Super League v Women’s Super League

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

This topic might already have been covered but is anyone else wondering how the women’s football can market themselves as Super League ?

surely the RL version must hold the trademark to the name?

with women’s football now on the BBC I can see the game of RL getting even less exposure than before (if that’s even possible)

[Eddie]

8 hours ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

This topic might already have been covered but is anyone else wondering how the women’s football can market themselves as Super League ?

surely the RL version must hold the trademark to the name?

with women’s football now on the BBC I can see the game of RL getting even less exposure than before (if that’s even possible)

You think the RL authorities would have the wit to TM the name Super League? They even let Union take the name Rugby World Cup without a fight. 

[Leyther_Matt]

In fairness the matter does market itself as WSL rather than purely SL. I’m sure there’s plenty of other sports who have a Super League as well. 

[Futtocks]

Do we even know who first used the term "Super League"? It may not have been RL.

[Man of Kent]

Does get a bit confusing, all these Super Leagues. We’ve also got Women’s Super League - as in rugby league, Women’s Super League.

Perhaps the women could call their versions ‘Supper League’? 

[BridBeachRL]

Then you had the proposed soccer European Super League, Netball SuperLeague, Super League Triathlon, to add to the list although Super league in the Rugby league sense started in '96 and is the first out of the ones mentioned. 

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, BridBeachRL said:

Then you had the proposed soccer European Super League, Netball SuperLeague, Super League Triathlon, to add to the list although Super league in the Rugby league sense started in '96 and is the first out of the ones mentioned. 

Exactly the same year as ice hockey Super League (now defunct) started.

It's a generic term. There will have been other Super Leagues before.

Or perhaps we should stop calling our second tier 'Championship' because soccer did it first.

[Leyther_Matt]

2 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Or perhaps we should stop calling our second tier 'Championship' because soccer did it first

That would make absolute sense tbf

Think we had the Premiership before football?

[theswanmcr]

3 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Exactly the same year as ice hockey Super League (now defunct) started.

It's a generic term. There will have been other Super Leagues before.

Or perhaps we should stop calling our second tier 'Championship' because soccer did it first.

Beat me to it. Yes there was Ice Hockey at the same time and loads more.

The problem is not the Super League name in itself (though it is pretty naff) but that it has almost become the names of the sport ie Super League is rugby league.

[Damien]

3 hours ago, theswanmcr said:

Beat me to it. Yes there was Ice Hockey at the same time and loads more.

The problem is not the Super League name in itself (though it is pretty naff) but that it has almost become the names of the sport ie Super League is rugby league.

I think the sport has huge issues generally when it comes to its identity and messages it gives out. As has been said Super League is just a very generic term and there are countless Super Leagues. There is nothing unique about it and this year I have genuinely heard it used more to refer to women's football than our RL version. Super League doesn't scream Rugby League any more by any means. I have also never particularly liked the name but accept that is more personal preference.

Coupled with that is also the reluctance to use the sports name, another issue being that too is a generic term that could literally refer to any rugby league competition, and is indeed used in various guises in RU competitions. The sport has also given up the fight on the name rugby, with the game almost seemingly embarrassed to use it, with that and Super League sometimes used interchangeably. Then we have the Southern hemisphere where we even have the sports administrators, players and journalists refer to rugby as a different sport and the even more generic term league being widely used. This all means that it struggles to even use the name of the actual sport to sell itself.

In a sport that struggles for publicity and column inches, and indeed whether we like it or not struggles to differentiate itself from a major competitor, it feels like we are trying to sell ourselves with both hands tied behind our backs using generic terms like Super League and Rugby League.

[Leyther_Matt]

Be reet once the sponsorship with ABBA is sorted for next season 

[Scubby]

3 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Be reet once the sponsorship with ABBA is sorted for next season 

"The Winner Takes It All" as the the new slogan for the game?

[Leyther_Matt]

14 minutes ago, Scubby said:

"The Winner Takes It All" as the the new slogan for the game?

Super Trooper League init

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

maybe time for a complete game rebrand with a catchy USP, be an ideal opportunity for the RFL to waste more money !

[Scubby]

On 05/09/2021 at 12:38, Johnoco said:

To be honest though, in the early to late 00's when we had big crowds at Wigan -Saints or Bradford-Leeds, the term SL was becoming synonymous with RL. It's not kept that up but it certainly was the case for a while.

Yep it is a strange sport that views when we had a 10k average crowd and numerous 15k+ and 20k crowds a decade ago like a some kind of nostalgia. The game seems to be quietly accepting its fate rather than fighting back.