Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Chris22 said:

 

Excitement levels are getting ridiculous now!

I've just checked into my hotel in Newcastle and I can honestly say I haven't felt this excited/nervous/happy/sick for years, maybe ever for a game tbh. This has been a long time coming. 

Meanwhile, my wife is fannying around in the hotel room putting her make up on!!!!!

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I've just checked into my hotel in Newcastle and I can honestly say I haven't felt this excited/nervous/happy/sick for years, maybe ever for a game tbh. This has been a long time coming. 

Meanwhile, my wife is fannying around in the hotel room putting her make up on!!!!!

Hark at the Alan Bennett monologue here.

[Spidey]

10 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I've just checked into my hotel in Newcastle and I can honestly say I haven't felt this excited/nervous/happy/sick for years, maybe ever for a game tbh. This has been a long time coming. 

Meanwhile, my wife is fannying around in the hotel room putting her make up on!!!!!

Hope it’s a St George’s cross on her face

[St Reatham]

BBC newsreader just said “the delayed Rugby World Cup”

[Gomersall]

1 hour ago, Tosh said:

If anyone has any Twitter links of the fanzone or match buildup both inside and outside of st James park please post them

[Damien]

 

 

[saintspete83]

Great performance and a great day. After the opening ceremony the atmosphere was a bit flat but the performance improved that. 

In 30 years of watching RL, I cannot remember a crowd that was so full of non-traditional RL. I was surrounded by geordies on all sides. 

I am glad they did turn up as 42k looked good. Heard one saying how reasonable prices where when lots of RL fans stayed at home, complaining about high prices.

[Tosh]

13 minutes ago, saintspete83 said:

Great performance and a great day. After the opening ceremony the atmosphere was a bit flat but the performance improved that. 

In 30 years of watching RL, I cannot remember a crowd that was so full of non-traditional RL. I was surrounded by geordies on all sides. 

I am glad they did turn up at 42k looked good. Heard one saying how reasonable prices where when lots of RL fans stayed at home, complaining about high prices.

43k looked even better

[JonNgog]

Might seem like a small thing, but no live text reporting from BBC for Australia - Fiji is really frustrating for someone following from overseas. They provided it for every game of the Women’s Euros.

[JonM]

6 minutes ago, JonNgog said:

Might seem like a small thing, but no live text reporting from BBC for Australia - Fiji is really frustrating for someone following from overseas. They provided it for every game of the Women’s Euros.

I guess because they are showing the actual game on the BBC website, they assume it's unnecessary.

[EggFace]

2 hours ago, saintspete83 said:

Great performance and a great day. After the opening ceremony the atmosphere was a bit flat but the performance improved that. 

In 30 years of watching RL, I cannot remember a crowd that was so full of non-traditional RL. I was surrounded by geordies on all sides. 

I am glad they did turn up at 42k looked good. Heard one saying how reasonable prices where when lots of RL fans stayed at home, complaining about high prices.

Yes was thinking the same but the 2nd half it got really good.

[Whippet13]

Nice bit of trolling from Specsavers this evening:

 

[MatthewWoody]

2 hours ago, JonM said:

I guess because they are showing the actual game on the BBC website, they assume it's unnecessary.

There was one in the Guardian and I found it very good.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I've discovered the most satisfying feeling in the world. 

I keep feeling disappointed that the RL is over for the day, I keep thinking the RL is done with like it is for one off games throughout the season; when a game ends its normally a bit of a wait until the next one and this is a miserable thought. But then it pops into my head that the RL isn't done is it and there is 3 games tomorrow and 1 thd day after and 1 the day after and 1 the day after and in fact I can watch RL almost everyday for the next month! That is the most satisfying feeling in the world!

[Dave T]

I had an outstanding day, but in reality, there is a hell of a lot to improve on. 

Around me, there was a lot of new fans who tbh, had no idea what was happening. 

The lack of ref signals, Big screen content, and announcements meant that a lot of the game was a bit bemusing for people. 

The Captains Challenge was useless. It's an absolute waste of time if no one knows what the eff is happening. 

[Just Browny]

23 minutes ago, Dave T said:

 

The Captains Challenge was useless. It's an absolute waste of time if no one knows what the eff is happening. 

The three today were absolutely atrocious choices to challenge, even Stuart Broad wouldn't have appealed for the Fiji challenge.

[The One]

Think the challenges are just being used to give the defending team a rest when they are about to come up against a repeat set.

