Roar Pro
Joined August 2010
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For the second year in a row I got stuck with NRL grand final tickets; ever so optimistic about the Rabbitohs' chances of making…
With my beloved Rabbitohs falling in the preliminary final, I wasn't sure I could attend this year's grand final. It was perhaps too painful…
Foundation rugby league countries England, Australia, and New Zealand are receiving timely good news that augurs well for the game's future. Starting with England,…
In an earlier article on The Roar, I outlined a new relationship between Al Jazeera Sport and rugby league in France. More details have…
Featherstone Rovers first came into my conscious thought in 1983. It was still a learning curve for me, becoming familiar with rugby league. I…
Next year heralds the 2013 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) in England, Wales, Ireland and France. Right up to and the tournament, I'll be…
Before a ball was kicked, the Super League heralded the 2012 season in controversial circumstances. The competition will be known as the Stobart Super…
While rugby league in Australia was hailing a new era in the sport's history with the advent of the independent commission, a momentous moment…
Who would have thought rugby league had inadvertently relaunched the career of an actor and influenced others? William Hartnell portrayed an ageing league talent…
The Rugby League European Federation (RLEF) is guided under three principles: empowerment, dynamism, and culture. These three key focus areas are pointing rugby league…
On a balmy Wednesday afternoon, among the vineyards of the Corbieres commune in the Aude Valley, a most unlikely cross-code challenge occured in Rugby,…
Craig Foster wrote: "Colour-blind code shades the others for diversity" in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald. Just how many times is this bloke going to…
Reading the Sydney Morning Herald today, in the week of the NRL grand final lead up, I could not help but be dismayed by…
[caption id="attachment_22234" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Rugby League chief executive David Gallop answers questions at a media conference. AAP Image/Paul Miller."][/caption] When the Melbourne Storm scandal…
Recently we read some sections of the Sydney media describe Jarryd Hayne’s feats as an equivalent to the late, great, cricket legend, Sir Donald…
Rugby league was formed by breaking away from its parent body, commonly known as rugby union, over player payment issues. League had great initial…
Really Grafter, I hear on league shows league identities like Farrah, Johns etc talk of their passion for EPL. I see league fans first invest/involved in A-League (Tinkler, Sage, Palmer who all played league). Today’s telegraph had a story that lots of league people follow AFL and Garry jack’s son’s progress.
When i flick on the AFL I have caught the AFL commentators describe, Hunt, for example, as the player from “the other code”. They can’t even muster the words to say ‘rugby league or NRL”. I hear Vossy, Rabs say ÄFL type leap etc during TV matches.
One just has to read Campese’s & others’ rants on the roar to sense a hate for league.
Do you really believe this still?
Rugby League - the code of hate?
Still doesn’t stop you coming on a league thread. Union too boring hey?
Rugby league's crucial bookends
Wow, looks like the Pirates name change has been a huge success for the WA Franchise. Already over 3,000 memberships, and they have sold more merchandise in the last couple of weeks then in the entire Reds post-NRL history.
WA Pirates push for berth in expanded NRL
An update: The Australian Rugby League won the Sport Federation or Governing Body of the Year award in London
http://www.beyondsport.org/the-awards/awards2012/entries/winners.php
Rugby league's crucial bookends
Crosscoder, the unionites like to point out the regionalism of rugby league but it’s ironic union is mostly divided on regions, areas and economic lines. They point out the likes of Wales but it is a SOuth Wales game. North Wales has little interest in union. They point out Argentina, but union has class lines there. Ditto South Africa. They point out Ireland, but it is the game of presbyterian Irish i.e implants from England. They point out Italy, sorry, rich Northern italians. They point out Scotland…ah Borders, Edinburgh. They point out France and say, hey look 80,000 in Paris for a club game. Don’t mention giveways, freebies…next week back to 8,000 expat South Western Frenchies living in Paris in a 12,000 capacity stadium. Union is as regional and smoke & mirrors only fools the unionites themselves. They point to the USA but surprise surprise the growth are in bastions of social division..universities. Their own reports uncover the obvious.
Rugby league's crucial bookends
D Maaga, 16,000 pre-sold tickets to the Manly v Warriors game in Perth this Saturday. Not bad for a game with no NRL club there. Will beat anything the Force got this year. Suppose that will have you in meltdown. Better quickly go to the Pirates FB page and tell em the game doesn’t exist there, it’s all a mirage.
Rugby league's crucial bookends
Haven’t done much have they. Bit like Japan. All that priviledge, all that waste.
Rugby league's crucial bookends
I disagree ALL RL young players coming out of London, etc will go onto play rugby union. We are seeing so many players from these areas, Midlands play in the Super League, Championship leagues etc. There are even 3 graduates from the Easterhouse Panthers club in Scotland who are running around for Hull KR and its academy sides.
I do agree though that the traditonal areas cannot be neglected as they form the rich tapestry of RFL.
