Euros cancelled

[Guest]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

Good for you.

They are both examples of loss-making, mediocre, bargain-basement events served up to a diminishing audience.

Odd then that you are then having a coronary about the definition of Mickey Mouse being canceled. 

[gingerjon]

2 hours ago, Leonard said:

Odd then that you are then having a coronary about the definition of Mickey Mouse being canceled. 

Mickey Mouse?

You really don’t like rugby league, do you?

[bbfaz]

9 hours ago, langpark said:

Who needs enemies when we have "fans" like you? 

Oh diddums.

[bbfaz]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Mickey Mouse?

You really don’t like rugby league, do you?

I made a joke about there only being 10 people in Europe involved with European RL and was told who needs enemies when they have friends like me.  Why is it so bad - on an RL forum - to suggest that the international game is not up to snuff?  Why does this mean you don't like Rugby League?

I love RL but it's a shambles.  You have players in international games who are Union players who have played a handful of league games in their life and can barely play the ball.  Brazil Women even made the Women's World Cup like that.  France aside, every country around Europe seems to be more focused on internal squabbles and shooting themselves in the foot than developing the game.  You have countries with national teams but no active clubs.

All ten of them is extreme but how many coaches, referees and administrators are involved in RL outside England and France?  Surely less than 100 people and that's the backbone of these amateur RL systems that barely exist.  I want it to work.  I tried to get involved when I lived in Spain.  However, it's dead or dying.  I would offer my time and energy and expertise (I do have that) to help amateur RL ANYWHERE in the world.  However, that needs people on the ground who can run sanctioned games that are properly insured on fields that are appropriate.  Right now, I see little or nothing.

Saying that out loud brings out the worst in some of you but, and this is a fair ask, what are you doing to change things?

[Jughead]

Can’t see there being a World Cup in 2025 as this had some effect on qualifiers. 

Anyway, international rugby league is, mostly, an utter shambles. I have received stick before for not being an England fan and I think I’m going to look at who is good in international circles and go from there. 

[Guest]

44 minutes ago, bbfaz said:

I made a joke about there only being 10 people in Europe involved with European RL and was told who needs enemies when they have friends like me.  Why is it so bad - on an RL forum - to suggest that the international game is not up to snuff?  Why does this mean you don't like Rugby League?

I love RL but it's a shambles.  You have players in international games who are Union players who have played a handful of league games in their life and can barely play the ball.  Brazil Women even made the Women's World Cup like that.  France aside, every country around Europe seems to be more focused on internal squabbles and shooting themselves in the foot than developing the game.  You have countries with national teams but no active clubs.

All ten of them is extreme but how many coaches, referees and administrators are involved in RL outside England and France?  Surely less than 100 people and that's the backbone of these amateur RL systems that barely exist.  I want it to work.  I tried to get involved when I lived in Spain.  However, it's dead or dying.  I would offer my time and energy and expertise (I do have that) to help amateur RL ANYWHERE in the world.  However, that needs people on the ground who can run sanctioned games that are properly insured on fields that are appropriate.  Right now, I see little or nothing.

Saying that out loud brings out the worst in some of you but, and this is a fair ask, what are you doing to change things?

For some reason he came off my filter. Might be when I got a new phone and was tinkering with other people and his posts seemed to appear.

Back on now.

I doubt he ever even goes to a game.

[bbfaz]

3 hours ago, Leonard said:

For some reason he came off my filter. Might be when I got a new phone and was tinkering with other people and his posts seemed to appear.

Back on now.

I doubt he ever even goes to a game.

What's your CV?

[langpark]

5 hours ago, bbfaz said:

I made a joke about there only being 10 people in Europe involved with European RL and was told who needs enemies when they have friends like me.  Why is it so bad - on an RL forum - to suggest that the international game is not up to snuff?  Why does this mean you don't like Rugby League?

I love RL but it's a shambles.  You have players in international games who are Union players who have played a handful of league games in their life and can barely play the ball.  Brazil Women even made the Women's World Cup like that.  France aside, every country around Europe seems to be more focused on internal squabbles and shooting themselves in the foot than developing the game.  You have countries with national teams but no active clubs.

All ten of them is extreme but how many coaches, referees and administrators are involved in RL outside England and France?  Surely less than 100 people and that's the backbone of these amateur RL systems that barely exist.  I want it to work.  I tried to get involved when I lived in Spain.  However, it's dead or dying.  I would offer my time and energy and expertise (I do have that) to help amateur RL ANYWHERE in the world.  However, that needs people on the ground who can run sanctioned games that are properly insured on fields that are appropriate.  Right now, I see little or nothing.

Saying that out loud brings out the worst in some of you but, and this is a fair ask, what are you doing to change things?

I only reacted that way because you are so far off the mark. Just to fill you in on a few things:

Serbia, Greece, Czech, Norway, Turkey all have 8 teams or more, and the likes of Netherlands and Ukraine are not too far behind. 8+ teams we are talking 200 +/- players, coaches, adminsitrators etc. in EACH of those countries. 

