Ireland

[langpark]

5 minutes ago, Griff said:

Made their life in ?   Or working here for a few years ?

Let me assure you that the majority of Irish players take their heritage very seriously.

If you want a heritage player debate, there are about 99 other threads where you can do that

[langpark]

13 minutes ago, Damien said:

Its not off. Within 15 mins of you have Lisburn, Bangor, Newtownards, Newtownabbey. Antrim and Carrickfergus isn't much further. Many of these have RU clubs. 8 teams in and around Belfast is certainly possible.

Fair enough. I suppose you are talking long-term? I was talking more short-term, say in the next 2 years, hence why I went for a more conservative target. 

[Eddie]

22 minutes ago, Griff said:

Made their life in ?   Or working here for a few years ?

Let me assure you that the majority of Irish players take their heritage very seriously.

You obviously know a lot of the Ireland RL players then? 

[Damien]

4 minutes ago, langpark said:

Fair enough. I suppose you are talking long-term? I was talking more short-term, say in the next 2 years, hence why I went for a more conservative target. 

Yes obviously, the cynics like to selectively quote to try and distort what was said. You are never suddenly going to get 8 clubs overnight but that should be the aim and that is what is needed to give something worthwhile to people to take up the game. However if you can get 4 then then 8 becomes a lot more feasible as you have more to offer, even if that is just RU teams playing in the off season. I have no doubt that if the resources were there, and I'm not talking big money that things can snowball but its that base you need first. A semi-professional side would obviously make that task much easier.

[Griff]

Just now, Eddie said:

You obviously know a lot of the Ireland RL players then? 

A fair few, yes.  Both heritage and domestic.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

1 hour ago, Gooleboy said:

York hane been playing RL since 1901 !

Wales played their first International in 1908. Welsh clubs are still expansion clubs as are York.

[Gooleboy]

43 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Wales played their first International in 1908. Welsh clubs are still expansion clubs as are York.

How are York an expansion Club?

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

How are York an expansion Club?

Kev can’t handle the idea that there are traditional clubs more than 5 miles from the M62. He thinks Wigan are expansion as well. 

[Cumbrian Mackem]

3 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

How are York an expansion Club?

They are and they aren’t. Although they joined the northern union in 1901 geographically speaking they are for some still viewed as an expansion club.

Same can be said for the broncos and Sheffield after 30-40+ years and will still be considered expansion clubs in another 30-40 years.

[Tommygilf]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Kev can’t handle the idea that there are traditional clubs more than 5 miles from the M62. He thinks Wigan are expansion as well. 

The city would represent an expansion for Super League tbf, which is why they often are uttered in the same breath as London, Sheffield, Newcastle and Coventry etc despite a few of those clubs having long and rich histories in the game by now. Its also fair to say the York club hasn't really been a consistent force in the lower divisions until recently.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

Plus the current club were founded in 2002 

[Gooleboy]

2 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

They are and they aren’t. Although they joined the northern union in 1901 geographically speaking they are for some still viewed as an expansion club.

Same can be said for the broncos and Sheffield after 30-40+ years and will still be considered expansion clubs in another 30-40 years.

So are Hull and Hull KR expansion Clubs?

[Gooleboy]

1 minute ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Plus the current club were founded in 2002 

If that makes them an expansion Club then so are Bradford.

[Irish Saint]

I guess it would be plausible for Belfast to get a team starting from scratch. I look at the success of the Belfast Giants ice hockey team. Ice hockey had no history in the country but the city council threw money after money at it. With their success they ended up with crowds of over 10000. Other teams have been born. The Giants have their own youth teams but there are other areas that now have teams. Obviously they wont make the  UK league but they have created an interest in the sport.

Yes the ice hockey way for me  is the way for Rugby League to expand.

[Griff]

5 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

If that makes them an expansion Club then so are Bradford.

And Featherstone.  Which I'm fairly certain they would see as a surprise.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

7 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

If that makes them an expansion Club then so are Bradford.

Bradford clearly aren’t. York’s out on a limb, the only club in North Yorkshire, never been in Super League, IMO they are an expansion club.

[Gooleboy]

Just now, Griff said:

And Featherstone.  Which I'm fairly certain they would see as a surprise.

We went into Administration some years ago now, but didn't fold up. We might get a few more kinder words from some on here if we get called an expansion Club!

[Tommygilf]

1 minute ago, Irish Saint said:

I guess it would be plausible for Belfast to get a team starting from scratch. I look at the success of the Belfast Giants ice hockey team. Ice hockey had no history on the country but the city council threw money after money at it. With their success they ended up with crowds of over 10000. Other teams have been born. The Giants have their own youth teams but their are other areas that now have teams. Obviously they wont make the  UK league but they have created an interest in the sport.

Yes the ice hockey way for me  is the way for Rugby League to expand.

Also in Belfast, like possibly Glasgow too, the local council have supported a sporting enterprise that explicitly went above sectarianism.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

3 minutes ago, Irish Saint said:

I guess it would be plausible for Belfast to get a team starting from scratch. I look at the success of the Belfast Giants ice hockey team. Ice hockey had no history in the country but the city council threw money after money at it. With their success they ended up with crowds of over 10000. Other teams have been born. The Giants have their own youth teams but there are other areas that now have teams. Obviously they wont make the  UK league but they have created an interest in the sport.

Yes the ice hockey way for me  is the way for Rugby League to expand.

It’s a great example, but we don’t have to see it in other sports. Look at the success Toronto Wolfpack had. Rugby League can be a success in any city.

[Tommygilf]

1 minute ago, Gooleboy said:

We went into Administration some years ago now, but didn't fold up. We might get a few more kinder words from some on here if we get called an expansion Club!

Nah, would be just like Hunslet

[Gooleboy]

1 minute ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Bradford clearly aren’t. York’s out on a limb, the only club in North Yorkshire, never been in Super League, IMO they are an expansion club.

So under your theory, Hull and Hull KR are as well. Regarding York being out on a limb, it is 20 miles from Leeds! 

[Cumbrian Mackem]

13 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

So are Hull and Hull KR expansion Clubs?

No. Humberside is a stronghold of RL.

[Tommygilf]

16 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

So under your theory, Hull and Hull KR are as well. Regarding York being out on a limb, it is 20 miles from Leeds! 

Sheffield is 30 miles from Wakefield and 20 miles from Doncaster. Heartland!

[Barley Mow]

12 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Bradford clearly aren’t. York’s out on a limb, the only club in North Yorkshire, never been in Super League, IMO they are an expansion club.

There are a lot of heartland clubs who haven't been in Super League. York haven't been in the top tier since 1986, but that doesn't make them an expansion club.

'North Yorkshire' of course has only existed since 1974. York's the meeting point of the North, East & West Ridings and although all of York's grounds have been (just) in the North Riding, the city has always been associated with the East and West just as much. You can be in York and also 15 miles from Castleford.

The current York club surely carry the spirit and tradition of the original York club in the same way that Bradford (2017) and Bradford (1964) have for the original (1907) Bradford Northern?

 

[Griff]

28 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

We went into Administration some years ago now, but didn't fold up. We might get a few more kinder words from some on here if we get called an expansion Club!

Were you not a members' club until 1995 and sold your business to a new limited company ?