How to rebuild Scottish RL?

[Welshleaguelover]

1 minute ago, Stuff Smith said:

There are more Liverpool "fans" in Wales than in Liverpool, that's for sure.

I argue about it with my Welsh in-laws about it every time I see them. (And I've been told to stop doing this, repeatedly, by my partner.)

Haha the usual banter is that all Everton season ticket holders are from North Wales and that Anfield is full of American, Canadian, Middle eastern and Asian tourists

[londonrlfan]

5 minutes ago, Stuff Smith said:

Union will interfere anywhere, given the slightest opportunity, even where you'd least expect it. 

Sol Mokdad could tell you all about it.

Not heard of union interfering in any of those countries tbh. Once you get government recognition, that's a game changer. 

[Welshleaguelover]

4 minutes ago, Stuff Smith said:

There are more Liverpool "fans" in Wales than in Liverpool, that's for sure.

I argue about it with my Welsh in-laws about it every time I see them. (And I've been told to stop doing this, repeatedly, by my partner.)

And to add to that. There's more Liverpool, Man Utd and Everton fans in Wales than there is rugby union fans. Despite what the BBC would have you believe.

[Stuff Smith]

Just now, Welshleaguelover said:

And to add to that. There's more Liverpool, Man Utd and Everton fans in Wales than there is rugby union fans. Despite what the BBC would have you believe.

Absolutely true.

Lots of fervent RU supporters when it's Wales v England. Absolutely no clue what's going on though.

Otherwise, Liverpool. And only Liverpool. That's my experience.

What I get in the neck is: do you think you are a "better" supporter because you support a rubbish Rugby League team rather than a successful football team?

Yes, yes I do. Because "supporting" involves a bit more than picking a successful team and watching them on TV.

[Welshleaguelover]

6 minutes ago, Stuff Smith said:

Absolutely true.

Lots of fervent RU supporters when it's Wales v England. Absolutely no clue what's going on though.

Otherwise, Liverpool. And only Liverpool. That's my experience.

What I get in the neck is: do you think you are a "better" supporter because you support a rubbish Rugby League team rather than a successful football team?

Yes, yes I do. Because "supporting" involves a bit more than picking a successful team and watching them on TV.

I grew up playing Union. My Dad is a decent amateur coach. The lads that play the game are all bigger football fans than rugby fans.

If you go to the Millennium Stadium (principality Stadium these days) then you'll struggle to find anyone that knows the rules of rugby union.

It's full of drunks trying to show their passion for being Welsh... But none can speak Welsh and all support an English football team.

It's a bit like my old man to be fair. He hates England, in a pantomime way more than anything, but hates being under Westminster rule... But has been married twice, both times to English women.

[Guest]

Wouldn't bother. Better and lower hanging fruit elsewhere. 

[north yorks trinity]

42 minutes ago, ShropshireBull said:

 

I honestly think that is the model: Lock one Welsh team into top flight and say to an investor you (Wales) will play England every year and you get a sizeable chunk of WRL income pretty much forever so you have the possibility of a return on your investment. And we are sticking to this for as long as it takes.

And they'll surely know that in RL administration circles their word is their bond. They could always get that trussworthy fighter not quitter politician lady to vouch for them.

[Jughead]

A Scottish (or Irish or Welsh) full-time professional team in the upper echelons of the game in the northern hemisphere isn’t going to suddenly make the national team a force to be reckoned with, not even close, in the same way the inclusion of the Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique hasn’t caused France to become a major player in the international arena, in fact, France’s national side has only won two World Cup games from a possible nine since Catalans’ inclusion in Super League. We cannot expect nor demand that some clubs are only in place to attempt to make the international side better. 

 

[north yorks trinity]

47 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

Not heard of union interfering in any of those countries tbh. Once you get government recognition, that's a game changer. 

Wasn't Greece one of the countries? And wasn't RL illegal there until recently? I can't recall the full story so apologies if I'm mistaken but I thought that might have had a least a teensy bit to do with union interference.

[Gerrumonside ref]

11 minutes ago, Jughead said:

A Scottish (or Irish or Welsh) full-time professional team in the upper echelons of the game in the northern hemisphere isn’t going to suddenly make the national team a force to be reckoned with, not even close, in the same way the inclusion of the Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique hasn’t caused France to become a major player in the international arena, in fact, France’s national side has only won two World Cup games from a possible nine since Catalans’ inclusion in Super League. We cannot expect nor demand that some clubs are only in place to attempt to make the international side better. 

 

Aren’t the French saying the opposite though?

They feel they are progressing thanks to Catalans and Toulouse in terms of their squad.

I would concede it needs to translate into results on the field.

 

[Jughead]

1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Aren’t the French saying the opposite though?

They feel they are progressing thanks to Catalans and Toulouse in terms of their squad.

I would concede it needs to translate into results on the field.

