Origin in the UK

[Damien]

8 minutes ago, DC77 said:

Proper as in pro, as in being competitive with teams in another country. Those uni teams would get killed. And how many watch these uni teams? (not including dog walkers passing by the field).

And if we are talking about reach at University level then Rugby League's is pretty impressive too:

http://m.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/mSearch.aspx

[deluded pom?]

19 minutes ago, DC77 said:

True, but NFL has a niche interest there...

...especially in Germany. Think most (if not all) of the teams in NFL Europe were based in Germany before it folded

It may be niche but my point was that a decent number will travel to London for the games. Whether we like it or not modern culture is America driven.

[Tre Cool]

It would sell out Wembley comfortably. Once in a lifetime chance for UK RL fans, 100s of thousands of Aussies and Kiwis in Europe at any given time.  It's a massively respected game and would draw many non RL fans too. 

[Copa]

2 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

It would sell out Wembley comfortably. Once in a lifetime chance for UK RL fans, 100s of thousands of Aussies and Kiwis in Europe at any given time.  It's a massively respected game and would draw many non RL fans too. 

I agree.

Aussies in UK/Europe would go simply because it’s Origin. 

[deluded pom?]

14 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

It would sell out Wembley comfortably. Once in a lifetime chance for UK RL fans, 100s of thousands of Aussies and Kiwis in Europe at any given time.  It's a massively respected game and would draw many non RL fans too. 

OK, as I asked earlier what’s going to bring non RL fans in? Two Aussie states playing the perceived (through Australian eyes) pinnacle of a sport seen as a minority pastime in the U.K. We only got 60,000 for a WC semi which would hold far more interest to non RL fanS IMO. Plus, tickets won’t come cheap. Each player gets $30,000 that’s besides other expenses incurred. You’re going to need a second mortgage for club Wembley seats. Will thousands of Aussies travelling Europe drop everything to attend? Debatable. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

England v Australia would certainly draw a bigger crowd than NSW v Queensland in the UK. There is no point bringing origin to the UK, more international games is what we need. 

[Dunbar]

2 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

England v Australia would certainly draw a bigger crowd than NSW v Queensland in the UK. There is no point bringing origin to the UK, more international games is what we need. 

I agree.

And I would go further and say that if Rugby League decides that the best way to showcase the sport in the UK is by having two Australian States play each other at Wembley we have completely lost our minds.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

36 minutes ago, Damien said:

And if we are talking about reach at University level then Rugby League's is pretty impressive too:

http://m.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/mSearch.aspx

Since it began in Leeds in 1967 university Rugby League has seen some phenomenal growth and helped to spread the game no end. 

Unbelievably the first female University Rugby League game was this year, so there is plenty of growth still to come. 

[DoubleD]

40 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I agree.

And I would go further and say that if Rugby League decides that the best way to showcase the sport in the UK is by having two Australian States play each other at Wembley we have completely lost our minds.

It wouldn't be Rugby League deciding, it would purely be a financial decision by NRL. And it's unlikely due to the jet lag aspect mid season. It needn't be mutually exclusive of the RFL holding a test vs Australia there next year..........................which reminds me, when do you find out about those games?

 

[deluded pom?]

6 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

It wouldn't be Rugby League deciding, it would purely be a financial decision by NRL. And it's unlikely due to the jet lag aspect mid season. It needn't be mutually exclusive of the RFL holding a test vs Australia there next year..........................which reminds me, when do you find out about those games?

 

I was going to say the 29th February but then I realised that’s next year. 

[Dr Tim Whatley]

2 hours ago, Tre Cool said:

It would sell out Wembley comfortably. Once in a lifetime chance for UK RL fans, 100s of thousands of Aussies and Kiwis in Europe at any given time.  It's a massively respected game and would draw many non RL fans too. 

Re the last sentence - do you think? Queensland v New South Wales surely doesn't mean a thing to people outside of Australia or RL. It hardly compares to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox playing in London this weekend.

From a practical point of view - what time of day could it be played to (a) make it an occasion here and (b) please the Aussie TV companies? Could we get away with a 1230 kickoff?

[deluded pom?]

29 minutes ago, Dr Tim Whatley said:

Re the last sentence - do you think? Queensland v New South Wales surely doesn't mean a thing to people outside of Australia or RL. It hardly compares to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox playing in London this weekend.

From a practical point of view - what time of day could it be played to (a) make it an occasion here and (b) please the Aussie TV companies? Could we get away with a 1230 kickoff?

9:30 pm on the east coast. Can’t we make it 11am here so it’s prime time Australia?

[Tre Cool]

1 hour ago, Dr Tim Whatley said:

Re the last sentence - do you think? Queensland v New South Wales surely doesn't mean a thing to people outside of Australia or RL. It hardly compares to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox playing in London this weekend.

From a practical point of view - what time of day could it be played to (a) make it an occasion here and (b) please the Aussie TV companies? Could we get away with a 1230 kickoff?

All i can say is living in the south east RL is actually hugely respected in general (maybe not London Broncos) by real ru fans (not the once a year for the 6 nations types). In my office in St Albans people know what Origin is and know what a big deal it is. It would sell out no trouble at all.  

