gingerjon

It was 30+ years ago?

Like all long-established traditions, Father Christmas, as he currently is, was unknown before Queen Victoria.

I'm nearly 50. This was being said when I was young. It wasn't true then either. Cultures change. Diwali was sure as heck not accepted as part of British culture in 1982.

They'll go the US college route like they've always done.

Well, on the one hand, we have an independent and thorough survey with a published methodology that has shown that the world's two most popular team sports by participation are popular in Australia and then broken down the rest. And, on the other, some old blokes and their vibes. I'll go with the fact based one for now. I think it shows RL in a really strong position - not sure why everyone is being so touchy about it, TBH.

If you’re saying these figures are wrong because the AFL add up using the union calculator then the fact that they are independent of the AFL and its numbers is quite important.

The AFL have not provided any of the figures.

Yes. In Australia. NWSL, WSL and a growing number of leagues in Europe are where the global pathway comes in. The last time we had this chat, Sam Kerr was earning as much just from her club salary as each NRLW team could pay their entire squad.

[1] I doubt they will maintain the same level of popularity but there is no reason to expect a massive collapse. Women's football is likely to remain a decent and profitable way for female athletes from Australia to earn decent money around the world for a long time to come as well. [2] No idea what their expectations are but, following a quick check, the basketball league looks decent, features a lot of Australians, and is one of the top paying ones in the world. I doubt it will ever be more popular than traditional sports in Oz but see no reason to doubt the high level of participation - and just noting that translates to a pretty well attended league.

Because reality intrudes when you run out of money and IMG points don't pay the bills?

The Matildas are the best supported and most followed national team in Australia. Australia has a professional basketball league with a minimum player salary of $79,500 (£40,700) and a team salary cap of just shy of $2m.

Thankfully, for this one, governing bodies are nowhere near the numbers. You can, as ever, read all about it: https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/research/ausplay/method

All are on the footyindustryAU twitter account but: Victoria NSW Queensland

I may be being completely thick but I can't see a partners page or dedicated space on the RFL site.

If everything is sold too cheap then it becomes harder to cover the shop's operating costs.

It's massive in schools so that gives it a boost but, for example, despite it being essentially invisible in the area there are three basketball teams within ten miles of my front door. That puts it behind only football and cricket. Go to places without cricket - like a lot of urban areas now are - and you can easily see how it gets to the 'second team sport behind football'.

Same as England: https://www.basketballengland.co.uk/news/2024/basketball-participation-in-england-at-highest-levels-since-active-lives-records-began/

https://x.com/footyindustryAU/status/1862082794866004351 The account also has a chart for Queensland specifically. Just an FYI.

This is the one that gets me most. A decent deal for what it was, with a cash value that ran to thousands if you worked it out. And everyone lined up to take the mick.

Worked for a local charity in London that ran two shops. Without the profit from those shops then some of the things that charity did would not have happened. But that balancing act was an issue - for some people using the charity, the shop was an extension of it, for other shoppers it was just a cheap shop. It was a circle that was never squared, really. Hastings & St Leonards has a lot of bric a brac and jumble shops posing as boho antiques places so our charity shops lean very much to old clothes and assorted bargains - there are two which specifically sell furniture and they are "well under market rate but not cheap". To go back to the thread purpose: if they don't make enough of a profit then they will be closed. That's not always on sales. If the landlord hikes rent or if staff are needed rather than volunteers, that can make a difference. And profit will be going back to the charity but there will be bills to pay on the way.

Sky's deal doesn't cover the Championship or League 1 - hence why there was an offer from Premier last season that the clubs didn't take up.

Edited - not worth it, but some of the returners really don’t do subtle.

He was on something called their Advisory Board. No idea what that was or the level of input!

https://cornwallrlfc.co.uk/news/club-statement-a-new-chapter-for-cornwall-rlfc/

Goole Town Council, together with the Goole Town Deal Board, is delighted to announce that its application for grant funding from the Football Foundation has been successful, securing more than £2.2 million towards ambitious plans to refurbish the town’s Victoria Pleasure Ground. Via the Football Foundation, the Premier League, The Football Association and the Government will provide 31 per cent of the total £7,266,385 million cost of the project. https://www.gooletowndeal.co.uk/football-foundation-to-provide-2-2-million-in-grant-funding-towards-victoria-pleasure-ground-plans/