Klestical has written a series of interesting pieces which have got me thinking about the comparative entertainment value of the three rugby traditions.
To mark my line in the sand from the outset, my argument is based on the view that rugby, in any form, has a simple, fundamental goal; plant that bloody ball over the try line and fight like hell to stop those mugs over there from doing the same.
From there it follows that a game of rugby at its purest, should be decided principally by the number of times either side successfully achieves this outcome. So much for theory, but what about entertainment?
Klestical suggests that League seems to be eroding the dominance of rugby in the Pacific, he could be right.
I live in Spain and play for a suburban rugby team here. Many of my team mates had never picked up a rugby ball two years ago, so they make an interesting test case for how union and league are received by the uninitiated.
They obviously love their rugby here. They come to training even when Real Madrid is playing in the Champion´s League which is no small thing.
However, when exposed to a game of League on TV in our pub, the effect was dramatic. In fairness we were watching State of Origin, but the comments were instructive. Apart from the scrums which were met with derision, the speed, skill and brute force of the collisions were met with stunned awe.
Even my father-in-law who comes to matches to support the team, still prefers to watch the NRL rather than the SUPER 15 on the TV. But what about those who live and breath rugby from birth?
We often hear how a desire for tries is a Southern Hemisphere fixation and that Europeans prefer a gay festival of scrums, rucks and malls. Perhaps, but i´m not convinced. As i´ve said, I live in Europe and i´ve spent years following Six Nations rugby in pubs and work with rugby fans from Britain and Ireland.
Over here you have two types of rugby fans, the purists and the opportunists. The former need no introduction, the latter are those that are in the Pub anyway and finding no decent soccer on the TV…
As a rule, the purists are often happy with a bit of bish-bosh, while the opportunists only lift their noses out of their pints when entertaining rugby happens, ie. attacking rugby. So what about the sex?
I´ve mentioned the fundamental objective which defines a rugby match, we´ll take it as read that Roarers know the same for vertical folk dancing.
You have the physical contact, the maneuvering, ground is gained, positions suddenly change, tension grows, excitement peaks and you just know that this time its going to happen! Then, ppppeeeeeyou! For some reason you can´t fathom the ref blows up the game. Anti-climax!
The point is, while a nicely struck penalty-goal might be something to behold, well, it just doesn´t deliver the satisfaction of a hard fought ball grounding behind the line.
A penalty goal is like a lingering kiss, sure it contributes to the outcome, but if that is all that´s offered, you´ll go looking elsewhere right? You bet, straight into the welcoming arms of Rugby League, the game that always puts out.
The world is changing. High speed internet and growing disposal incomes outside of the West mean League is no longer land locked inside the Island of OZ, NZ and Northern England.
Rugby´s power brokers need to decide who and where their fan base will be in decades to come.
League is easier to follow, easier to learn and as i´ve said, it doesn´t tease or hold out false promise. I´m not arguing that rugby has to copy league, but it could be truer to its origins as a ball carrying game. I´ve a few suggestions below.
• Keep opposing scrum halves out from the other side of the scrum. Scrums deliver blessed little clean ball at the best of times without letting pesky nines balls it up.
• Make penalty attempts drop kicks. Cynical play inside your own 22 will still risk a three-point penalty, whilst reducing the endless repetition of fancy-panced out halves gracefully knocking the ball between the sticks.
• Enforce a straight feed into the scrums. What is the point of repacking scrums in search of the perfect engagement if the scrum half tosses the ball into his own side anyway? Honestly, in terms of competition for the ball itself, a union scrum is hardly better than the league version.
