like all good websites was filled with self-promotional arse slapping, exaggerations and fabrications.
It was a dispute between the RLEF, the league governing body and the league/union players that put an end to all of that. It is curious however, that this little episode seemed to herald an increased level of IRB funding into that particular union.
I wouldn't call it curious, rather common sense. If Rugby was encroaching on a nation where we'd be sewing the seeds and waiting for growth and fruitation, would we not increase funding to ensure other sports don't hurt our growth? I'd like to think we would.
However, do you have any evidence that it was the reasons above that saw the IRB pump funding into Georgia. Or, do you even have any evidence that the IRB did increase funding, disproportionate to increased funding to other Unions, even?
No point in comparing french and NZ rugby union fans - the circumstances are quite different. Your average french fan would be way, way more ignorant of league than your average NZ fan. Your average french citizen that follows rugby vaguely would not know of rugby league at all.
Ignorant, maybe, but not oblivious. Also with your earlier comments you presupposed that the Rugby fans in the world cared enough about Rugby to follow Rugby news and player movement. So your above statement is a bit of a backtrack and change of tune.
In your earlier comments you suggested the IRB wouldn't want SBW to go back to League because if he did the Rugby fans would suddenly gain awareness of League and maybe start paying it attention. But by saying this you already excluded vague rugby fans in obscure nations who wouldn't know of League.
Only genuine Rugby fans in your scenario would know that SBW has theoretically gone back to Rugby League. Vague fans aren't going to know according to you, so what benefits would be had?
And the genuine Rugby fans, regardless of nation, know what League is already. So the idea SBW returning to League would do anything for our popularity is unfortunately an untruth.
Sure, the IRB are very powerful and make the RLIF look like a joke, but I wouldn't underestimate their interests in Australian union, particularly with the flow on effects to the Pacific Islands as alot of their players end up playing in oz. We have already seen them injecting money into the ARU when things have gone sour recently.
But that's not true either. There is no flow on effect to the Pacific. If the flow on effect to the Pacific Islands was even mildly strong we'd see League take over the Pacific - It hasn't. If Australia sunk tomorrow Rugby in the Pacific would be stronger for it.
Players would just move in larger numbers to Europe and NZ. The money the IRB pump into Australia would go a long way in professionalising Rugby in the PI Nations, actually.
My earlier comment is incorrect though. Rugby in Australia isn't insignificant to the IRB. I'm not sure why I made that comment as it seems slightly off-topic reading it back... I must be tired.
If a population that are only ever exposed to union suddenly see some competition, the chances of them gravitating towards the competition are increased from 0 to something. Are you saying that broadcasting league into Victoria at a decent time would do nothing for league in that state? Why do the AFL bother with their contra TV deals in Qld and NSW?
What I'm saying is that Rugby fans already know who SBW is and that he came from Rugby League. Any positive publicity and exposure League could have from SBW has been had. The idea that his return to League would bring League a wealth of new supporters just doesn't make sense. I don't understand the logic behind your argument.
Because union folk like to think that their derivative of rugby is superior in everyway. League players going to union is seen as a logical step up in the world and the media here in France often use this sort of thing to deride league as being a secondary product. Going back to league from union would be something they would have trouble comprehending - actually I'm pretty sure that if it happened they would be very quick to talk down SBW and his impact on union.
Nobody would have trouble comprehending it. As you say they'd downplay his impact and close the case as him moving back to League because he couldn't cut it or can make more money in the NRL. They'll spin it, just like you're saying they will.
So tell me, how would him leaving Rugby help League again? I don't see why you think him leaving will make people switch the station to the NRL. I think you have it the wrong way round. The best exposure League can have is from when SBW first went to Union, and is still in Rugby Union, continually outclassing opponents. You can't get better promotion than that.
In contrast, if he left for League tomorrow, he'd be forgotten by next week.
Do you see where I'm coming from? The IRB are probably actually helping League by keeping SBW. Even though it doesn't seem like it and people complain about Rugby poaching League players, it brings a lot of awareness to League. Like with Gasnier as you mentioned.
I could understand if SBW was some sort of sporting icon in France, like Chabal. Then yes if someone like Chabal was signed to the NRL it would be amazing for the game of League and the IRB would do everything in their power to prevent it! But someone like SBW going back to the NRL, I don't think Rugby fans care. NZ fans care, so it will be good for NZ fans, but Rugby fans in other places wouldn't care.
I don't disagree with your general view about the IRB and people who run Rugby and their attitudes toward League. But in these two instances(Georgia and SBW) I think you're wrong.
