South of England XIII- A new 'Southern Union' An All Golds Idea

[Tommygilf]

4 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

My error then. I do make them occasionally. I didn't really pay attention to the 2017 World Cup until it got going.

I'd regard the existence of that team as a bit of a failure then. The same was when the AFL (women, I think) held a recent Origin series and had to come up with a name for "all of Australia outside the bits we're good in". They finished bottom of the group because no one dreams of the jersey (guernsey in this case).

It wasn't a failure. It provided England with a warm up game which is all it was asked to do.

Would you feel better if they were called "RL Barbarians XIII"? 

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Tommygilf said:

No one is asking you to care. Its not a super serious rep team. Its a proposed select 13 with the aim to put on an exhibition warm up game for the world cup in Bristol with a team that is vaguely relevant to the city.

Are you saying this isn't about me?

I'll have to walk away from the game for good if it does something I disapprove of.

As long as it has very little profile at all and barely really exists then I'll cope. If anyone tries to make it A Thing because of some half remembered history and a really bad name then I will be back to do damage.

[Eddie]

18 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

WA is a state in Australia. They have a rep side. Playing them is not a problem.

Playing, "Australians Who We Need To Group In Some Made Up Region Because We're A Parochial Game" would be an issue.

What’s the difference between a state and a region, very little in this instance. Not sure why your issue is with it, other than it’s something else to deride. 

[gingerjon]

Just now, Tommygilf said:

It wasn't a failure. It provided England with a warm up game which is all it was asked to do.

Would you feel better if they were called "RL Barbarians XIII"? 

I'd object to it less. An RFL President's XIII would be nice.

[Eddie]

12 minutes ago, Phil said:

Read the article, that’s not being suggested 

It doesn’t matter what articles say to Oliver, he’ll slag them off regardless. 

[Eddie]

Just now, gingerjon said:

I'd object to it less. An RFL President's XIII would be nice.

Who’d play in that team? It’s a ###### idea. 

[Bleep1673]

5 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

No one is asking you to care. Its not a super serious rep team. Its a proposed select 13 with the aim to put on an exhibition warm up game for the world cup in Bristol with a team that is vaguely relevant to the city.

Oh, Sorry. I had forgotten about the depth of players in Rugby League that Brizzle had produced.

And with Brizzle now European RU Club Champions, attendance will be huge.

[Bleep1673]

5 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

It wasn't a failure. It provided England with a warm up game which is all it was asked to do.

Would you feel better if they were called "RL Barbarians XIII"? 

We used to have a rep side called "Other Nationalities" in a tri-county Championship.

[17 stone giant]

RFL President's Southern Barbarian Union Lions XIII

[DoubleD]

19 minutes ago, newbe said:

Played at Hemel Stags as a junior before he went to  London Broncos 

I know, but the premise of the concept was based on where players were born

[Hela Wigmen]

50 minutes ago, Phil said:

Read the article, that’s not being suggested 

It’s more sensible than the articles suggestion. 

[JM2010]

5 hours ago, gingerjon said:

No. I mean that a “South of England” side in 2020 is embarrassing.

Why?

Who does it embarrass?

[Eddie]

17 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

Why?

Who does it embarrass?

It embarrasses GingerJon, he can’t stand the thought of RL being played more than 3 miles from an M62 junction. 

[thebrewxi]

Lancs V Yorks.

Cumbria v The South.

Start of the year...in the snow. Proper rugby!

No one in any international squads the autumn before is allowed to play.

I'd watch.. but then again, as I'd said before, I'm odd and I like NASCAR

 

... I enjoyed the 3 Counties matches on Our League recently. How do you think a Southern Conference team would fair in an expanded competition if they were allowed to bring in say 3 Semi-Pro ringers that had come through the London ranks?

[PhilCarrington]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

I know, but the premise of the concept was based on where players were born

In that case let's have Sam Tomkins in the side.

Interesting idea, not sure the suggestion of Tony Clubb would be popular with Broncos' fans.

 

[Eddie]

37 minutes ago, thebrewxi said:

Lancs V Yorks.

Cumbria v The South.

Start of the year...in the snow. Proper rugby!

No one in any international squads the autumn before is allowed to play.

I'd watch.. but then again, as I'd said before, I'm odd and I like NASCAR

 

... I enjoyed the 3 Counties matches on Our League recently. How do you think a Southern Conference team would fair in an expanded competition if they were allowed to bring in say 3 Semi-Pro ringers that had come through the London ranks?

Southern Conference rep side v NCL rep side, might be hideously one sided but who knows until it’s tried. 

[thebrewxi]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Southern Conference rep side v NCL rep side, might be hideously one sided but who knows until it’s tried. 

Like I said, you'd want a few 'others' to try and balance out the cosmos. I.e. a few Championship and League 1 players that are on the books at the Broncos (or Skolars?)

Worry would be that a BARLA Cumbria would probably beat Skolars.? Perhaps not? 

[gingerjon]

11 hours ago, JM2010 said:

Why?

