England v Tonga series

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

It wouldn't be, there'd be without doubt a rise in sales

People aren't buying tickets because they don't know these matches are on. They do.

Poster after poster on here, going back to when this series was announced, has said they aren't going because of the venues. If you wish to ignore that then it's up to you.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Damien

[Mathius Hellwege]

2 hours ago, londonrlfan said:

Games like this should be taken to the likes of Sheffield, Coventry or Newcastle. Internationals aren't well supported in the M62, unless it's Australia. This will now be used as a reason to only play internationals in the M62 sadly. 

always finding reasons to retreat

[Damien]

14 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

I think there will be a late surge that might tip it over the 50k for the series mark, but they really have dropped the ball in all aspects with this one.

I genuinely reckon that swapping either hudds or headingley for Brentford or another suitable ground in London would have led to larger crowds at both. Instead I fear that it will look like that in the supposedly RL mad north of England nobody gives a toss.

And the worse thing they'll use it as justification not to do a series like this again without even looking at why people didn't go.

[daz39]

3 hours ago, Archie Gordon said:

I'm 50/50 about going to the Huddersfield test. One of the things holding me back is that I don't fancy being part of an 8k crowd.

How about going anyway and enjoying what's on the field instead? 

2 top international sides battling it out in front of your eyes and your being put off by empty seats??

 

On the flip side 5 of us are going to the 2nd test just so we can be part of an 8,000 crowd .

[DoubleD]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

People aren't buying tickets because they don't know these matches are on. They do.

Poster after poster on here, going back to when this series was announced, has said they aren't going because of the venues. If you wish to ignore that then it's up to you.

That's only one part of the equation

[daz39]

2 hours ago, crashmon said:

I've done my Pilgramage to the M62 already this year for the France test, so not attending any.  Will happly attend a test match in London / Midlands, let me know when the RFL realise there is a world outside the M62...
 

There are teams in both of those places you mentioned.

[crashmon]

2 minutes ago, daz39 said:

There are teams in both of those places you mentioned.

lol

I was a gold ST holder at Broncos from 2000 to 2019.  We had 3 ST's for that entire time, bought a top every year, have the 2 special tops created for the relevant bashes in the 201x's..   Have the LBSA acadamy top from 3 years ago...

I've paid my dues and more for RL in London as a fan.

[Rovers13]

58 minutes ago, crashmon said:

I'd be amazed if Tonga win one....  Be interesting to see how Tonga perform on tour....  One game might be close, but this has England 3-0 written all over it

You could well be right, but I still stand by this is one of worse GB/ England teams We’ve ever had so doesn’t say much for tonga tbh. 

[daz39]

3 minutes ago, crashmon said:

lol

I was a gold ST holder at Broncos from 2000 to 2019.  We had 3 ST's for that entire time, bought a top every year, have the 2 special tops created for the relevant bashes in the 201x's..   Have the LBSA acadamy top from 3 years ago...

I've paid my dues and more for RL in London as a fan.

Excellent, good on you, shame there isn't more like you down there, or indeed up here.

Be great to see London in SL again next year.

[Damien]

11 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

That's only one part of the equation

It's the overwhelmingly important one if you are trying to sell something as a big event. Playing at bog standard SL grounds and/or small towns really doesn't do that no matter how much you do the other stuff.

[Big Picture]

15 minutes ago, Damien said:

People aren't buying tickets because they don't know these matches are on. They do.

Poster after poster on here, going back to when this series was announced, has said they aren't going because of the venues. If you wish to ignore that then it's up to you.

Poster after poster assured me that i was wromg to say that Tonga will not be a draw, the English are different that way.  Evidently I was right after all.

[saintspete83]

Seen absolutely nothing about the game when I went to saints v wire the other week. 

Might have been in the program if they still sell them. 

[Damien]

2 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Poster after poster assured me that i was wromg to say that Tonga will not be a draw, the English are different that way.  Evidently I was right after all.

Well no, bigger teams, by your argument, played at these venues with the same results in the World Cup.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Damien

[crashmon]

2 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Poster after poster assured me that i was wromg to say that Tonga will not be a draw, the English are different that way.  Evidently I was right after all.

They are not a draw in the heartlands where the same people are asked to fork out for all three games....

Now make it outside of the Heartlands, market the England team, have interviews on BBC with the key players and also on SSN.  Make it all about England playing smash mouth rugby.... 

If we had had a test in London, I'd have been having it advertised in all the three NFL london games, have an interview at half time of the NFL games etc

[gingerjon]

10 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Evidently I was right after all.

Yes, if you ignore everything else and anything which goes against what you say then, agreed, that is the conclusion to reach.

Obviously, it's a load of old pony, but you do you, mate.

