If league, union merged, would you support it?
Roar Rookie
By MattRusty, 6 Nov 2009 MattRusty is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- NRL, Rugby League, Rugby Union
521 Have your say
When the Super League swept through town in the mid 1990s it was all quite sudden. There would have been a lot of planning involved and meetings behind close doors before they launched.
Professional sport is a business these days, so it would be naive to think that in a boardroom somewhere, some men and women in suits might be arguing over the benefits of bringing these two games back together again.
After all, it was money that split the two to begin with. So what’s to say it won’t be money that brings them back together again.
AFL and football are gaining market share with various programs, and if it continues, something may need to be done.
The question is, would you support it or turn your back on such a merger if it happened at the professional level?
I have made a special note of saying at “the professional level,” because I don’t believe that either game will ever disappear from the sporting landscape. But at the professional level, it might.
To start things off …
My name is Matt, I live in Victoria, but grew up in Canberra. I prefer rugby league to rugby union and I would watch and support a merged form of the game because the amount of talent involved would be spectacular.
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The Truth said | November 6th 2009 @ 2:49am | Report comment
Ignoring the many rules discussions to follow, the clashing of egos would be the biggest issue. Neither would be willing to make any concessions, let alone the many necessary to merge properly. If anything, I think a deal between the RLIF and SANZAR and perhaps FORU would be more likely than a worldwide merger (see: ELV crying). With England and France still players in league (and then this new hybrid), that would permit big tours through London and Paris just the same. The brand names of the All Blacks, Boks and Wallaroos (?) would persist.
Ultimately, I would like it for the same reason as you: the consolidation of talent. Not only would Australia and New Zealand bring together top-tier players of two codes, but island nations with limited resources could pool their players, too.
Robbo said | November 6th 2009 @ 5:50am | Report comment
As a League supporter I hope it never happens.
As a Union supporter I hope it never happens.
Jeff Baxter said | November 6th 2009 @ 9:08pm | Report comment
As above ditto
jus de couchon said | November 6th 2009 @ 6:08am | Report comment
If you mate a horse with a donkey you get an ass .
oikee said | November 6th 2009 @ 6:45am | Report comment
Merge? No, rugby league will just swallow up the dead carcuss of Union in 10 years time. Next Question. Seeing you are from Victoria, maybe you should be asking, will rugby league be bigger than rugby Union in Victoria. I can answer that, you bet it will. The Melbourne Storm will one day be the Biggest rugby club in the world. Any more questions. ?
albe said | November 6th 2009 @ 7:06am | Report comment
you are aware that RU has a footprint beyond NSW, Qld, PNG and north England? They ain’t going anywhere. Rugby league couldn’t even knock off union when they had the advantage of being professional FFS…
Dean Pantio said | November 6th 2009 @ 9:03am | Report comment
Why give such patent trolling considered responses? Save your breath and your sanity.
On topic; yet another rehash of the same articles on The Roar. It won’t happen unless rugby (union and league) players want to become like their AFL counterparts.
albe said | November 6th 2009 @ 9:19am | Report comment
just trying to keep up with oikee… ‘swallowing up the dead carcass of union in 10 years’?
Siva Samoa said | November 6th 2009 @ 7:31am | Report comment
Luckly for oikee dreams are for free. Melbourne Storm would be the first rugby league club to go bankrupt once News Limited pull out.
rugbyfuture said | November 6th 2009 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
the NRL and ARL are going broke WITH big crowds and followings within the greater western sydney area aswell as rugby union now being in the olympics, lets see what happens with that
Anakin said | November 7th 2009 @ 8:29pm | Report comment
> The Melbourne Storm will one day be the Biggest rugby club in the world. Any more questions. ?
ROTFLMFAO – seen Valimanda’s books have you?
mcxd said | November 6th 2009 @ 6:56am | Report comment
Its a great idea. Can’t wait. While you’re at it why not merge a couple more sports. Boxing and Cycling road race, nothing like a TKO at 60km/h. American footlball and the Javelin ? Intersting viewing but bags not being the wide receiver. Synchronised swimming and Polo. No probs, just give the horses little goggles and it’ll be fine.
Andrew Logan said | November 6th 2009 @ 7:32am | Report comment
“American footlball and the Javelin ? Interesting viewing but bags not being the wide receiver…” – brilliant!
Bay35Pablo said | November 6th 2009 @ 11:08am | Report comment
mcxd – gold!!
Pete said | November 6th 2009 @ 7:07am | Report comment
As a Parramatta fan and a Waratah fan, I say yes.
Others have mentioned this before and I agree, that NRL is the national comp, Super 15 provincial and Wallabies/Kangaroos international level.
Union rules are played at an international and Super 15 level, but domestically a ‘hybrid’ 13 man game that contains contested scrums and line outs, because with these skills it would allow the domestic players to better progress up into Super Rugby and the International team.
To ensure that there aren’t 3 Rugby codes, take this opportunity to merge the ARL and ARU into a new body. The administration structures of both codes are currently poor and there are regular calls for independent boards and restructuring.
The national comp (currently NRL) will feature all the current NRL teams, but there will be a second division allowing for relegation and promotion. The 2nd tier is made up of the current Club Rugby sides in Sydney, Brisbane, ACT (potentially Melbourne and WA). If these teams are as good enough they end up in the national comp.
By combining resources, administration, development officers, promotional efforts and pooling Media rights, the professional game of League and Union would get a better foothold in Australia.
mitzter said | November 6th 2009 @ 7:16am | Report comment
Another recycled story done to death on this website.
As has been pointed out plenty times, it won’t happen, unfortunatley, because it is really only Australia who has this problem. The irb would not accept ruile changes just to consolidate Austalia’s football prowess and why would a country like Georgia or something care about a merger
Which is a shame because, as you pointed out, the footballing ability on show would be awesome and it would also have large economic benefits to compete with afl and soccer.
pothale said | November 6th 2009 @ 7:17am | Report comment
Mix Spiro and Pippinu – hmmm. Interesting,
Pippinu said | November 6th 2009 @ 8:14am | Report comment
Hey???!!!
We have no history of being at each other’s throats for more than a century!!
I agree with a few other posters – sorry Matt – this unoriginal and unrealistic idea comes up once every 3 or 4 months – and it’s the sort of thing that could only happen on an Australian blog.
Jmo said | November 6th 2009 @ 7:25am | Report comment
Not a bad discussion point but it can never happen, and as Robbo said I hope it doesn’t. League has been evolving nicely – the most recent good change was having two referees – a merger with union would squash all that evolution.
The sports that I follow are 1 League 2 Cricket 3 Others… AFL and soccer can get all the market share they want, good luck to them. A thousand league players can take dumps in 4 thousand hotel hallways (that’s 4 dumps/hallways per player) and I will still follow league before union or AFL or soccer.
BTW I watched the 4th Bledisoe Tokyo match and – I don’t if it was a good game but – it was good to watch. It was a decent spectacle, I don’t think union is in too much trouble. It was a better watch than some reheated movie on the other channel.
Mark said | November 6th 2009 @ 7:26am | Report comment
Yes I would support it, forget about hybrid version, union very strong overseas. Doubt very much the world would create a hybrid version just for Australia! And yes I’m a league fan.