Who does it embarrass?

I'll flip it.

It's as embarrassing as pretending that Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Penrith and Loughborough are somehow one region because they're all north of Watford Junction services.

I find it cringeworthy - and it's a personal thing - because it involves dredging up history that is irrelevant to what we want to do with expansion to create a mirror of how the game feels its perceived. For a World Cup that is being positive and forward thinking, it doesn't really fit. And that's entirely because of the framing of it.

But I'll drop the argument, it's a minor issue.

[Ramon Rojo]

I'm 150 miles south of Bristol.

Irrespective of the player qualification criteria, any representative game against a World Cup side would be big news in the sport starved South West.

Local BBC South West News shown in Cornwall drools over a kick & clap Union side that play the other side of Devon, there's also bits about the lower league under achieving Devon football sides, Plymouth, Torquay & Exeter. The point being that Cornwall has a population, many who've moved there from other parts of the UK, including Lancashire & Yorkshire, that are crying out for entertaining sport, you can add Somerset and parts of Dorset & South Gloucestershire to that list. The dross currently force fed from Devon is mind numbing.

If a pre World Cup warm up game was organised for Bristol there would be plenty of interest from the media alongside a public starved of genuine entertaining sport. A sizeable amount of people would travel to a hub like Bristol for the event. I know I would

[fighting irish]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

I'll flip it.

It's as embarrassing as pretending that Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Penrith and Loughborough are somehow one region because they're all north of Watford Junction services.

I find it cringeworthy - and it's a personal thing - because it involves dredging up history that is irrelevant to what we want to do with expansion to create a mirror of how the game feels its perceived. For a World Cup that is being positive and forward thinking, it doesn't really fit. And that's entirely because of the framing of it.

But I'll drop the argument, it's a minor issue.

If you've had enough of this debate, then I'm sorry for poking you again.

I can see your point of view but I feel the concept has merit because we are always referred to as a ''Northern game''.

The selection of a team, capable of challenging an International team from abroad, chosen from the South brings the issue right into the public eye, front and centre.

''Look at this high quality team all produced from grass roots Rugby League in the South.''

I feel the same whenever the Welsh team takes to the field. We just need to do it more and more.

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Ramon Rojo said:

I'm 150 miles south of Bristol.

Irrespective of the player qualification criteria, any representative game against a World Cup side would be big news in the sport starved South West.

Local BBC South West News shown in Cornwall drools over a kick & clap Union side that play the other side of Devon, there's also bits about the lower league under achieving Devon football sides, Plymouth, Torquay & Exeter. The point being that Cornwall has a population, many who've moved there from other parts of the UK, including Lancashire & Yorkshire, that are crying out for entertaining sport, you can add Somerset and parts of Dorset & South Gloucestershire to that list. The dross currently force fed from Devon is mind numbing.

If a pre World Cup warm up game was organised for Bristol there would be plenty of interest from the media alongside a public starved of genuine entertaining sport. A sizeable amount of people would travel to a hub like Bristol for the event. I know I would

What’s the RL scene like in Cornwall, I think I read there’s a team in Truro? 

[Ramon Rojo]

33 minutes ago, Eddie said:

What’s the RL scene like in Cornwall, I think I read there’s a team in Truro? 

The Cornish Rebels withdrew from the South West League during 2019 but they've got a new director who started last June. There are plans for them to start playing again at the brand new Sportva Kernow Stadium in Truro (once it gets built).

Various media snippets reckon Shaun Wane has been positive about our game tapping into some of the unearthed talent around Cornwall (talent as in players , not the other )

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, fighting irish said:

If you've had enough of this debate, then I'm sorry for poking you again.

I can see your point of view but I feel the concept has merit because we are always referred to as a ''Northern game''.

The selection of a team, capable of challenging an International team from abroad, chosen from the South brings the issue right into the public eye, front and centre.

''Look at this high quality team all produced from grass roots Rugby League in the South.''

I feel the same whenever the Welsh team takes to the field. We just need to do it more and more.

Very briefly whilst I have my cup of morning brown ...

A "hey look, we've got southerners who can play" feels like the wrong approach. Framing it as Southern Union because, hey kids, we were formed as, get this, the Northern Union, just makes me roll my eyes. But that could be because I still remember the bizarre game where we did play a test as Northern Union in 2007 which went from a great idea to ... well, what actually happened.

Lastly, I think @Ramon Rojo is right. Make the game a focus for rugby league *in the south west* and you have a whole different framing, one that is genuinely positive, and one that feels like it fits with where the game would be played and the time it's being played in.

[Oxford]

16 hours ago, Phil said:

I think it’s a great idea, and who knows? In a few years time we could have a genuine “origin” game North v South with some real grit and hatred in it 

This divide has more biff traction than a night out with Ernest Hemminway!

Mind you I might be livin' in the past since Leigh and a few other places moved to the Home Counties!

[Oxford]

I'll repeat

This divide has more biff traction than a night out with Ernest Hemminway!

But naysayers always win