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Danny Ward leaves London


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London is just the start of the downward cycle. There is less money in sport in general, and RL is way behind Football, Union and Cricket in terms of investment or awareness. Outside of the M62, it has no reach apart from Catalans. The last time it got any sort of national coverage was when les Cats won the Challenge cup, you won't seem the same coverage this year if Cas win it as the underdog.

The RFL have to do something to make the game more attractive, and raise awareness. Playing the world cup in the north only pretty much means no potential growth in supporters outside that very narrow corridor.

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Just now, Marauder said:

So the union teams took the chance and have established themselves outside of London with a brand new supporters base?

I might travel to see the Rolling Stones in Milton Keynes

Chaz and Dave - not so much.

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3 minutes ago, EastLondonMike said:

I guess the big issue was what led to the Sport England withdrawing the level of funding, and the game not being in a position to invest to such levels itself.

Not 100% but think it was down to participation numbers dropping significantly. I might be wrong.

I heard a whisper that cooking the books on the number of participants was found out in a lot of sports (Mainly the none Olympic sports) 

Was the London Olympics a few years after the funding cut.

Carlsberg don't do Soldiers, but if they did, they would probably be Brits.

http://www.pitchero....hornemarauders/

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1 minute ago, Marauder said:

I heard a whisper that cooking the books on the number of participants was found out in a lot of sports (Mainly the none Olympic sports) 

Was the London Olympics a few years after the funding cut.

Before. Funding in London kicked in around 2015.

Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

Twitter: @NewhamDockersRL - Get following!

www.newhamdockers.co.uk

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If the club is to continue it needs a complete rebrand I would actually go with the LONDON MONARCHS (Used by NFL Europe way back) 

Wimbledon forget it will never work in a million years they need to sign a long term commitment at either Ealing or maybe Richmond this is the level that the club will be for the foreseeable future.

The club needs to start marketing completely from scratch and bring in a commission only events company next year.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Leonard said:

I might travel to see the Rolling Stones in Milton Keynes

Chaz and Dave - not so much.

You obviously watch to much telly if that's how you see the two sports, but I suppose you can roll one in glitter.

Carlsberg don't do Soldiers, but if they did, they would probably be Brits.

http://www.pitchero....hornemarauders/

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1 minute ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

If the club is to continue it needs a complete rebrand I would actually go with the LONDON MONARCHS (Used by NFL Europe way back) 

Wimbledon forget it will never work in a million years they need to sign a long term commitment at either Ealing or maybe Richmond this is the level that the club will be for the foreseeable future.

The club needs to start marketing completely from scratch and bring in a commission only events company next year.

 

 

You’d use branding from another failed sport franchise?

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7 minutes ago, Leonard said:

I might travel to see the Rolling Stones in Milton Keynes

Chaz and Dave - not so much.

Have you seen Chas and Dave live?! They were awesome.

Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

Twitter: @NewhamDockersRL - Get following!

www.newhamdockers.co.uk

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10 minutes ago, crashmon said:

London is just the start of the downward cycle. There is less money in sport in general, and RL is way behind Football, Union and Cricket in terms of investment or awareness. Outside of the M62, it has no reach apart from Catalans. The last time it got any sort of national coverage was when les Cats won the Challenge cup, you won't seem the same coverage this year if Cas win it as the underdog.

The RFL have to do something to make the game more attractive, and raise awareness. Playing the world cup in the north only pretty much means no potential growth in supporters outside that very narrow corridor.

Lets stop looking at trying to get the £££££££'s invested from Eton and the odd bod from a private school background, that's not going to happen, the Eton bunch are sitting on fortunes and really invest into Cricket and Union because they want to be a member of a wealthy mans club - Lets invest in what the game was built on, the good old common man, they're hundred's maybe thousands of them to every Eton type, we have to invest in attracting  the rough and ready back to the game, lots of little's make a lot.

Carlsberg don't do Soldiers, but if they did, they would probably be Brits.

http://www.pitchero....hornemarauders/

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12 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Lets stop looking at trying to get the £££££££'s invested from Eton and the odd bod from a private school background, that's not going to happen, the Eton bunch are sitting on fortunes and really invest into Cricket and Union because they want to be a member of a wealthy mans club - Lets invest in what the game was built on, the good old common man, they're hundred's maybe thousands of them to every Eton type, we have to invest in attracting  the rough and ready back to the game, lots of little's make a lot.

