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Anyone ever noticed how you never see Bulldog Paddy and Ivan the Terrible together ....just saying .

True; with so many channels, the chances of stumbling across something is lessened. You have to put in the work. I check on this site - https://www.viewfilm.net/date/20210620 - and am often surprised by what is being shown on some obscure channel.

Ha… at the Hebden Bridge checkpoint; been here about an hour awaiting my watch to charge up, eat food (try) and get my feet sorted, which I have been battling with along the whole 45miles so far (hot spots and small blisters). Got here in just under 15hrs so very pleased considering there have been no hills to train on at home near Peterborough. 65 miles to go… (already shattered lol).

June 19 2021 Wales Aber Valley 10 Bridgend Blue Bulls 26 This is a five team league this year with Torfaen have returned to the league at least temporarily from the Southern Conference and all five are well established clubs. This may in fact be a problem as there are no enough clubs for 2 divisions and this being arguably the highest standard of the southern regional leagues, there is no room for recreational players. New teams join but often have a short shelf life. The main town in the valley is Senghenydd infamous for the worst mining disaster in British history with 440 deaths. Entry to the valley is from Caerphilly with otherwise only mountain roads I saw Aber Valley when then they played at Senghenydd RU but they have now moved to Aneurin Park, presumably names after Aneurin Bevan who for anyone who does not know the name, should be researched and once voted as the 45th greatest Briton. It would be difficult to think of anyone now in politics worthy of having a building park or institution manes after them. Maybe we could name branches of the serious fraud squad after a few at present. The park is a lovely place to watch rugby on a nice day, the club fence the pitch and there are grass banks on two sides with benches. There was a steady stream of people passing through and maybe 100 watching. Bridgend known as the Blue Bulls were founded in 2003 and in their early days could attract a crowd of 1000 for big games. They are the most successful amateur club in Wales and were dominant today

I had a ride around Wigan yesterday to get a game and caught the second half of a masters game at St Judes.. Full contact guys ? Decent crowd , lovely weather , all the benches filled in their very expansive spec area . Enjoyable game and the result was definitely secondary to us all getting back on the park. Took a look around their club offering to the Community. 5 playing fields . all weather G3 pitch , state of the art gym, outdoor assault course for the kids ( as if they need it in Worsley Mesnes - Beirut is often safer ) VIP lounge and 500 plus members with about 22 teams turning out each week Some people need to stop knocking this game. We are not in a bad spot. This morning went down to Ince Rose Bridge to watch my grandson with the mini Bridgers . For 5 year olds. Chorley Panthers squads ' little ones ' . were playing on the main outdoor space pitch. Excellent attitude from both organisers and especially spectators throughout More than convinced that our game is in safe and responsible hands Uplifting weekend.

I'm curious about something. If it's OK for the likes of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa why is it not OK for Ireland or Scotland?

Here is Geordie Saint, near the humourously named Dick Slack

Eastern Rhinos 28 Bedford Tigers 22 You can usually tell who are the established teams in the south by the nicknames, those who have been around longest took theirs from the top sides, newer once’s take something more local. indeed Eastern Rhinos go back through Ipswich Rhinos and Felixstowe back to at least 1992 and Bedford although replacing a previous team called Swift’s to a similar date. Both started off as winter teams Rhinos play in Colchester now and are members of the Southern Conference. Unlike some places visited this year, clubs in this are very much clubs not just a group of lads playing as a team and planning year to year. This game is considered to be a derby but the sides are close to 100 miles apart. The London sides dominate this league with a strong antipodean element and strength on the field is essential. Bedford in particular are running numerous sides and had senior, A, U18 and ladies all turning out this weekend. Rhinos were always slightly the stronger and the result was not really in doubt at any time but was competitive at all stages and only a converted try separated the team. The venue whilst ideal for the hosts, was not to my liking. Rhinos were tenants at Colchester RU for many years and they sold up and moved even further out of town. The football ground is visible from new and old sites and was, at least when I visited known as the community stadium, no doubt using the word community scored a few planning points. The ground was solely for football and what community there was, were only involved in making parking impossible near their houses. There was a nearby park and ride which could not be used so fans had to drive into town to get a bus which passed shoppers on a bus going into town from the park and ride. This facility again reflects planning policy not usage. I assume the old ground has been built on and a similar amount of sports facility had to be provided, albeit on what was green belt. The rugby club saw what was happening and took their area and built their own bars and other means of income stream, but not spectator facilities, the first being the priority of all RU clubs. The remainder of the space has a leisure centre which was unused on a Saturday pm apart from a bike track and a cafe where five teenagers were employed to twiddle their thumbs. I imagine it runs at a huge loss and will become run down. The match took place inside a cage with spectators not allowed in side but with concrete steps to sit on outside to peer through a meal fence. Most stood on the top step to try and peer over. I have never been to a facility of this type twice Anyway rant over and more about the game itself next week

It's a good version that. I've been thinking about the criteria for a good version of originals. Is it one that keeps faith the original? Does it need to be totally different? What differences are special in the ones you like, the voice, the arrangement or the tempo? Or is that it's simply better than the original? Or all the above? For Rod Stewart IMO it would have to be "I don't Wanna Talk About it"

So, 1,500+ posts later, how many Brits are currently in the NRL? I count Thompson, Burgess, Whitehead, Sutton and Hodgson. Five?