So we are talking well over 1000 across mainland Europe exc. France. 20 years ago that number was close to zero. It is actually quite remarkable progress if you think about it!

So yes, I was a little irritated by your remark. Some of us are trying on a daily basis to attract new people to our sport, yet the minute they arrive the first thing they hear is our own fans constantly ridiculing the sport. 

 

[bbfaz]

3 hours ago, langpark said:

I only reacted that way because you are so far off the mark. Just to fill you in on a few things:

Serbia, Greece, Czech, Norway, Turkey all have 8 teams or more, and the likes of Netherlands and Ukraine are not too far behind. 8+ teams we are talking 200 +/- players, coaches, adminsitrators etc. in EACH of those countries. 

So we are talking well over 1000 across mainland Europe exc. France. 20 years ago that number was close to zero. It is actually quite remarkable progress if you think about it!

So yes, I was a little irritated by your remark. Some of us are trying on a daily basis to attract new people to our sport, yet the minute they arrive the first thing they hear is our own fans constantly ridiculing the sport. 

  

Are you really doing anything to further RL in Europe beyond being precious on a message board?

I ask because when I look for these great structures, I find that what you've written above isn't the case. Where are you getting this information?  What I've found suggests there's no more than six active teams - usually less - in any of these nations.  Not that getting the information is easy or even possible, such is the colossal mess that is their websites.  Have the Greeks played a domestic club fixture since 2019?  This is a genuine question because I find no evidence of it.

I guess what you're trying to do is warp an argument to make yourself right in your own head.  Congratulations, you argue like my late grandmother.

Even if what you claimed is correct - which it doesn't seem to be - it is still nowhere near enough to create a vibrant and useful international game in Europe.  Union can't get that and they're in every university everywhere.

[langpark]

4 hours ago, bbfaz said:

Have the Greeks played a domestic club fixture since 2019?  This is a genuine question because I find no evidence of it.

Oh wow!! I think this says it all really. Please do 2 minutes of research before writing stuff with absolute certainty. 

 Here, I'll even start you off:

 https://europeanrugbyleague.com/teams/17/news 

You can go back as far as you want, all the articles are there from start, middle and end of seasons. This season just gone they had 8 men's teams and 4 women's teams. 

You can then go the drop down menu and select other nations if you like. Not as rich in info as it should be, but more than enough to refute your claim about it all being a facade. 

[welshmagpie]

7 hours ago, bbfaz said:

Are you really doing anything to further RL in Europe beyond being precious on a message board?

I ask because when I look for these great structures, I find that what you've written above isn't the case. Where are you getting this information?  What I've found suggests there's no more than six active teams - usually less - in any of these nations.  Not that getting the information is easy or even possible, such is the colossal mess that is their websites.  Have the Greeks played a domestic club fixture since 2019?  This is a genuine question because I find no evidence of it.

I guess what you're trying to do is warp an argument to make yourself right in your own head.  Congratulations, you argue like my late grandmother.

Even if what you claimed is correct - which it doesn't seem to be - it is still nowhere near enough to create a vibrant and useful international game in Europe.  Union can't get that and they're in every university everywhere.

Come on mate, do your research! There’s be a lot of Greek domestic activity this year.

[JonM]

10 hours ago, bbfaz said:

Have the Greeks played a domestic club fixture since 2019?  This is a genuine question because I find no evidence of it.

Do they have google where you live, because this sort of comment makes it look like you're just trolling.

Took me less than a minute to find video of the recent finals for both men and womens competitions in Greece, details of a refereeing course this month with about 15 attendees, AEK Athens' games in the Balkan League against Arsenal Tivat (and next up Partizan Belgrade), features from local tv stations about the games (men and womens) etc.

[bbfaz]

Have any of you been to greekrl.com?  There's no information.  Googling sends me back there and yet I am the troll or moron for relying on the local association for information.  I'm clearly a moron for assuming any of these people can update a website!  And somehow, this proves me wrong!  8 teams in Greece playing games, yet this is the backbone of a vibrant and growing international scene.

And still, I ask, what do any of you people do other than be precious on a web forum?

[Sammo]

54 minutes ago, bbfaz said:

Have any of you been to greekrl.com?  There's no information.  Googling sends me back there and yet I am the troll or moron for relying on the local association for information.  I'm clearly a moron for assuming any of these people can update a website!  And somehow, this proves me wrong!  8 teams in Greece playing games, yet this is the backbone of a vibrant and growing international scene.

And still, I ask, what do any of you people do other than be precious on a web forum?

Took me 10 seconds to find information on the East and West Grand Finals from March… 

https://greekrl.com/grand-final-scores/

[langpark]

10 hours ago, bbfaz said:

8 teams in Greece playing games, yet this is the backbone of a vibrant and growing international scene.

Moving the goalposts agwin are we? Again, all I was doing was responding (with evidence, yes I know, you hate that) to your claim of 10 people playing the game in maianland Europe. All the rest is a narrative that you seem to be making up as you go.