Hello all.
I'm from Cornwall and watched League for years on Sky Sports; I'm from a Union background but enjoy the game and, in the late 1990's, the Friday night games on Sky were lightyears ahead in terms of presentation and rivalry than most sports. I believe you can enjoy both codes of Rugby, Cricket, Football, AFL or hopscotch without one having to be an abrasive to the other.
I'm not going to go into arguments for and against expansion or whether it's been well executed, as I am too new to the scene to comment, but since Cornwall RLFC has launched there has been a definite positive upsurge in what Rugby League is down here and seeing it at a decent level. There's been good coverage on BBC Radio Cornwall especially, and people who are new to the sport are generally keen to learn.
Any sport that provides pathways for people to excel at a higher level is always welcome, particularly down here. I watched the first game at Penryn and it was good fun.
I totally get the logic of growing stronger roots around the M62, but equally you'd miss out on the opportunities to see how the game can develop and grow organically.
Cheers