I am not sure this is what you mean but I can tell you there is a market in London that would be interested in the game and that's what we used to call "hipsters" - the people in London don't just watch football, who are interested in "authentic" experiences, like good beer, would be attracted to RL as a "rebel" sport etc., But again, this would require a proper well thought out marketing strategy and resources...

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Spot on Essex man the last thing the club needs is to attract a bunch of oiks, many that I used to take to Harlequins were put off by the behaviour and language of some of the away fans at matches.

NFL a failed sport the Monarchs may have ceased however they left a footprint which has resulted in (Until covid) 3 NFL matches a year in London attracting 70000 + crowds something  the England RL team can only dream of.

P

 

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4 minutes ago, EssexRL said:

I am not sure this is what you mean but I can tell you there is a market in London that would be interested in the game and that's what we used to call "hipsters" - the people in London don't just watch football, who are interested in "authentic" experiences, like good beer, would be attracted to RL as a "rebel" sport etc., But again, this would require a proper well thought out marketing strategy and resources...

Yes new groups would be a good target

4 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Spot on Essex man the last thing the club needs is to attract a bunch of oiks, many that I used to take to Harlequins were put off by the behaviour and language of some of the away fans at matches.

NFL a failed sport the Monarchs may have ceased however they left a footprint which has resulted in (Until covid) 3 NFL matches a year in London attracting 70000 + crowds something  the England RL team can only dream of.

P

 

The away Oiks who travel down once a year for a London jolly, I wonder how many of the 70,000 NFL supporters are also going because it's a London jolly and maybe the reason the challenge cup doesn't attract a full Wembley these days is because our main source of income didn't have the rights to show it and the RFL played down the jewel in the crown, also when the majority of players and administrators in the amateur game are playing and involved every weekend in the summer the Wembley weekend becomes a weekend with the Mrs and family.

 

Carlsberg don't do Soldiers, but if they did, they would probably be Brits.

http://www.pitchero....hornemarauders/

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Sport is no longer enough to attract new fans. It has to be an event. Thats true for all sports looking to attract new eyes, not just RL. We're just not very good at it.

Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

Twitter: @NewhamDockersRL - Get following!

www.newhamdockers.co.uk

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We need a plan for London. Whether London Broncos attract 200 fans or 1,000 fans, I am not convinced (given its historic instability) that they should front and centre of it. A few suggestions of the top of my head:

1. Internationals

We commit to 1 international fixture in London each year, for at least 1 decade. Ideally, at the same stadium and around the same weekend. Internationals draw the biggest crowds in London and locals are more likely to watch international sides play, rather than northern towns that they haven't heard of.

2. Cup Final

At least 10,000 free tickets reserved for London schoolchildren, especially in the Brent, Wembley and Harrow areas, at the Challenge Cup Final, annually (or £5 tickets). I am not usually a fan of this but we have spare capacity that needs filling and we can encourage schools to sign up. Maybe even an offer where the RFL donates sports equipment / prizes to schools (with a chance for the school that sells the most tickets to have a training session with England internationals, or for some of the school's children school to walk on the pitch at half time).

3. Salary Cap

Exemptions on the salary cap for any player who cam through a London amateur team.

4. Linked Clubs

Encourage and incentivise northern clubs to link with non-heartland clubs. Just think of the numbers of Regan Grace's and Kai Pearce-Paul's we are missing out on!

We need to think outside the box.

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57 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Spot on Essex man the last thing the club needs is to attract a bunch of oiks, many that I used to take to Harlequins were put off by the behaviour and language of some of the away fans at matches.

NFL a failed sport the Monarchs may have ceased however they left a footprint which has resulted in (Until covid) 3 NFL matches a year in London attracting 70000 + crowds something  the England RL team can only dream of.

P

 

So you want to piggyback on to another sports success and branding? Is that not just very London Broncos becoming Harlequins RL kinda thinking? 

The NFL have also made a massive point of targeting London properly with a serious plan that consisted of a London team eventually being in the competition. 

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23 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Inevitable BB, he has been far more than generous for a long time now, he has kept investing when those apart from a very few diehards "darn sarf" couldn't give a flying one if a RL club didn't exist in their locality, perhaps had there been some interest in the club by the locals they could be thriving now, if Mr Hughes does throw the towel in what then?

