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RL in New Zealand


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5 hours ago, nadera78 said:

Yeah, Greymouth and the wider Grey Valley produced something like 50 Kiwis over the years. Unfortunately, since the mining and forestry industries died the population has collapsed and with it the senior competition. They still cobble together a couple of open age teams to play a few games, and the juniors are still going strong but it's not like it used to be. There's a handful of Coasters dotted here and there in the pro game - Slade Griffin had a solid NRL career, Griffin Neame is emerging at the Cowboys, and a handful have gone to Qld/NSW Cup teams. Unfortunately, while the game is still very popular, the population just isn't there anymore. 

Such a pity but things like that are beyond the games control.

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On 11/07/2020 at 09:46, Themusician_2 said:

RL is already the number 1 or 2 sport among Maori and pacific islander in New Zealand. That market is already maxed out. The key is to tap into the pakeha and migrant market. That is really the only missing piece and get the sport into schools.

There are more Maori and Pacific Islanders playing all levels of union than there are rugby league players in the whole NZ. That's what rugby league is up against. Just about every Pacific Island who walk off a plane would probably head towards union as this is the code they know and recognise.

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8 hours ago, Taniwha Warriors said:

There are more Maori and Pacific Islanders playing all levels of union than there are rugby league players in the whole NZ. That's what rugby league is up against. Just about every Pacific Island who walk off a plane would probably head towards union as this is the code they know and recognise.

Just 30 more posts to go Barnaby, you’re making a good fist of it this time 👏

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On 26/02/2021 at 07:59, Tommygilf said:

Realistically we need to be looking at the Auckland area for RL player development and the associated school league. Kelston, MAGS and Sacred Heart stand out as state (and by consequence much more largely Pacifika) schools that compete in that RU league regularly and have had lots of NZ warriors/NRL players go through their doors. 

My argument for more links between RL clubs and schools was less about elite player development, more about maximising the number of children and families who have a familiarity and connection with RL. Which relates to the point you make below.

On 26/02/2021 at 07:59, Tommygilf said:

What I think is clear is that there is a cultural connection to RU, both in the public and state schools - because RU in NZ doesn't have as much of the same class baggage it does elsewhere.

Fighting that, and spending significant money to do so, seems a bit silly.

I`m well aware a lot of NZ patriotism is attached to the All Blacks and the RU systems that produce their players. There aren`t many things in which NZ has led the world. Women`s suffrage is the only other I can think of, although the NZ lamb I buy from Asda is the best.

I haven`t read anyone saying NZ private schools are anything other than impervious to RL. Or that a "proletarian cultural revolution", as you put it, would avail. But RL can look for subsidiary ways to generate or maintain interest. One example is the first XV players from strong RU schools I`ve seen turning out for League Pacific Island junior rep teams. Presumably this arises from friends or family involvement.

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On 26/02/2021 at 08:02, thebrewxi said:

Isnt there a fairly isolated area on the west coast of the south island that is mad for league. 

I've never been to NZ so basing that off memory and what I read on forums.

If you're talking about Greymouth, it flourished while the gold and coal mining business was good, and they produced some fine talent, including Kiwi coach Cec Mountford. They used to host international sides, who often struggled in the wet, muddy conditions that make it pretty much the rainiest area of NZ.

But the mines closed, unemployment went up, the population shrank and there were other problems too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greymouth#Economy 

As far as I can find out, the game only really exists there at school level, and providing some players for the South Island regional side. I don't know if they've produced any recognisable names in recent years.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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On 27/02/2021 at 02:51, Taniwha Warriors said:

There are more Maori and Pacific Islanders playing all levels of union than there are rugby league players in the whole NZ. That's what rugby league is up against. Just about every Pacific Island who walk off a plane would probably head towards union as this is the code they know and recognise.

I understand that both sports are popular among polynesians and there’s still competition. But it seems union in nz has a strangle hold on white nzers

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1 hour ago, Themusician_2 said:

I understand that both sports are popular among polynesians and there’s still competition. But it seems union in nz has a strangle hold on white nzers

On the Facebook page, linked to a soon-to-be-published book, "Rugby League: A New Zealand history", there`s a 1946 article by some local political figure, John A. Lee, which begins with "New Zealand wonders why League Football is supreme in Auckland".