[EggFace]

1 hour ago, MatthewWoody said:

There was one in the Guardian and I found it very good.

Don't read The Mail...assholes but Planet Rugby is surprising 

[EggFace]

1 hour ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I've discovered the most satisfying feeling in the world. 

I keep feeling disappointed that the RL is over for the day, I keep thinking the RL is done with like it is for one off games throughout the season; when a game ends its normally a bit of a wait until the next one and this is a miserable thought. But then it pops into my head that the RL isn't done is it and there is 3 games tomorrow and 1 thd day after and 1 the day after and 1 the day after and in fact I can watch RL almost everyday for the next month! That is the most satisfying feeling in the world!

TBF I had that back in 2015 with the Rugby Union Grand Final and Like Christmas after 6 weeks it be gone but today was the joint 2nd best game experience of both codes of Rugby at St.James Park as -

1. Magic Weekend Hull Derby 2015 ...like watching a Newcastle Sunderland derby with black and white v red and white.

2.Today and the 2019 Dodgy Saracens v Leinster European Cup Final as like today and Magic Weekend lots of different fans from all over the place.

3. Scotland v Samoa 2015 RWC as the Scottish fans were passionate but calm.

5.MW this year as was a lovely day and met some great Wigan fans staying in Whitley Bay.

5. England v Italy 2019...boring as most fans had pink chinos and jumpers over there shoulders and travelled from Home Counties and were missing all the action  going to get ###### Fosters and going to the toilets for a ######  but saying that all the action was in the Gallowgate end so boring as Fxxk as my neck was knackered keeping looking up from my seat after 50 phases.

6. Falcons v Northampton 2018 as again found myself watching all the action from the other end and wish I had a telescope.

I wonder what the 7th Rugby game will be at St.James Park.

6. 

[The Masked Poster]

As a lapsed RL fan I caught (most of) the England game yesterday and really enjoyed it. The days of the 2000 WC seem a long, long time ago.

I wouldn't say the tournament is setting the world on fire but it's decent enough and with games like yesterday it will only get better.

I'm as cynical as they come about heritage teams etc but am just going to enjoy it for what it is - a very enjoyable event. 
 

I'm working or away for a large chunk of it but am gonna try to get to a game or 2. 
 

Good stuff

 

[gingerjon]

On 11/10/2022 at 08:24, Just Browny said:

Anyone seen Scubby? Hope he hasn't got lost in the England RL merch shop, this is his favourite time of year.

In all seriousness, has anyone seen @Scubby?

There's a World Cup on and plenty of merch to talk about.

[glemiln]

For those with dual-code rugby interests there will be a clash of our World Cup quarter, semi and final games with Union’s Autumn Internationals.

On 5/11 we have two quarter finals 14.30 and 19.30 up against 4 Union internationals over the afternoon; and another quarter final 14.30 6/11 which clashes with Union’s England v Argentina (14.15).

On 12/11 we have a semi-final at 14.30 clashing with Union’s England v Japan at 15.15 and Italy v Australia at 14.00, plus 3 other games. Our 11/11 evening semi does not clash.

Our 19/11 final at 16.00  is close to Union’s England v New Zealand at 17.30 with Italy v Australia 20.00

The media coverage will be interesting.

 

[Chris22]

41 minutes ago, glemiln said:

For those with dual-code rugby interests there will be a clash of our World Cup quarter, semi and final games with Union’s Autumn Internationals.

On 5/11 we have two quarter finals 14.30 and 19.30 up against 4 Union internationals over the afternoon; and another quarter final 14.30 6/11 which clashes with Union’s England v Argentina (14.15).

On 12/11 we have a semi-final at 14.30 clashing with Union’s England v Japan at 15.15 and Italy v Australia at 14.00, plus 3 other games. Our 11/11 evening semi does not clash.

Our 19/11 final at 16.00  is close to Union’s England v New Zealand at 17.30 with Italy v Australia 20.00

The media coverage will be interesting.

 

If memory serves, the union internationals are on Amazon Prime, which hugely reduces the amount of exposure. We'll see what impact that has given that ours are on the BBC.

[GeordieSaint]

Whilst we have had some real issues with attendances, I have really enjoyed the rugby. Only Scotland have been really poor and shown nothing. The rest of the games have been enjoyable.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, GeordieSaint said:

Whilst we have had some real issues with attendances, I have really enjoyed the rugby. Only Scotland have been really poor and shown nothing. The rest of the games have been enjoyable.

The players rarely let us down. They deserve better tbh.