England v Tonga series

[OriginalMrC]

I remember 21000 fans turning out on a freezing cold bonfire night in Coventry being an 'absolute disaster'. 

Not suggesting coventry should have been chosen for this series but sending games to areas that have repeatedly been apathetic to international RL is brainless. Give other venues a try and promote the games for god sake!

 

[Chrispmartha]

1 hour ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

How much were the corporate tickets Chris, if you don’t mind me asking? Might do that tomorrow myself 

£180 each when you add in vat and booking fee

https://vipmatchdays.com/event/rugby-league-hospitality/england-v-tonga-international-test-series/england-v-tonga-leeds/

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Chrispmartha

[crashmon]

19 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

I remember 21000 fans turning out on a freezing cold bonfire night in Coventry being an 'absolute disaster'. 

Not suggesting coventry should have been chosen for this series but sending games to areas that have repeatedly been apathetic to international RL is brainless. Give other venues a try and promote the games for god sake!

 

I remember that game... it was freezing

[Hopie]

I remember it too, there were two games which means the crowd was even worse than if it had been for one game. 

England were terrible, and the band in the indoor fan zone were taking the pee out of Northerners before the game. A fan zone, what a strange idea!

[fighting irish]

1 hour ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Work experience boys are not journalists. Just ignore the wazzock, I do. 

Isn't he supervised by an editor?

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

40 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

£180 each when you add in vat and booking fee

https://vipmatchdays.com/event/rugby-league-hospitality/england-v-tonga-international-test-series/england-v-tonga-leeds/

 

Cool I’ll have a look, cheers. Been meaning to try Headingley hospitality for a while, especially if it’s the restaurant that has a view of the cricket ground n’all. 

[moorside roughyed]

Just looking forward to Headingley now.

[Northern Eel]

2 hours ago, Spidey said:

I’d choose it over Huddersfield though

The timing of Huddersfield was wrong, but I would argue that the stadium is actually well-suited to RL internationals. 

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

57 minutes ago, Hopie said:

I remember it too, there were two games which means the crowd was even worse than if it had been for one game. 

England were terrible, and the band in the indoor fan zone were taking the pee out of Northerners before the game. A fan zone, what a strange idea!

That was another case of the RFL's obsession with double headers. It was freezing cold on bonfire night - stupid idea. But I reckon you'd still have got a decent crowd had it just been England v Scotland. I had friends and work colleagues attend who would never otherwise have gone to a game. They weren't the least bit interested in Australia v NZ, but thoroughly enjoyed the England game (they hadn't been on rugby league forums telling them that Scotland were rubbish...).

[17 stone giant]

2 hours ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Work experience boys are not journalists. Just ignore the wazzock, I do. 

I haven't heard the word wazzock since Ian Botham called someone (Willie Carson?) it on Question of Sport. Glad to see it's still being used.

[Damien]

I think back 20 years to nights like this at Wigan when the atmosphere was electric against the Aussies in a sellout. Yes it maybe against Australia but everything about it as an event seems a world away now. I refuse to believe that we shouldn't be aiming for the same again against Tonga at these sorts of grounds:

 

[Odsal Outlaw]

If the RFL did need to have two games in West Yorkshire on consecutive Saturdays they should have just played them both at Headingley. Would have got a better crowd than Hudds and may have reduced costs further.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Odsal Outlaw

[sentoffagain2]

    At least the games against Tonga are competitive rather than the one sided affairs we had against France.We need a strong International game to profile the sport.Watching the other codes World Cup proves we need a joined up approach and the game will sell itself.

[17 stone giant]

22 minutes ago, Damien said:

I think back 20 years to nights like this at Wigan when the atmosphere was electric against the Aussies in a sellout. Yes it maybe against Australia but everything about it as an event seems a world away now. 

What 'event' things did they do then that they aren't doing now? I noticed things like:

Big flags on the pitch

Someone in a Lion costume

A choir and a couple of anthem singers

The Mayor of Wigan

None of that would seem impossible to do today.

Of course, the 'against Australia for The Ashes' part is the real key here, isn't it?

[Damien]

6 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

What 'event' things did they do then that they aren't doing now? I noticed things like:

Big flags on the pitch

Someone in a Lion costume

A choir and a couple of anthem singers

The Mayor of Wigan

None of that would seem impossible to do today.

Of course, the 'against Australia for The Ashes' part is the real key here, isn't it?

You could similarly go to the year before against NZ. All thise trivial, little details also add up. Everything about these test series was done better and there was a real build up and sense of anticipation. They were treated as bigger events even when they werent at bigger stadiums and I never, ever felt they were done on the cheap, as RL events now feel like. Even the safe stadium choices in Wigan, Huddersfield and Hull were better than now. Looking back I do think that, like the Grand Final, night matches add something too.