I`ve also seen comments by 80s prime minister David Lange that League was previously more popular among the working-class in Auckland, when they would have been overwhelmingly of Euro heritage.

Even if these claims are exaggerated, there must in the past few decades have been a sharp decline in RL interest among Auckland`s white population. At least in terms of active involvement. The aforementioned book will try to explain why.

 

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On 26/02/2021 at 17:59, Tommygilf said:

Christchurch, indeed the entire south island, is a bit of an outpost in RL terms so I applaud them for getting a team out.

Realistically we need to be looking at the Auckland area for RL player development and the associated school league. Kelston, MAGS and Sacred Heart stand out as state (and by consequence much more largely Pacifika) schools that compete in that RU league regularly and have had lots of NZ warriors/NRL players go through their doors. Its notable too that a lot of these players have been in the past 10/15 years, after ever increasingly stricter rules on "poaching" schoolboy rugby players have come in.

What I think is clear is that there is a cultural connection to RU, both in the public and state schools - because RU in NZ doesn't have as much of the same class baggage it does elsewhere.

Fighting that, and spending significant money to do so, seems a bit silly.

That's pretty much spot on. There aren't many RU schools in Auckland or NZ who I consider as private. I can only think of Kings College and St Kent's in Auckland. Grammar, St Peter's, Sacred Hearts, MAGS, Kelston and De La Salle are in that public/state school level. The only way I could see NZRL making inroads into the school system in Auckland or NZ is for the school competition to be play in spring or summer and you would then have both league and union kids playing. 

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In the recent Kiwi Tag National Club Challenge (under sixteens) a record  number 78 teams took part, involving over a thousand players . Due to Covid I think the vast majority would have been from Auckland. 

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On 02/03/2021 at 03:08, frank said:

In the recent Kiwi Tag National Club Challenge (under sixteens) a record  number 78 teams took part, involving over a thousand players . Due to Covid I think the vast majority would have been from Auckland. 

Is touch doing good in nz? I really wish it was big in Ireland. Pickup touch in the schoolyard is the best.

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On 28/02/2021 at 04:16, unapologetic pedant said:

My argument for more links between RL clubs and schools was less about elite player development, more about maximising the number of children and families who have a familiarity and connection with RL. Which relates to the point you make below.

I`m well aware a lot of NZ patriotism is attached to the All Blacks and the RU systems that produce their players. There aren`t many things in which NZ has led the world. Women`s suffrage is the only other I can think of, although the NZ lamb I buy from Asda is the best.

I haven`t read anyone saying NZ private schools are anything other than impervious to RL. Or that a "proletarian cultural revolution", as you put it, would avail. But RL can look for subsidiary ways to generate or maintain interest. One example is the first XV players from strong RU schools I`ve seen turning out for League Pacific Island junior rep teams. Presumably this arises from friends or family involvement.

First (white) man known to top Everest (of course in our white centric world we generally ignore the Sherpa who did it with him). Probably the worst example of this, Christopher Columbus, the tyrant responsible for the genocide of the Hispaniola  natives, “discovered” america, later home to more slave owning tyrants.

Think they have the steepest street?

The Kiwi accent is also the world’s best imo. Recall hearing this from a fan years ago: “the all bleeks are the beest”. 

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On 01/03/2021 at 04:25, Themusician_2 said:

I understand that both sports are popular among polynesians and there’s still competition. But it seems union in nz has a strangle hold on white nzers

There  are practicaly no  Europeans playing senior RL in  NZ now and very few playing Union in the  North Island  but getting fewer by the year. The South Island seems not too badly affected and hanging on.

European kids  have gone over to soccer. Polynesian kids are a lot bigger  than euro kids ,this has tended parents not to let  their kids play either of the handling codes, fearing they may get injured

This despite the kids being graded.

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On 04/03/2021 at 00:47, Blackpool rl said:

Is touch doing good in nz? I really wish it was big in Ireland. Pickup touch in the schoolyard is the best.

Touch rugby was very popular as a summer sport when I play during late 80's and 90's. The social side was very strong as many teams were made up of families, school mates and friends. Then it became serious and teams started to stack their teams with the best league and union talents. Rep teams started to form, some league and union clubs who ran competition started to select the best teams and leaving out the social sides. Let's just say it's not as it was back then. 

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