Themed rounds

[shrek]

I think its a great idea.

Costs to promote will be minimal and its the sort of thing Sky would lap up on the ads they run to promote the televised games.

[hindle xiii]

see I don't think it would cost much, the RFL just needs to come up with the themes and the rounds they will happen on, the promotion of the themed rounds should be down to the clubs to do as much or little as they want with. Example. For the women in league round in the NRL Penrith played in an entirely pink kit, some teams just had a flash of pink in the kit some teams just had players with pink boots. Maybe a club could let women in half price for that round? The themes are just tools for the clubs to use however they see fit, but I honestly believe if done right they would increase media exposure of the game both locally and nationally as well as providing an oppertunity to get more fans through the gate, I'm struggleing to see any down sides to it.

While I agree with the idea, I don't think women should be allowed in at cut price, why? Only if there was a guys equivalent. Is that allowed anyway? Gender based pricing. I get miffed when I see 'women only' taxi firms!

[steef]

While I agree with the idea, I don't think women should be allowed in at cut price, why? Only if there was a guys equivalent. Is that allowed anyway? Gender based pricing. I get miffed when I see 'women only' taxi firms!

Just throwing out ideas of what clubs could do, the theme doesn't just have to meen a different kit.

[deluded pom?]

i think three rounds per season would be ideal.. heritage (magic weekend) round, rivalry round, Charity (RFL Can pick a different one each season or two) round and place them at certain points of the season and it gives each club a chance to build up towards each marker, and could even act as a way of reinventing the season if a club is struggling for form or something.. clubs dont need to make a shirt every year.. most clubs have three or four year kit deals with their manufacturers, so you produce one retro kit and keep it exactly the same, so the fans dont feel/get ripped off.. it would be so like a lot of RL clubs to see it purely as a money making venture and not as a way of paying respects to the players and teams of the past, which is what it is and what it should be. it should be the clubs first ever kit, or in some cases the most traditional kit..

and dont just make some modern version of the kits of old, make them look exactly the same, with traditional numbers (not squad numbers) and no names on the back, and maybe if it at all possible take off the sponsors names for the one match, although admittedly that might prove troublesome.

for the charity round (although i wouldnt call it simply the charity round) have people inside and outside the grounds collecting on behalf of the charity, encourage clubs fans to raise money for the charity, organise runs and other events, most councils would get involved with charitable events.. not only would it raise money and awareness for teh charity, it would also help raise awreness of rugby league within communities and possibly on a more national scale.. its win win for everyone.

all we need is someone at the RFL to try and implement it. and to be perfectly honest i don think they'd be able to do it in a season.. it would no doubt take at least three seasons for them to get it going.

If it took three years to implement I'm sure clubs could negotiate a sponsorship deal for twenty six games rather than twenty seven. Call it the "Give Something Back Round".

[gnidir]

I really liked this concept when it first came into the NRL, but these days i fond myself not only bored by it, but i think it de values the brand of the clubs, look at penrith in pink, canberra in blue, they have no history of this colour, if you want to raise awareness, paint the pitch.

I think the heritage rouns was brilliant, but even now, clubs are just issuing a new shirt, not a copy of a retro one as in previous years.

Over here, i think it would be a great idea for clubs to wear traditional kits for the challenge cup, the competition with the most history, I think it would help honour the past of the grand old competition , and maybe breathe some life into the comp, which has been struggling a bit since the calender change.

I think gimmick rounds are a really bad idea over here, the fact is clubs arent well recognised enough outside the game anyways, so why take your brand from the limelight to benefit another which will be more well known anyway?

I noticed over the past years, Oldham, Widnes, Whitehaven and a few others have gone with these off the wall kits for thier TV games, WHY! they are limited in coverage enough.

[Whacky Llama]

How about a magic weekend where fans can identify each others teams based on what fancydress they're in. Wigan fans all as pirates, leeds as cowboys etc?

You want a YMCA round then

[steef]

You want a YMCA round then

we have a winner!

[Saint Toppy]

I agree, and the Magic Weekend should be the heritage round.

I'd like to see the Magic weekend as a 'Home Grown' Round where clubs can only select 17 players who have come through their own system's.

Not only would it increase the rivalry if combined with local derbies (imagine 17 local Saints lads against 17 local Wigan lads), but it would also force clubs to invest even more in their own youth set up's. If clubs knew they didn't have 17 lads who could play 1st team and they would get a real hammering they would soon rethink their development policies.

[terrywebbisgod]

I'd like to see the Magic weekend as a 'Home Grown' Round where clubs can only select 17 players who have come through their own system's.

Not only would it increase the rivalry if combined with local derbies (imagine 17 local Saints lads against 17 local Wigan lads), but it would also force clubs to invest even more in their own youth set up's. If clubs knew they didn't have 17 lads who could play 1st team and they would get a real hammering they would soon rethink their development policies.

That would take a good few years for it to bear any fruit though wouldn't it?

By which time people would have lost interest in the Magic weekend, it would be a waste of money.

Edited July 28, 2010 by terrywebbisgod