Even before the first matches were played these teams also played 3 warm up games which all added to the build up and news pieces around them.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Damien

[bar red]

4 hours ago, Damien said:

You could similarly go to the year before against NZ. All thise trivial, little details also add up. Everything about these test series was done better and there was a real build up and sense of anticipation. They were treated as bigger events even when they werent at bigger stadiums and I never, ever felt they were done on the cheap, as RL events now feel like. Even the safe stadium choices in Wigan, Leeds and Hull were better than now. Looking back I do think that, like the Grand Final, night matches add something too.

Even before the first matches were played these teams also played 3 warm up games which all added to the build up and news pieces around them.

All these games were on Sky and there was people moaning that it should have been on terrestrial tv. When Sky cared about RL and the tin pot chairmen pocketed all the lovely cash because they thought it would last forever. So here we are. Looks better in the evening though

[willy2452]

Can we have the English side play the ball with their foot this game? It looks so ugly with the roll ball tunnel ball they are playing, this isn't Touch. Tongan’s are using their feet! The referees really need to enforce the laws of the game here. 

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

9 hours ago, Damien said:

I think back 20 years to nights like this at Wigan when the atmosphere was electric against the Aussies in a sellout. Yes it maybe against Australia but everything about it as an event seems a world away now. I refuse to believe that we shouldn't be aiming for the same again against Tonga at these sorts of grounds:

 

...and to think in that series I was on here (or somewhere like it) bemoaning the lack of ambition shown by taking the 1st Test to Wigan, instead of Old Trafford or even Wembley as we done to launch major events with Australia previously!

I said back then that a lack of ambition is infectious in business, and you risk spiralling ever downwards if you don't spend your time instead looking up, and pushing to grow. I hate to say I told them so but, well... I told them so!!

 

 

[Damien]

33 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

...and to think in that series I was on here (or somewhere like it) bemoaning the lack of ambition shown by taking the 1st Test to Wigan, instead of Old Trafford or even Wembley as we done to launch major events with Australia previously!

I said back then that a lack of ambition is infectious in business, and you risk spiralling ever downwards if you don't spend your time instead looking up, and pushing to grow. I hate to say I told them so but, well... I told them so!!

And I would have agreed with you for Australia.

To be fair the following year in 2004 we did go to the City of Manchester for the same game and got 38,572. No one will convince me that we wouldn't have got that in 2003 either.

Saying that I would be happy with Wigan being used for Tonga along with Leeds (and I would push for Elland Road as a big venue but would also accept Headingley) and London. That's a good mix of spread and risk while still using decent sized stadiums.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Damien

[Damien]

I do also wonder how different things could have been if it wasn't for Covid.

In 2020 we had a really exciting Ashes tour planned for Bolton, Leeds (Elland Road) and London (Tottenham). That's a pretty perfect mix that could have reinvigorated the whole international game both in terms of perception and finance. It was a real attempt to get back to those glory days and showed ambition.

Then following on from that what could have been a great RLWC2021 which could have provided a huge financial windfall for the IRL.

A once in a lifetime event has set the international back immensely in almost every way.

[gingerjon]

Just now, Damien said:

I do also wonder how different things could have been if it wasn't for Covid.

In 2020 we had a really exciting Ashes tour planned for Bolton, Leeds (Elland Road) and London (Tottenham). That's a pretty perfect mix that could have reinvigorated the whole international game both in terms of perception and finance. It was a real attempt to get back to those glory days and showed ambition.

Then following on from that what could have been a great RLWC2021 which could have provided a huge financial windfall for the IRL.

A once in a lifetime event has set the international back immensely in almost every way.

I'm sure we could have messed it up somehow anyway. Just differently.

[Just Browny]

9 hours ago, Damien said:

I think back 20 years to nights like this at Wigan when the atmosphere was electric against the Aussies in a sellout. Yes it maybe against Australia but everything about it as an event seems a world away now. I refuse to believe that we shouldn't be aiming for the same again against Tonga at these sorts of grounds:

 

That was good, but worth remembering that, then just as now, everyone on RL internet forums (inc this one) thought the game was on its last legs, both sets of teams were a pale imitation of the sides from the 80s and 90s, that the game was slowly dying because those games weren't on terrestrial TV and weren't at a major London stadium.

[Tommygilf]

9 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

What 'event' things did they do then that they aren't doing now? I noticed things like:

Big flags on the pitch

Someone in a Lion costume

A choir and a couple of anthem singers

The Mayor of Wigan

None of that would seem impossible to do today.

Of course, the 'against Australia for The Ashes' part is the real key here, isn't it?

No it isn't. 

The fact they are still doing the same things as 20 years ago is the problem.

[Damien]

Improved TV ratings on last week:

[welshmagpie]

12 minutes ago, Damien said:

Improved TV ratings on last week:

Good numbers, you’d imagine the third test may better it even further.

I need to take a break from RL social media as some of the comments are beyond negative within that ‘tweet’ and it’s subsequent ‘quotes’