Tiers 1, 2 & 3 vs Rugby Union

[deal.with.it]

Hi Guys,
This post will be more directed at RL fans outside the UK.
I've made placings all over England of the locations of the top 3 tiers of clubs in both RL and RU. Just to compare, so fans understand.
Also may help in discussing the future of the championships, expansion and super league promotion next licensing period.
As an Aussie, I did not know that such a big chunk of union clubs, particularly in the top tier are in London. Much like RL Super League in the North.

 

[joedynamo]

Hi Guys,
This post will be more directed at RL fans outside the UK.
I've made placings all over England of the locations of the top 3 tiers of clubs in both RL and RU. Just to compare, so fans understand.
Also may help in discussing the future of the championships, expansion and super league promotion next licensing period.
As an Aussie, I did not know that such a big chunk of union clubs, particularly in the top tier are in London. Much like RL Super League in the North.

:lol: the rfu know this and are quite upset about it, as people tend to point and laugh when they say they are a national sport...but its ok, the rfu has a cunning plan....

 

[roughyedspud]

not sure that map is right..too small to see lol

 

[Dakink]

Can't see it either.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

However you look at it they have a better spread than we do, not least because it extends across Wales and Scotland as well. And their non-heartland clubs are bigger too.

 

[Evil Homer]

However you look at it they have a better spread than we do, not least because it extends across Wales and Scotland as well. And their non-heartland clubs are bigger too.

They also have more teams. The RU Premiership has 12 teams, tier 2 has 12 and tier 3 has 16. Compared with RL which has 13 English SL teams, 10 current tier 2 teams and 8 current tier 3 teams with four more to be added next year (I didn't include Welsh and French clubs since they have their own leagues in RU).

Either way, I don't really see what purpose this thread serves. We all know that RL is more popular in the North and RU is more popular in the South.

 

[BODISGOD]

:lol: the rfu know this and are quite upset about it, as people tend to point and laugh when they say they are a national sport...but its ok, the rfu has a cunning plan....

Are they really, crying into the TV ratings and exposure that the BBC gives them with the Six Nations and ITV with the World Cup.

Absolutely distraught.:lol:

Anyway, all a bit pointless, soccer dwarfs all...

 

[VictoryFC]

Are they really, crying into the TV ratings and exposure that the BBC gives them with the Six Nations and ITV with the World Cup.

Absolutely distraught.:lol:

Anyway, all a bit pointless, soccer dwarfs all...

Yeah, I mean, whats the point? Why bother doing anything in England with soccer, right? :roll:

Lets not forget the fact that rugby league, rugby union, tennis, golf, motorsport, cycling, boxing etc all command their share of attention. Or that Australia has 4 football codes averaging over 10k; should 3 of them fold and give way to one?

Maybe the NBA, MLB and NHL should disband because of the NFL aswell?

 

[joedynamo]

Are they really, crying into the TV ratings and exposure that the BBC gives them with the Six Nations and ITV with the World Cup.

This is a thread about the club game Bo'D, but since you mention internationals:

People must realise that rugby union is a players' game, not a spectator sport. Yes, there's 80,000 at Twickenham for internationals, but that's an annual pilgrimage and very, very few of them watch rugby every week.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/manchester-ship-100-points-per-match-after-cash-runs-out-1-777747
Lots of good stuff in the link which, admittedly, is three yr old now...but its an honest quote from an honest fella, so he's obviously not from the rfu...
..and nothing much has changed, except union now has only one elite club in the North of course.

Absolutely distraught.

Distraught enough to produce a discussion paper which asked why union pro/ semi clubs have such a lack of support across the North.

Anyway, all a bit pointless, soccer dwarfs all...

..Aye, thats almost the conclusion the paper came to ...tho you appear to have left out the bit about Rugby League and its affect on the expansion of pro union in the North.

 

[deal.with.it]

Sorry guys, not sure why the image is so small. If you can save the image and then open it using your own program, or using firefox, it should be fine. But i'm not sure how to save an image off this forum??

To summarise:
In the top tier, majority of both leagues have teams located in the north and south respectably.
Union has 2 teams in the midlands and one in the north.
League has one in the south.

In the second and third tiers, both are spread out across the country. From Newcastle area, down to London.

So for all those not from England, you probably always hear that league only exists in the north of england. However, in the top tier, league is much the same as union in England. But when you take in to account the next two tiers, both sports are spread out quite vastly, with league basically catching up to union with the addition of 4 new expansion teams in tier 3 (championship 1).

The problem is, Union has so many (i think 6) teams in the top tier located in London! So of course the media is going to be more favourable to union. Fingers crossed with the new media city playing home to more and more corporations, this might change. If not, league will have to do it on its own - through the promotion of expansion clubs.

 

[bowes]

RU only has 1 official London club but another 4 just outside. RU has 3 midlands teams in premier, enough to make the southern midlands a heartland.

RU struggles in the north top flight but the north is only 1/4 of England's population.

RL has a very good spread in tiers 3 and 7 but tiers 2, 4, 5 and 6 are all northern.

 

[CC_Roosters]

However you look at it they have a better spread than we do, not least because it extends across Wales and Scotland as well. And their non-heartland clubs are bigger too.

To be fair newcastle falcons crowds aren't far off what the london broncos average (which is pretty poor i know). Sale seem capable of attracting a crowd, but greater machester has the largest middle class demographic in the north i would say to account for that. Leeds carnegie are definitely the little brother in leeds, average the same of even less than Castleford.

The 4 new clubs will be interesting and be a breath of fresh air to the lower tier of the pro structure. Hopefully we see at least 2 progress into decent mid sized clubs in the short term and who knows in the long term.

 

[bowes]

The 4 new clubs will be interesting to see how it happens. I was very supportive to begin with but less convinced as it goes on. Hemel are a very well run club, not sure how strong they will be on the field but they have every chance of being another London Skolars. In itself that is good, not sure if they could progress higher.

As for the other Northampton Rebels have already turned the local amateur clubs against them and aren't very well run. Another soccer side of the 1980s kind.

As for the others I don't think university sides will get crowds especially as 3 months of the season the students will be back home. University of Gloucestershire seem to have a good set up but the question is will it be enough for a pro team? Not sure they're well linked with the local amateurs. The most likely 4th team are based on a university in a city with no juniors and an amateur club with one open age team that nearly folded last year.

It may be that SL clubs take over some as feeder clubs and make it work though. Wouldn't be surprised if some clubs get moved round, replaced etc to suit. If the student model does work that could see more expansion that way. My fear is that Championship 1 becomes a but of a novelty expansion league of a lower standard than the National Conference League.

 

[Bronco Rob]

Are they really, crying into the TV ratings and exposure that the BBC gives them with the Six Nations and ITV with the World Cup.

Absolutely distraught.:lol:

Anyway, all a bit pointless, soccer dwarfs all...

Please tell me why you are a member of a Rugby League forum? Just about every post I see from you is pushing the barrow of RU with some point that has a shot at RL. Are you just a wolf in sheep's clothing?