pahars

A lot of it has to do with actually trying to be a global sport. Cricket was represented by the Imperial Cricket Council and was more about Empire politics then a genuine governing body-which resulted in areas in Europe where cricket was once very popular like the Netherlands regressing through neglect. In Rugby Union the IRB was very similar to the ICC and only interested in the Empire. It was the French who developed Argentina, Romania and Georgia. Basketball was only really interested in developing the game in the US. The reason for its mass popularity in parts of Europe is mainly down to Harlem Globetrotters tours. Its noticeable that most of the countries where football isn’t number one are part of the anglophone world. Football quickly took a lot of power away from the British in Europe which aided development in the continent while ironically spreading rapidly through South America due to the British building the railways. By the time the other sports got their acts together football was already the biggest sport in the world and developing at a far greater pace.

Well this. A year ago when people were trained that they had to wear masks and stand two metres apart was not the time to have it.

4th biggest international attendance in England all time I think. Behind 2013 & 1992 finals and 2013 semi. Just ahead of 1995 final.

Isn’t it just an NRL/NSWRL thing? Historically they made a lot more money from people watching, drinking and gambling in the Leagues Club then they did from ticket sales. AFL which due to state legislation didn’t have gambling clubs seems a lot more focussed on crowds.

That looks amazing! Really iconic venue! If the costs of putting the seats up isn’t too prohibitive Manchester Central can hopefully join the London Copper Box as a future regular Wheelchair Test Venue.

Some of the stats are wrong - Barbados was with temporary seating for cricket World Cup. Bourda got condemned 15 years ago. Other stadiums were bribes from one the China’s for that nations government to recognise them. England does just fine for cricket grounds now. Twenty years ago was a major issue.

If a major UK football code played on oval pitches then it would be very different.

It would be intriguing to know when they knew. Hull Kingston Bronco mentioned earlier that they took tickets off sale to recategorise. Was that a reaction to the news or did they think they were in a much better position then they were and not reduce prices enough?

Roughly 105,000 tickets available for wheelchair and women’s- were these included in the 750k? believe they sold around 45,000 so far.

Yeah. The 4 men only England games averaged 31,250 at high prices, the England men/women double header got 23,000 at high prices. The 3 women only England double headers averaged 7,000 at lower prices. There is a lot of data to analyse there and I appreciate ‘it’s a world cup’ is a factor. But I fail to see how the result can a double header in a 15,000 stadium at low prices.

I remember watching England v Australia women as a warm up to a Hampshire game! They went to Tunbridge Wells for a while, modest but a home with proper spectator facilities and it seemed to kick on from there.

I’m not against double headers but if you’re going to do it pick a more ambitious venue - either in capacity up north or take it out of the heartlands. The worry is that its such a meh event it gets a small crowd and that locks in the way these games will be held for years. Shame as York was shaping up nicely as a women’s national stadium and did a lot of good promoting RL in the city.

I was actually keeping it simple this time just announce a future England/France wheelchair game(s) at an arena or two while people are actually watching an England/France wheelchair game in an arena.

I believe there is already a rugby league team name connection. One of the three Leopards represented the then English land of Aquitaine hence: ‘Villeneuve X111 Leopards d’Aquitaine’

Actually they were originally French Leopards! ‘The English usually referred to them as leopards until the late 1300s when they started calling them lions. French heralds continued to call them leopards, and, during the Hundred Years’ War, the French sometimes referred to the English as ‘the leopards’.’

The issue isn’t necessarily with the format the issue is that nothing will ever change. Sure the Pacific Islands within the NRL’s orbit will get better because the NRL wants players and TV content on Origin weekends. Everyone else probably no change. No real governing body. No other national interest in indirectly developing another nation. The staging fee/war chest that was supposed to have caused the ticket prices in this tournament becomes even more ridiculous when you consider the lack of competitive games any beneficiaries would get. Compare that to the way union and cricket have developed their World Cup also rans over the last 20 years.

Considering the two best countries in the Wheelchair tournament are neighbours it would surely be fairly easy to announce a French tour in Summer 2023 (for example) this Friday at the GMEX and on the BBC. You can sort the exact details later just make it known that it is happening when it has peoples attention.

Considering the two best countries in the Wheelchair tournament are neighbours it would surely be fairly easy to announce a French tour in Summer 2023 (for example) this Friday at the GMEX and on the BBC. You can sort the exact details later just make it known that it is happening when it has peoples attention.

Just looked it up and you’re right. They lost convincingly to all the six nations except Italy with half the crowds under 20,000 and even the sell out machines of Cardiff and Twickenham two thirds full. Better on their own in every way.

There are ten sovereign nations in the West Indies too so that could feed in to a Champions Super Ten.

Union tried it for a few years. The players never bought in to it -made up combined wardances etc. and the individual RFU’s thought their third wasn’t enough money.

Nice is a really, really nice city- sorry! In all seriousness a great place with amazing food, old town and beach. Monaco and Cannes on the doorstep Italy not too far away so top weekend break. A few hours drive from the heartlands but I would have thought close enough to attract a lot of French RL fans. Fairly new 35,000 stadium which I’ve never been to but looked top quality at the euros.

All that photo proves it that they got their event management wrong. If the upper deck was shut and that 2-3k was in the other side in the tv arc it would have made it much better. The 2013 semi offered seats in all categories but only opened more when needed. There were over 18,000 seats never on sale behind the camera but it was the most buzzing international RL experience ever. Then they took it waaaay too far and didn’t release tickets for the upper deck on either side at London Stadium , so you couldn’t buy the seats you wanted until the cheap seats had started shifting. That was ridiculous. We have held fairly successful RL events at 3 different 60,000 London stadiums recently and so can hopefully play them off against each other to get a good deal. Then manage the purchasing journey, event experience, TV arc etc. to mean a great experience even if not at full capacity.

The only 40k ish stadium is Stamford Bridge which wouldn’t hold a full size pitch and they have never shown interest in RL. We have recently held events in Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham though and could well get more then 40k.

But we’ve just averaged 30,000 against tier 2 and below. We should surely be able to get 40,000 average for tier 1? Imagine all that money you’re throwing away.