Rugby league's crucial bookends
Interesting league is one of the main sports on BBC Sport’s website banner alongside football, cricket & union
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/
Also the RFL is increasing its staff and opening a office in London
http://www.code13rugbyleague.com/2012/07/23/rfl-appoints-senior-commercial-manager/
And remaining on BBC during the Olympics
http://www.code13rugbyleague.com/2012/07/23/super-league-show-to-get-brief-national-airing/
Not bad for a ‘small’sport hey?
Rugby league's crucial bookends
This sort of story makes anything worth it.
http://news-review-messenger.whereilive.com.au/news/story/paralowie-player-in-a-league-of-his-own/
Rugby league is crippled in South Australia
Emric, where in my posts/article do i deathriude NZ RU? Please, you sound very insecure and are reading into something that may be in your own mind. I don’t give 2 hoots about NZ RU and don’t see RL’s growth to the detriment of RU.
Rugby league's crucial bookends
D Maaga, you seem to spend a lot of time on league sites, even the Italian rugby league facebook site where your comment was proven incorrect. i suggest you spend more time looking into your own code’s dark history.
Cameron, if the UK Super League’s comp attracts twice the TV numbers of the Aviva Union, then what does that say about your code’s premier comp? I would suggest social priviledge has a lot to do with union’s survival in the UK over the past century. But I’ll leave that to the historians.
Please, if these league stories offend you or scare you, just ignore them and stick to your own code.
Rugby league's crucial bookends
For big time rugby league, Adelaide would be a new market given a new generation has not been exposed to an Adelaide NRL team. League has had attempts in Canada prior even doing quite well in the schools system but losing out to a wealthier bigger Canadian football league. The 80’s saw another attempt by a former pro soccer player from England but little assistance or structure from a RLIF (it probably didn’t even exist at the time), distances, finance etc saw that die out.
Hopefully wiuth the advent of cable tv, internet, fb etc resources, networking can be attracted to the sport.
Rugby league is crippled in South Australia
Just comparisons mate about the league product in new markets. Toronto, Adelaide, anywhere…
Hope a few expats went to the game as they could help fuel league’s growth. Sure league would be suited to rangy fast tough jamaicans. Game’s going good in Jamaica but Canada is a challenge with distances, finances etc so all helps.
Rugby league is crippled in South Australia
Rugby League has a great product but finance for any expansion will be an issue.
Look at the coverage rugby league on prime FTA TV got for a recent international in Toronto, Canada for Canada v Jamaica
http://www.cp24.com/video?clipId=725266
Match attracted over 4,500
http://www.canadarugbyleague.com/site/eng/news/article.php?id=10186
Potential is there
Rugby league is crippled in South Australia
Disgrace the ARL Commission put this on a Saturday nite. This should have been Sunday match of the day and they would have doubled the crowd. Instead we get Roosters v Panthers (is that a pathetic attempt by Nine to pick a match that will bring woeful TV ratings and then point out NRL not worth a billion $$$ ?)
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs. St George Illawarra Dragons: NRL live scores, blog
Souths supporters have roundly rejected this stadium. Only will come out if we’re in GF
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs. St George Illawarra Dragons: NRL live scores, blog
I think it came more down to the teams that made the finals and the pair up. Please, Manly v Cowboys at the SFS.
Who could forget Parra v Bulldogs in front of 75,000.
Monday night thriller kickstarted finals fever
Big game this weekend Redcliffe v Wynnum, should be a cracker and attract 5,000 plus
NRL needs quality coverage, not $1 billion
Please, let’s stop this ‘poor’rubbish. When the Warriors play in North Harbour for trials they attract 16,000 plus. hardly a poor area. gee the Monaco based co owner must really be poor. Sure they have a lot of battlers follow them but there is certainly well healed kiwis now follow the sport and when the Warriors play outside Auckland they attract far bigger crowds than Wellington. Remember 20,000
plus in Christchurch in pouring rain? Even in the deep of South Island the Warriors can attract a crowd.
All Whites have had some good crowds because results have gone their way. Go back to the dark days and I’m sure their crowds would plummet.
NRL needs quality coverage, not $1 billion
Clipper, the Kiwis got 34,000 for their last game in NZ.
Can you tell me if Wellington’s sponsorship levels & membership are higher than the Warriors. Crowds, consistent?
NRL needs quality coverage, not $1 billion
Napia, you are a known troll. Everything you say here is out of pure hate & fear. You could say that (not capturing the publics imagination) about many countries that play union. Despite priviledge, oldboy networks, company networks, there is fail fail fail in places like Japan that have had 100 years of medicrocy.
Stop the lies.
NRL needs quality coverage, not $1 billion
Surely we must be talking about participation here? As this would apply in Australia too. Show me a soccer club in NZ that attracts the crowds, sponsorship and membership of the Warriors on a consistent basis?
NRL needs quality coverage, not $1 billion
Yeah, as if the giants will announce the real crowd. Even tweets from AFL followers said be lucky if there were 4,000 at Skoda!
Cronulla Sharks vs Penrith Panthers: NRL live scores, blog