Rugby league needs to invest in foreign players

Seven years later, RLWC2017 in full swing and nothing has changed.

Dave That my lad is total rubbish.At the time of rl being banned there were in total 200 plus rl clubs in France(only 14 professional) compared to ru about 400.The profile was already there and growing and had nothing to do with the 5 nations. eg At the 1st annual congress of the Ligue Francais de rugby X111,held at Toulouse on 27/28th july 1935,some impressive figures were announced.Dr Vinson announced more than 100 amateur rl clubs in existence,plus another 50 student or schoolboy clubs . I will also note" if rugby league had been played in the schools during the war years ,as the 1940 edict had allowed(but not acted upon) then young players would have started to come through to the top level" In 1946 (5 years on) the FRL had no capital resources(wonder where the money went) and fewer players than at the time of the ban. I am not going to get involved in another argument with you(and denial mode) on Vichy,but suggest you stick the findings of the report into sport under Vichy,in front of your cmptr,and ponder.Then understand having a govt not give recogntion to a code or make grants to a code,would somehow assist it for decades is laughable.RU was made the offcial sport in schools,rl had liitle or no presence in schools for decades after WW2. The argument because a code won a few tests within the last few decades,is no indication of the depth of the game in France.just as the Kiwis winning a test or two indicates the depth of rl in NZ.So you can't use the French won tests argument,it is hollow. You have a habit of not reading,or missreading what I have stated.I simply stated if Vichy banning had not happened rl would have been a major sport.No mention of it being bigger than union whatever..Just a whole lot bigger than it is now,which wouldn't be hard. People involved in the game in France believed so,but you don't.I say no more. If it hadn't been banned more than a few rl clubs would have remained in rl,and not switched back to ru,in order to either survive or continue playing a rugby code. It is no coincidence that now a French under 16 team has beaten England under 16 in 2 tests.

Bingo!

Code war. in 3.. 2.. 1... due to Mitchs comment..

if only it were that simple Mitch...

Rugby League bigger than Rugby Union in Aus Rugby Union bigger than Rugby League in NZ Rugby Union bigger than Rugby League in UK Rugby Union bigger than Rugby League in France done and dusted with Rugby wars!

CC don't blame league failures on the events in France. League would be still a minor sports and still smaller than rugby there if the war didn't happen. Like I said before the only reason league profile went up was because French rugby were suspeneded from the Five Nations Championship. Rugby was always bigger in the south of France before, during and after the war. When France were admitted back to the Five Nations it was just a matter of time before they won the tournament and the interest back to where it was before they were suspended. This is the reason why the great French international league team of the 50's, 60's and 70's hardly changed the rugby landscape in the 80's 90's and now. Its like the Kiwi's winning the Rugby League World Cup or the Warriors making the NRL grand finals will never changed the rugby landscape in NZ one bit. The same for the Wallabies winning two rugby world cup would never take over league in NSW and QLD.

The reason rugby league has struggled to get beyond its boundaries)(although it is happening) is finance/SL war/finance again and clubs who couldn't think outside the square. I will say this and it may upset a couple of the purists,if there had been no WW2 and Vichy,rl in france would have been a major sport there.The French under 16 teams has just beaten the English equivalent in 2 tests.So the talent in there. That is one of the reasons the game in this country needed and finally is getting an IC,to run the game as a business an expanding one. The game has been run by well meaning people at times,idiots is a bit much.I do note that even some of the best business people have had failures along the way.You learn by these mistakes. Securing a profit from the RLWC08,has given the code a base on which to support new markets,and the 2013 event is expected to add further to the monies available.

King of the GGS No all it means that crowds fluctuate.if the Reds were down at the end of the table,their crowds would be likewise.The Raiders crowd averages to date are above the Brumby's.Does that mean a resurgance of rugby(13) . Bit silly anyway to make that prognostication ,when we are only 6 weeks into a season. Anycase after last year's dismal season for aust S14 clubs the game had only one way to go.

Whats good for R.L? Its a good product. It looks ok. Why does it struggle to grow beyond its traditional boundaries? The self beleif is there in Spades. I get shouted down when I suggest the game is run by Idiots who stumble from the last failed big Idea to the next grandiose new beginning.

Whilst AFL and NRL crowds are down/stagnant, Super rugby crowds are up 32%! is this the return of rugby?

I haven't seen the RLIF/RLEF/ARL describe world cups and other lesser tournaments or expansion in other countries,as 'world domination".Maybe some individual fans have gone a tad overboard.Sth Africa is another good example of organic growth.

Lebanon is a good example of how to grow League. Organic growth et al rather than the bizzar hype that usualy accompanies the next "big" Idea for World Domination.

Importing players has helped develop the game in Fiji both in the schools and with new clubs and juniors,plus organic growth. The RLIF/RLEF doesnt have the funds that the IRB has,and yet they are developing the game in Europe . It is obvious organic growth is the way to go,as is happening in Lebanon and the M/E and Wales and Sth Africa. So success is forthcoming with organic growth and also having players involved in rl comps both here and in the UK.The success is therefore well earned,more so it is done with limited resources and the passion of people who want to see rl grow.I do not see that as any kind of problem at all.

I wish R.L all the success they deserve . Organic growth seems to be the catchword now. Importing players from Fiji or Samoa to the NRL is good business. It acheives little Internationaly for the sport though. But thats not on the agenda of the NRLs self Interests . I would look to the good work of the IRB as an example of how to move a sport forward.

Corey Should I ever need a body guard or a bouncer to combat the great forces of evil,you look to fit the bill.

143 000 registered players....