Robbo
Guest
Emric, I suggest you read a few books including 'The Forbidden Game' and 'Rugby's Class War' if you think what has happened in history as being conspiracy theories. The Forbidden Game details the factual events on the game in France where it was banned by the Govt who was an ally of RU and explains how the game of RL was becoming so popular that it was overtaking RU until the ban was introduced. All assets of the French Rugby League were taken and till this day there has been no restitution even though Govt authorities have confirmed that the attrocities occurred. You would have to be very naive to think that it didn't massively affect the game in France. The other book 'Rugby's Class War' chronicles the insecurity of the UK RU authorities and how any players were banned if they even trained with a RL side and outlines the hypocrisy of so-called 'amateurism' in which the RU vehemently defended as the reason why professionals were banned from their amateur game even though professional Soccer players, Cricketers etc were able to participate. It also outlines the farciality in the Govt's banning of Rugby League in the UK's Defence Forces until the mid-90's which massively hindered growth around the world, meanwhile giving the code of RU a massive leg-up in spreading the gospel of their game unopposed. During the 1960's, Rugby League was starting to gain some traction in nations like South Africa, Italy and Yugoslavia but then again bans were set in place to combat this but I suppose there more conspiracy theories. Then we see the hypocrisy in the GPS schools in Brisbane that offer RU, Soccer and now AFL but not the most popular footy code in Qld, Rugby League. Even though many of the First 15 at these schools play RL at club level but they will keep that rhetoric up of there is no interest in the game and put then place prohibitions on anyone playing RL at club level but the other codes are fine and this is fact. This is beacuse they know that the last bastion for RU is in the GPS schools, if they were to lose ground here it could be the death knell of the code in Aust. In no way am I using the above events as rationalism as to why RU is more popular compared to RL internationally but it just highlights the insecurity and probably the inferority complex the code of RU has had in the past and that RL has faced a huge amount of hinderence in it's quest for growth. I don't think there has been a sport that has faced so much prejudice and injustice as Rugby League has. It actually shows how resilient the game of RL is given the malpractice of administrations and what impediments it has faced since it's inception in 1895. To be honest I had no idea of the scope of what uphill battles Rugby League faced and the real history behind the sport until I started to do a lot of reading. I know RL is not perfect, I'm not delusional but if it haven been given a fair fight over the years the sporting landscape around the globe may certainly have been diferent.
Footy Time
Guest
That's because its not true. Just because it's not offered doesn't mean it's banned. It has to do with resources. AFL has a leg up in the private schools because the AFL offers the schools the resources. League has never done the same for the private schools, nor has Union but Union has been established for over 100 years at these schools. It's part of the fabric of the schools. When you have limited resources (i.e. coaches/fields) are you going to split them between similar sports?
Emric
Guest
i have no idea if this is true or not but ive never seen evidence to back your statement up
ziggyniscot
Guest
Not only is Rugby League banned in many private schools in Australia, but also Touch such is the level of paranoia.
ziggyniscot
Guest
There are more hit ups per possession in Rugby than in League.
ziggyniscot
Guest
There is also beauty in simplicity. Football is at its heart a simple game and is the worlds most popular sport.
enzopitek
Guest
+1000
Neuen
Roar Rookie
League is like having sex with a prostitute. You have to pay the prostitute sums of money to have sex with you. Same with league. They had to pay the people to play it while union players played it for free for decades.
AndyS
Guest
Cricket wasn't an new game, and nor was one day cricket - they had been playing one day tournaments since the early Seventies. WSC was a new packaging of an existing product, sold well. Just like the broadcasters of AFL as they aim to sell in Q'ld/NSW and broadcasters of the NRL as they aim to sell in Vic. They are commodities, flogged relentlessly and uncritically to the exclusion of all else because it is in the broadcasters financial interest to do so. The reality is that the code values most accurately reflect their ability to sell advertising space. The AFL has always been the ideal, being three hours long, lots of breaks for one-off ads, three long breaks for large blocks of ads, lots of matches and able to be wholly owned by the broadcaster. The NRL is also good in that it can be largely owned, but the players do have some unfortunate alternatives, it doesn't run as long and the breaks are much more infrequent. Union is nowhere near, as the sport is controlled by overseas interests that don't much care about an Australian broadcaster, the competition involves international teams that don't much care about an Australian broadcaster, the players come and go quite a bit so it is hard to generate cults of personality and the breaks, while frequent, are awkward to predict in both frequency and duration. How intrinsically good or bad any sport might be is irrelevant to them - whatever you consider the best sport to be, they wouldn't broadcast it if played nude by supermodels if they weren't able to also sell advertising. As you say, I also have no doubt Union would love to be offered that sort of money. But that would probably require the ability to dictate how other countries run their matches in their countries, and I am tolerable certain they would relish the chance to give the answer to that. It won't happen, probably can't, and Union is going to have to find another way. But I'd absolutely disagree that there is a limit to what can be crammed down peoples throats...say it often enough, loud enough and with a couple of token celebrities, you'll convince people black is white. Everyone knows fast food is s***; how many burgers do you reckon the top two chains sold last year? They aren't good, but astutely marketed people will jam them down their own throats.
