if London Broncos were to make the GF..

[biggestbroncosfan]

does anyone see RL ever attracting a bigger following in London? with the supporters that they already have would it be enough to see a full house at Old Trafford. They have obviously recruited well this year and have aimed high. The question is can anyone see there success get any publicity in London I know if it did it cold really see the game take off across the rest of England. Thoughts.

 

[NRL-TGG]

Yeah, the success of the Melbourne Storm has really stepped up the presence of Rugby League down there. They now bid for internationals and the MCG was fighting Etihad for the SOO. If Rugby League could just become a strong number 3 sport down in London, it would make the game that much bigger and do a world of good.

 

[langpark]

does anyone see RL ever attracting a bigger following in London? with the supporters that they already have would it be enough to see a full house at Old Trafford. They have obviously recruited well this year and have aimed high. The question is can anyone see there success get any publicity in London I know if it did it cold really see the game take off across the rest of England. Thoughts.

There would be a small spike in crowds the following season or two but long-term I don't think it would make a huge difference.

Melbourne have had the best team on paper for over 5 years now and are still one of the least supported teams...

 

[Evil Homer]

Not really. RL in England isn't like it is in Australia, it's not a mainstream sport. While RL is not the biggest sport in Melbourne, I'd imagine it's far more well-known there than it is in London, just as AFL is known in Sydney despite not being that popular. In London, the majority of people will have not heard of RL, or might have heard of the name but won't really know anything about it. Obviously a good on-field product would be a big help for London Broncos, but really it's just about the marketing of the club being good enough to attract new people to the game that maybe haven't watched before or wouldn't otherwise come.

 

[nadera78]

There's no reason the club can't grow to a self-financing position but there needs to be a change in some key areas. The club has always been badly run, ever since I started watching them in 1994. They need a marketing budget, a competitive team, a competent management team, and an identity of their own.

At various times they've had some of those, but never all of them at the same time. Get that sorted and crowds and sponsors would rise enough to make the club sustainable. It's not actually rocket science, but a lot of the money David Hughes has put into the club has been completely wasted because the infrastructure has never been right.

The big plus for the club at the moment is that number of amateur clubs and schools playing RL in and around London is higher than ever. And the development programmes (only really in place for five plus years, are really kicking in. For example, last year the England Academy team played France and both halves were Londoners.

It's a long road, but it's doable with some sensible planning.

 

[biggestbroncosfan]

Not really. RL in England isn't like it is in Australia, it's not a mainstream sport. While RL is not the biggest sport in Melbourne, I'd imagine it's far more well-known there than it is in London, just as AFL is known in Sydney despite not being that popular. In London, the majority of people will have not heard of RL, or might have heard of the name but won't really know anything about it. Obviously a good on-field product would be a big help for London Broncos, but really it's just about the marketing of the club being good enough to attract new people to the game that maybe haven't watched before or wouldn't otherwise come.

obviously I already knew that, my father is from London and he didnt even know what rugby league was until he came to QLD. As to what Nadera said, they look like they have recruited well with some experienced forwards such as Kaufusi who has went well with the Knights this year, Shane Rodney has been strong at Manly, Gower and Witt are both very experienced players and will add alot to the team, this is the best London RL outfit and on paper look very strong, Rob Powell is a good young coach and should bring out the best in this team. What it will come down to is how RL is promoted in London and as Nadera mentioned grassroots RL is growing in London, so it is only a matter of time before we see RL attracting a bigger following in London.

 

[Patorick]

I count six ex-Manly players in the London Broncos squad for 2012.

That should help them out heaps.

Not against teams like Wigan, but in general.

 

[LineBall]

Awareness of Rugby League in London would increase somewhat with the Broncos making the GF - but long term there are other issues that need to be adressed to make RL more mainstream

1. Free To Air television - 2 games in prime viewing times every week would have a huge impact on the profile of Rugby League in London.

2. Dropping the reference to Rugby - Like it or not - when you mention Rugby - most people think of Union. Rebranding our sport something different would give it a much greater chance of being acknowledged as a sport in its own right, rather than a variant of Rugby.

3. Junior Playing numbers - having more and more kids playing the game in London, and indeed throughout the country would only benefit the game long term, - as those that play it as kids, are more likely to remain fans of the game later in life.

 

[LeedsStorm]

Thats quite a massive IF!

Put it this way, if a team like Huddersfield haven't made a GF (or even looked capable), in the very place the sport originated, then what chance for a team outside the heartland? Only 5 teams have made a GF and barring a truely remarkable achievement by the catalans and an expected first visit by Wire, I can't see that changing. Until all teams in the league are able to spend their salary cap, I'm afraid the likes of Leeds, Wigan, Saints and possibly Wire will continue to dominate. That's never going to help the game in the capital, or indeed any other areas like Wales and Cumbria

 

[deluded pom?]

You can add Hull to that list if Adam Pearson can get their act together LS.

 

[LeedsStorm]

You can add Hull to that list if Adam Pearson can get their act together LS.

Another big IF I'm afraid. Would have to be a big turnaround for them to make the semis this and possibly the next season IMO

 

[deluded pom?]

Another big IF I'm afraid. Would have to be a big turnaround for them to make the semis this and possibly the next season IMO

I agree but if Hull can get themselves sorted out then they could be a threat to the established GF clubs.

 

[LeedsStorm]

Looked like they would for a while. There's clearly enough talent in the area. My point was that as things remain as they are, the way the game is adminstered, it's a mountain to climb to break into those top four spots