gingerjon

I can only speak for locally and what I see but women’s participation in RU seems to have stalled locally whilst it is absolutely surging in soccer and still building in cricket.

I think, like when it comes to attendances, we should do the right thing and get absolutely livid that anyone would run with good news and spend post after post undermining it. This is genuinely stunningly good. We haven’t invested as much as we could and the mood music is all about head injuries - and yet we’re going beyond treading water and potentially on a significant upward curve. This is something to shout about.

It's even more unbalanced than that in the RL to soccer comparison but, as a reference point, the clubs are blanching at paying English players 80k a year. The average League Two salary is £104k a year. Once you're hitting an 'allowance' of around 10 players, in my opinion, you may as well not have the allowance at all. It's just a fig leaf. It's already clear that the focus is on the immediate here and now with absolutely no concern for anything longer term.

It's probably also worth saying that the RFL do not operate under any kind of 'set precedent' system for this - and nor does any other sport. Everything is a case by case basis in line with the operational rules etc

That increase is incredible in several senses of that word.

For years they said Asians would never like soccer or people from the Caribbean only cricket. And then people actually supported those trying to engage those communities and it turned out that’s just what racists think. So, no community is off limits. You just need the will, support and patience.

I can’t be bothered going over the numbers again but by any honest, national metric - with the exception of column inches and attendances for a small number of internationals per year - soccer has been ahead of RU in Wales for at least decades and probably forever.

Indeed. But Warrington have essentially more than doubled in terms of average gate - and more than that in terms of visibility etc - since the start of Super League. And, unlike, say, Bradford, that has stayed true even when not winning. Maybe Hull FC would be another example.

Was it just money with Warrington? London have also spent eye watering amounts of money. Huddersfield too.

The question is, in English RL terms, who could do a Warrington?

For the 2026 season?

Supporting the grassroots and the community game by removing opportunities for players to make a living from the game.

The last season of AFLW was a car crash. They crammed everything into a short period, played at really weird times and there was no logic to where and when games were played. Ended up with a low crowds, annoyed longer term supporters and burnt out players playing a cardio sport with no energy. Meanwhile, the AFL, seem throughly bemused that the “play it and people will turn up” strategy doesn’t work when you antagonise every potential demographic who might come and watch.

Enjoying the physicality and sh1thousing in this Switzerland - Iceland game. You wouldn’t want every one to be like this but it’s tasty.

I’m apparently being given a club tracksuit in my role as camera pointer at Hastings. FKW here I come.