Harry - It's the actions of David Hughes that has seen the club lose 90% of its fan base during his tenure and left exactly no assets for any new investor to inherit. As the chair of the London Broncos Supporters Association put it in an earlier thread London Broncos is a team not a club.

I have been watching the club since 1996, I have seen big crowds for the club. I do not agree that there was never any interest in the club but during that time the club has played at - Charlton FC, Harlequins RU back to Charton FC then over to Brentford FC then back to Harlequins RU then Barnet FC and finally Ealing RU. How on earth do you build a fan base when you move every third / fourth season.

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When the pinch comes the common people will turn out to be more intelligent than the clever ones. I certainly hope so.

George Orwell
 
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You either own NFTs or women’s phone numbers but not both

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19 hours ago, voteronniegibbs said:

 In a city of 9 million I expect a club watched by hundreds will get barely a mention. 

So I take it thern that no Journalist will work a line in about the end of the pro game down south as part of their RLWC preview then to emphasise Rugby Leagues lack of appeal.

To quote Martyn Sadler no less if rugby league cannot grow in a metropolis like London then it is not going to grow anywhere.

Thnk about where that leaves the game.

Quote

When the pinch comes the common people will turn out to be more intelligent than the clever ones. I certainly hope so.

George Orwell
 
image.png.5fe5424fdf31c5004e2aad945309f68e.png

You either own NFTs or women’s phone numbers but not both

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1 hour ago, Marauder said:

Lets stop looking at trying to get the £££££££'s invested from Eton and the odd bod from a private school background, that's not going to happen, the Eton bunch are sitting on fortunes and really invest into Cricket and Union because they want to be a member of a wealthy mans club - Lets invest in what the game was built on, the good old common man, they're hundred's maybe thousands of them to every Eton type, we have to invest in attracting  the rough and ready back to the game, lots of little's make a lot.

Players need to be paid if they are full time, they have mortgages and children to pay for.  The money has to come from somewhere, regardless of where it comes..

If I am really talented aged 13, why would I focus on Rugby League as a career at max 50,000 per year, when if I look at Union / Football, I could be on 10 times that

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17 hours ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

Ignoring Championship and L1 clubs Huddersfield, Leigh, St Helens, Salford, Warrington and Wigan all have grounds that are further south than Belle Vue.... 

As pedantic posts go... But I would point out that in terms of Train Travel Wakefield is the shortest journey to London. Hence it feels closer to those of us in the deep south. But thank you for your erudite contribution to this debate

Quote

When the pinch comes the common people will turn out to be more intelligent than the clever ones. I certainly hope so.

George Orwell
 
image.png.5fe5424fdf31c5004e2aad945309f68e.png

You either own NFTs or women’s phone numbers but not both

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2 hours ago, Marauder said:

I heard a whisper that cooking the books on the number of participants was found out in a lot of sports (Mainly the none Olympic sports) 

Was the London Olympics a few years after the funding cut.

It wasn't a whisper. Sport England publicly changed how stats for all sports were counted because the governing bodies couldn't be trusted to count honestly.

Which is separate to the Olympics which is funded by UK Sport and based - and this is changing but only now - on medal achievement and potential.

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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2 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

If the club is to continue it needs a complete rebrand I would actually go with the LONDON MONARCHS (Used by NFL Europe way back)

 

Paul the brand is owned by the NFL .

Quote

When the pinch comes the common people will turn out to be more intelligent than the clever ones. I certainly hope so.

George Orwell
 
image.png.5fe5424fdf31c5004e2aad945309f68e.png

You either own NFTs or women’s phone numbers but not both

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14 minutes ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

As pedantic posts go... But I would point out that in terms of Train Travel Wakefield is the shortest journey to London. Hence it feels closer to those of us in the deep south. But thank you for your erudite contribution to this debate

You're welcome

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43 minutes ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

So I take it thern that no Journalist will work a line in about the end of the pro game down south as part of their RLWC preview then to emphasise Rugby Leagues lack of appeal.

To quote Martyn Sadler no less if rugby league cannot grow in a metropolis like London then it is not going to grow anywhere.

Thnk about where that leaves the game.

The usual detractors in the media may take a moment to deride our sport, but there will be nothing of worth in the London print press to discuss it. No 3 day editorial in the London print press discussing where it went wrong.

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