Waves v PNG 1991

[miguel de cervantes]

 

[hutch]

That was great to watch. Look at the crowd! How have we let welsh rugby league fall away so much?

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Yeah its kinda sad that they dont get that sort of crowd in Wales these days. Although in the video it mentions the first Wales home game in years.

I was at a function a few years ago and Bill Harrigan mentioned this game and said there were about 15,000 in this game but sounded like 50,000.

Im pretty sure there was a game there in the 95 World Cup and they got a similar crowd.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

union becoming pro obviously played a large role

 

[LeagueXIII]

That was great to watch. Look at the crowd! How have we let welsh rugby league fall away so much?

You obviously don't know much about Welsh league. The domestic game in Wales is in fact alot stronger today then it was back in 1991. Wales were made up of players switching from union to rugby league in England.
Today players are actually coming through the system and playing for Wales. It's taken over 20 years to get a number of Welshmen in the team as no longer do union internationals switch codes. The recent Welsh teams were 70% born and bred Welshmen.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Yeah its kinda sad that they dont get that sort of crowd in Wales these days. Although in the video it mentions the first Wales home game in years.

I was at a function a few years ago and Bill Harrigan mentioned this game and said there were about 15,000 in this game but sounded like 50,000.

Im pretty sure there was a game there in the 95 World Cup and they got a similar crowd.

Yes against Samoa.

 

[hutch]

You obviously don't know much about Welsh league. The domestic game in Wales is in fact alot stronger today then it was back in 1991. Wales were made up of players switching from union to rugby league in England.
Today players are actually coming through the system and playing for Wales. It's taken over 20 years to get a number of Welshmen in the team as no longer do union internationals switch codes. The recent Welsh teams were 70% born and bred Welshmen.

Thanks for assuming I didn’t know all of the above (which I did). Yes, there has been a lot of development recently which has been great for the resurgence of rugby league in wales. The welsh used to play in front of home crowds of 20-30k. Yes, they had their share of union concerts but they also had their share of league juniors who came through many rugby league clubs. In terms of national interest in wales, we have fallen a long way behind. The recent game in Bridgend had a crowd of 1200. Hopefully this can build in he future.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Thanks for assuming I didn’t know all of the above (which I did). Yes, there has been a lot of development recently which has been great for the resurgence of rugby league in wales. The welsh used to play in front of home crowds of 20-30k. Yes, they had their share of union concerts but they also had their share of league juniors who came through many rugby league clubs. In terms of national interest in wales, we have fallen a long way behind. The recent game in Bridgend had a crowd of 1200. Hopefully this can build in he future.

I'd be interested to see your list of former Welsh players who came up through the Wales rugby league system as you say. I've always known Welsh league was built off the back of union players transferring to English league clubs.

It's only because this avenue of players dried up after union went pro that league started to build some foundations.

 

[Walter sobchak]

Remember watching this game as 10 year old kid like it was yesterday. Great memories of a truly great welsh national side.

 

[Walter sobchak]

That was great to watch. Look at the crowd! How have we let welsh rugby league fall away so much?

1995 World Cup was truly the high point for welsh RL with a semi-final appearance at old Trafford against England with something like 10,000 travelling welsh fans.

Absolutely criminal that we let it all slip away in true RL fashion but union going pro the year after I believe didn’t help.

 

[Walter sobchak]

Yeah its kinda sad that they dont get that sort of crowd in Wales these days. Although in the video it mentions the first Wales home game in years.

I was at a function a few years ago and Bill Harrigan mentioned this game and said there were about 15,000 in this game but sounded like 50,000.

Im pretty sure there was a game there in the 95 World Cup and they got a similar crowd.

2 full houses in Swansea and Cardiff I think between Western Samoa and France.

 

[Walter sobchak]

union becoming pro obviously played a large role

Davies, Gibbs and quinnell all left pretty soon after and the union players crossing the divide totally dried up.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

exactly the same story in france. people like to rabbit on about wwii etc. ok fine, but league became far too complacent on union converts and didn't bother doing the hard yards setting up pathways into the game. union in australia is going down a similar route to league in france and the two will end up surviving in similar states of limbo.

 

[LeagueXIII]

exactly the same story in france. people like to rabbit on about wwii etc. ok fine, but league became far too complacent on union converts and didn't bother doing the hard yards setting up pathways into the game. union in australia is going down a similar route to league in france and the two will end up surviving in similar states of limbo.

From memory the two presidents of the XIII and Union had an agreement in about 1972 that they would not poach players from the opposite code. This benefited union more in hinsight.