Big Time
Guest
One Dayers were a new game. Union isn't. You are not comparing apples to apples. The fact is, people want to watch League and AFL. You can only jam things down peoples throats for so long. If the product is no good though, people will stop watching it. League and AFL are proven products, hence the big money being paid for them. You are kidding yourself if you think Union wouldn't take $1Billion if it meant cramming ads in at every opportunity. They would bend over and take it sideways if that money was being thrown at them. Here is a statement for you, Union will fall further and further behind AFL and League in Australia. Call me Einstein, ha ha ha.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
Oh, and League is like losing your virginity. You build up to it with great anticipation and angst. Come game day you don't know what to expect but at the end more often that no are left disappointed by the apparent hollow nature of it. Well, most of the time. Rugby on the other hand is like a mature and loving sex life. Sometimes its good, sometimes if feels like more like a chore but when it is great. Boy, there's nothing like it.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
The only real issue with Rugby is in its officialdom. Get some ratified consistency in that field, one that allows the game to flow and there's no comparison. The five second rule at the back of the ruck has sped play up and the provincial levels it has been trialed at so, if the referee's could get there act together, then Rugby will be just fine.
Matt F
Roar Guru
But to Wallabies fans it was more like good porn. Sure it was great to watch and the result was satisfying enough but it's just not the same when you're not involved.....
AndyS
Guest
And the first rule of sales is to create the demand - make them want something they never knew they wanted. It is a chicken and egg argument...does the media show something because the public demand it, or because they find something to sell and shove it down peoples throats knowing they're going to watch something? I note Kerry Packer's War is being shown again; watch that and get back to me. No spoilers or anything, but little hint - the people weren't beating the door down demanding to be shown a one day tournament... None of which takes away from Unions failings in Australia by never being one of those things the general media has picked up. By the same token, one thing I have always disliked as far back as pre-AFL days was the cramming of ads into every break and the eventual holding of the game for the producers go-ahead. I think Union would lose something if it allowed that into the professional game.
crusader-in-auckland
Roar Rookie
...like Bradley Wiggins? I'll quote from the article. "He's not bad on a bicycle for starters and then there's his sport of choice away from the spokes and Lycra...rugby league. Born in Ghent, raised in north London but living in a tiny village near Chorley. He had NO ESCAPE in deepest Lancashire." Doesn't really prove your assertion that league is "doing well" to attract support outside it's heartlands, does it.
MAJB
Guest
Anon69, You and I must different ideas about very good sex. Apart from two brief periods, of about 5 minutes each, the game was just as boring and tedious as nearly every other Test match telecast I have watched over the past two years. If Test match Rugby doesn’t improve soon world Rugby will be in trouble, even if it more exciting little brother 7’s is in the Olympics.
Emric
Guest
LOL - Do you honestly believe this Matt-S or have you league diehards started to spike your coolaid with some LSD. First its a big conspiracy theory about Rugby "blocking" League from the international market Then its a big conspiracy theory about Rugby destroying League in France Then its a big conspiracy theory about Rugby blocking League from private schools Oh and the Best one yet - Its a big conspiracy theory that NRL Players are being offered big dollars to switch to Rugby by and well sponsored and funded French and Japanese rugby competitions. The reality is Rugby never stopped the growth or spread of League - League simply wasn't a good enough product to be attractive to the masses. If Rugby had the ability to stop the spread of league Australia would be worshiping the Rugby Gods instead of League. Rugby never hurt League in France, League is still alive there and thriving just not as strong as it used to be the product weakened there not because of the actions taken by the Rugby Union but because of Leagues inaction to adapt to the reality on the ground. Rugby never blocked League from private schools, I used to hear this one all the time, League simply didn't have anything more to offer so no one bothered with it. This is the best one don't you think - The NRL still throws money at the NZRU rugby juniors, players who are 18 years old and the NRL is offering big money to switch to league, and yet when a bigger fish comes along the NRL and its supporters get all offended. Lets face it a billion dollars is nothing if you want to make real money in sport you either play your rugby in France, or Japan, or you switch to soccer and try to gain access to the EPL.
ANON69
Guest
IF you watched England VS AB last weekend. Now, that is Very very very good sex.
Big Time
Guest
...plus often painful for the recipient unless they are well lubed and up for anything!!!!
Big Time
Guest
Wow, thats what you got from my post.