Codex

The RFU had a very very good CEO for a long time called Francis Baron - he totally transformed the commercial performance of Engish RU, rebuilt Twickenham, saw the England team win the RUWC and reach no.1 in the RU world rankings. The RU blazers hated him. Recently, he made public statements that he thought the recent governance of the RFU has been shambolic (which it has) and guess what? The RFU have ostracised him, cut off his perks as an ex-CEO (tickets, meals, banquets etc) and have shunned him. He'd actually be a good poach for the RFL to get on-board, especially as he probably now has an overwheling grudge to get one back over on the RFU. Good read here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/feb/20/francis-baron-rfu-chief-executive

5 shillings and sixpence?

There is a lot of goodwill but it just takes one idiot in somewhere like Albania to say RL can't be played on a RU pitch and it's used as copper-bottomed proof that nothing has changed and all in RU are the devil incarnate. A pity.

I did say it was a way to get people to choke on their drink. It is rather moot to think though that, over the course of a year, I'd wager more games of RL are played in the UK on RU pitches than are played on dedicated RL pitches.

Given the last CEO of the RFU was effectively sacked after just over a year and managed in that time to rack up huge debts that meant 100 people were made redundant then I think the RFL are better off looking elsewhere! The real way to get people to choke on their pint of mild or G&T would be to suggest the RFU manage all of UK RL as a subsidiary of 'rugby'. RL gets a few seats on the RFU board, access to it's commercial weight, development networks, RDOs and international links. #pigeons #cat

The quote was a RL fan describing a RU match being played in a packed stadium.

And there, slipped in almost as a default, is one of the reasons that RL struggles so much to spread to new territories.

Not sure where you get your info but from what I've read CVC sold F1 to Liberty Media for a massive profit.

He still plays 3rd team ru every week for a local club in Wales!

In a manner of speaking, yes.

I just treat people as I find them.

It's all relative isn't it. In Wigan, the rugby team is more well known than the football team. In Wolverhampton I don't even know if they have ever played RL there. Which area would you get most bang for your buck in terms of growing the game and getting more kids playing or more spectators watching - Wigan or Wolverhampton?

Seems a rather non-rugby related criteria for what constitutes being a great player. What happens if you are a peerless performer for 9 years then get an injury that forces you to retire?

International RU is a big drawer - we all know that. Premiership Football dwarfs all of it.

Premiership Football?