[M j M]

2 hours ago, londonrlfan said:

Tbf, Hull would've been a better choice than Headingley.

Leeds is consistently our strongest performer in the heartlands for international games and pretty much the only one where we get any significant corporate market. The game at Huddersfield however definitely should have been in London.

The RFL has done a fair amount of advertising but I've seen very little from my club who are one of the hosts so I guess other clubs are even less.

[creditwhereitsdews]

Got tickets for all three matches - no complaints about ticket prices. Looking forward to them and hoping they'll be exciting matches. Whatever we think to the logisitics I think it's up to us as RL fans to do our bit for the sport at the moment, it's wobbling and needs us more than ever. Especially if you're a fan in the heartlands.

[Hopie]

International Rugby League is the pinnacle of sport for me, it has had some great moments and a fantastic atmosphere is part of that:

Unfortunately the sales so far suggest this series will be rattling round empty stadia. The tickets sold have been for alternate rows in seated areas, and at Hudds several parts of the stadium never went on sale.

I was at the game in 2017, I'd love to see an actual atmosphere at an England game in this country, like the players deserve.

 

[Archie Gordon]

1 hour ago, daz39 said:

How about going anyway and enjoying what's on the field instead? 

2 top international sides battling it out in front of your eyes and your being put off by empty seats??

 

On the flip side 5 of us are going to the 2nd test just so we can be part of an 8,000 crowd .

I've done my bit and more for RL expansion. If there's no support for the international game in these far-off places like Huddersfield, you can't expect us Southerners to make up the numbers. 

[MattSantos]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

People aren't buying tickets because they don't know these matches are on. They do.

Poster after poster on here, going back to when this series was announced, has said they aren't going because of the venues. If you wish to ignore that then it's up to you.

Its a huge reason why i'm not going.

1 hour ago, daz39 said:

How about going anyway and enjoying what's on the field instead? 

2 top international sides battling it out in front of your eyes and your being put off by empty seats??

 

On the flip side 5 of us are going to the 2nd test just so we can be part of an 8,000 crowd .

Empty seats in the cold. Sign me up... 

[Big Picture]

8 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

I've done my bit and more for RL expansion. If there's no support for the international game in these far-off places like Huddersfield, you can't expect us Southerners to make up the numbers. 

So what do you think about the idea that Tonga would be a draw to Southerners if they played one of these matches there?

Edited October 16, 2023 by Big Picture

[Archie Gordon]

18 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

So what do you think about the idea that Tonga would be a draw to Southerners if they played one of these matches there?

London has a track record of folk attending England RL games in larger numbers than the North. Ought to have been the first test.

Holding 4 big games in 4 weekends at Manchester, St Helens, Huddersfield and Leeds is asking for low engagement. Not the fans' fault; daft planning.

EDIT: I've tried to contextualise this. I'm trying to imagine which other national sport might hold games in Bath, Bristol, Swindon and Reading on consecutive weekends and expect high engagement across all 4 events. It would be bizarre.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Archie Gordon

[MattSantos]

For context. RUWC: If Ireland would have beat NZ and were playing this weekend in Paris, the wife fancied going to meet our Irish mates there and have a weekend. No ticket, just go an enjoy the city and watch the game in a bar. Messages today are ah well, we'll just have to a game in Dublin next year instead.. she's excited.

I've not even asked her whether she fancies a game v Tonga. I'm not bothered about meeting mates as we've already done cricket a few times in an Ashes summer and other weekends away. If it was in the calendar after RLWC, then maybe we would have scheduled something, but it wasn't so we haven't.

--

After watching the RUWC QFs, International RL needs to get it right in the next few years. I dread to think of the difference if they continue to build and we continue to get worse...!

[crashmon]

21 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

So what do you think about the idea that Tonga would be a draw to Southerners if they played one of these matches there?

England are the draw as we never see any Internaltional RL played in the south any more, so just being able to see England would be a surprise factor

We get more Live NFL more live MLB then we get Live RFL events (and I do not count Broncos games as any sort of event). All we get is the CC Final between two towns nobody in London has any clue on

[gingerjon]

37 minutes ago, crashmon said:

England are the draw as we never see any Internaltional RL played in the south any more, so just being able to see England would be a surprise factor

We get more Live NFL more live MLB then we get Live RFL events (and I do not count Broncos games as any sort of event). All we get is the CC Final between two towns nobody in London has any clue on

This series has literally been priced and promoted as being for the same folk to see three (four if you include the tossed in women's international) good value rugby league games on consecutive weekends.

Marketed to people who have had about 30+ consecutive weekends already when they can go and watch top level rugby league if they choose.

Meanwhile, the 50 million people who live outside that area are getting on and doing other things.