 

Two group stage exits and a quarter final at three World Cups, made up of two wins from nine. Progressing hasn’t translated to results, so far. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Aren’t the French saying the opposite though?

They feel they are progressing thanks to Catalans and Toulouse in terms of their squad.

I would concede it needs to translate into results on the field.

 

The idea France and Scotland are in anyway comparable or that french standards have not improved is, frankly, bizarre. 

[londonrlfan]

6 minutes ago, north yorks trinity said:

Wasn't Greece one of the countries? And wasn't RL illegal there until recently? I can't recall the full story so apologies if I'm mistaken but I thought that might have had a least a teensy bit to do with union interference.

I'm not sure. I think it was bitterness from the previous guy after he was suspended. He later got banned from running any sports for a few years. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

1 minute ago, Jughead said:

Two group stage exits and a quarter final at three World Cups, made up of two wins from nine. Progressing hasn’t translated to results, so far. 

To be fair Jughead that’s what I have said, but let’s also say that Catalans and Toulouse have only had a single season where both have been in the top flight.

I think we need to be more patient and understand that the more pathways there are for French players to develop in and test themselves against the best in the NH, the better.

The results will follow even if the progress is frustrating.

[north yorks trinity]

4 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

I'm not sure. I think it was bitterness from the previous guy after he was suspended. He later got banned from running any sports for a few years. 

A stalwart of the union playback is to convince a government that there is only one sport called rugby and persuade them not to recognise alternative administrative bodies which then affects access to funding, insurance, council owned grounds etc etc. If Greece's story is different then fair enough, my mistake. 

[Stuff Smith]

25 minutes ago, north yorks trinity said:

Wasn't Greece one of the countries? And wasn't RL illegal there until recently? I can't recall the full story so apologies if I'm mistaken but I thought that might have had a least a teensy bit to do with union interference.

For once, I'm not sure it's down to RU.

 

[londonrlfan]

5 minutes ago, north yorks trinity said:

A stalwart of the union playback is to convince a government that there is only one sport called rugby and persuade them not to recognise alternative administrative bodies which then affects access to funding, insurance, council owned grounds etc etc. If Greece's story is different then fair enough, my mistake. 

I think they were lumbered in with Modern Pentathlon rather than union. Didn't I read somewhere that there wasn't any domestic union in Greece atm? I think it may have been on here. 

[north yorks trinity]

8 minutes ago, Stuff Smith said:

For once, I'm not sure it's down to RU.

 

Great article thanks. So the forces working against worldwide rugby league development appear to be, in no particular order: rugby union, rugby league and modern pentathlon.

[Whippet13]

2 hours ago, JohnM said:

What's happened to the whole forum?  It's as if it's entered into some sort of parallel universe, one that has lost all connection with reality.   

Sounds like a pretty average day round here to me.

[Pie tries]

54 minutes ago, north yorks trinity said:

Wasn't Greece one of the countries? And wasn't RL illegal there until recently? I can't recall the full story so apologies if I'm mistaken but I thought that might have had a least a teensy bit to do with union interference.

Until very recently- RU screwed GRL over so they had to hide where they were playing game. RU is not our friend in any way shape or form

[Pie tries]

To answer the original question. Build from ground up. Schools comp. Uni. Student internationals. Grow the amateur gsme, create an u16s team and link it to Cumbrian team or Thunder. No short fixes, just get people playing…

[Josef K]

3 hours ago, moorside roughyed said:

You could have a point there. Union is king in Scotland whether we like it or not. They always manage to fill Murrayfield. 

I don’t follow any u****, but what type of crowds do they get for the club rugger up in Scotland. I know they won’t be anywhere near the gates Celtic/Rangers get, but are they near or the same that the likes of Aberdeen, Motherwell etc etc get ?. 

[Madrileño]

2 hours ago, Welshleaguelover said:

 

England Knights belting Scotland or Ireland is not gonna make a difference.

Agreed.

The Knights game was a mismatch in front of about 90 people. 

How about they play England Wheelchairs next time? I know it would look bad on video etc, but at least the result would be a bit more competitive! 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Madrileño

[Young Blood]

Wales Scotland and even Ireland all in same boat Union is dominant code with soccer. Maybe have a Super League team based in each of those countries will draw interest. 

[Niels]

29 minutes ago, Josef K said:

I don’t follow any u****, but what type of crowds do they get for the club rugger up in Scotland. I know they won’t be anywhere near the gates Celtic/Rangers get, but are they near or the same that the likes of Aberdeen, Motherwell etc etc get ?. 

Similar to Motherwell I think. Edinburgh got over 6,000 for their first home game in the new stadium in January. Average will probably be a bit lower.

Motherwell average nearly 5,000 and Aberdeen 11,000 for comparison. 

The Edinburgh v Glasgow derby attracted over 20,000 at Murrayfield this year I think. The record crowd for Edinburgh was against Toulouse in 2012, 38,000.

I hope this helps.