[Dr Tim Whatley]

17 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

All i can say is living in the south east RL is actually hugely respected in general (maybe not London Broncos) by real ru fans (not the once a year for the 6 nations types). In my office in St Albans people know what Origin is and know what a big deal it is. It would sell out no trouble at all.  

I'm in the south east too (living in Herts, working in London) and can't say I've found this to be the case. Even the nearest Aussie to where I'm sitting right now is an AFL nut!

I wish it was of course  - but I do think that to get anywhere near a sellout for such a game the big lean would be on (a) 'heartlands' fans and (b) Aussie expats. I'd love for the wider sporting public to get involved, but I just can't see it.

Essentially, the only way we can resolve this discussion is for the NRL to schedule the match. So sort it out, fellas.

[Tre Cool]

5 minutes ago, Dr Tim Whatley said:

I'm in the south east too (living in Herts, working in London) and can't say I've found this to be the case. Even the nearest Aussie to where I'm sitting right now is an AFL nut!

I wish it was of course  - but I do think that to get anywhere near a sellout for such a game the big lean would be on (a) 'heartlands' fans and (b) Aussie expats. I'd love for the wider sporting public to get involved, but I just can't see it.

Essentially, the only way we can resolve this discussion is for the NRL to schedule the match. So sort it out, fellas.

I know two antipodeans (!) locally. One Kiwi who is mad on RL and RU and 100% would go and one Aussie from Brisbane who 100% would go.  

[deluded pom?]

Just now, Tre Cool said:

I know two antipodeans (!) locally. One Kiwi who is mad on RL and RU and 100% would go and one Aussie from Brisbane who 100% would go.  

90,000 sell out it is then based on your comprehensive research.

[Tre Cool]

1 minute ago, deluded pom? said:

90,000 sell out it is then based on your comprehensive research.

No need to be a n*b.  Obviously it's my opinion not fact. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

What are the UK viewing figures for Origin on Sky?

[Dunbar]

To be honest, I've always been a little disappointed in how many Aussies I have spoken to in the UK (mostly London) are not Rugby League fans.  I always kick off a League conversation knowing how big it is and I get very annoyed that some are AFL (to be expected I guess depending on their home town) and even more annoyingly that quite a few are Union.

I wonder if this has any roots in the demographic profile of those Australians that work internationally or travel before/after Uni etc.

[deluded pom?]

18 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

What are the UK viewing figures for Origin on Sky?

The fourteen Aussies I mentioned earlier and Tre. Sorry Tre I couldn’t resist 

[deluded pom?]

17 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

To be honest, I've always been a little disappointed in how many Aussies I have spoken to in the UK (mostly London) are not Rugby League fans.  I always kick off a League conversation knowing how big it is and I get very annoyed that some are AFL (to be expected I guess depending on their home town) and even more annoyingly that quite a few are Union.

I wonder if this has any roots in the demographic profile of those Australians that work internationally or travel before/after Uni etc.

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are obviously the three largest cities (I think) but RL fans in Melbourne are a very small minority and there’s still the rest of Australia that won’t have much interest in RL. I’m like you in that even if you strike up a conversation with an Aussie who comes from a league area they don’t seem too interested in talking about it! Even if they do it’s all about their club rather than the Kangaroos.

[Mr Wind Up]

Would Australians get anything out of hosting it in the UK? Doubtful. 

Would it somehow benefit English RL? Doubtful. 

That's about as far as the conversation should extend.

[deluded pom?]

1 minute ago, Mr Wind Up said:

Would Australians get anything out of hosting it in the UK? Doubtful. 

Would it somehow benefit English RL? Doubtful. 

That's about as far as the conversation should extend.

If the money on offer was good enough they’d have it here.

[Dunbar]

6 minutes ago, deluded pom? said:

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are obviously the three largest cities (I think) but RL fans in Melbourne are a very small minority and there’s still the rest of Australia that won’t have much interest in RL. I’m like you in that even if you strike up a conversation with an Aussie who comes from a league area they don’t seem too interested in talking about it! Even if they do it’s all about their club rather than the Kangaroos.

It could also boil down a class thing.  Of course there will be exceptions and variations but as in the UK Union in Australia is the prerogative of the middles classes, city types and privately educated... that tends to say more money as well.

I know that when I finished University I was in no position to spend 6 months travelling around the world.

[DC77]

4 hours ago, Damien said:

And if we are talking about reach at University level then Rugby League's is pretty impressive too:

http://m.bucs.org.uk/bucscore/mSearch.aspx

It’s great that a sport is played at Uni, not knocking that in the slightest.

I probably should have been more specific as “proper” team is vague. Should just have said professional, or, similar (or remotely near) to the level of teams in another country. No American football team in Britain would avoid a severe beating..tbh I highly doubt they’d let a pro US team have a game as it would be highly dangerous. 

So, in terms of the top level (or any reputable level) there is no American football league here, nor are there people in any significant numbers that watch these BAFL games, nor does it get any media coverage. To all intents and purposes American football is not played here so as a sport it has that ‘unknown’ curiosity for people. This is all in contrast to RL here, which is played here at pro level (and is its home) so doesn’t have that outsider “let’s try something new” appeal.