Cornwall - how long do you give them?

[wiggler]

It must have felt like a real kick in the teeth for Cornwall to be told they were not wanted in the 1895 cup.  I imagine it must be pretty demotivating for the people involved with the club to be told "We don't want YOU at our party"!

Now, that has got me thinking.  History shows that non-heartland clubs, with the possible exception of London Broncos, will ultimately fold.  On that basis how many more seasons do you think Cornwall will have before they run out of enthusiasm and/or cash and decide to call it a day?  My money would be on 2026 being their last year.  What do you think?  Time to get your rugby shaped crystal ball out!

 

 

[sam4731]

I think if Covid hadn't have happened, Toronto would still be going purely because of Eric Perez's determination, so on that basis, they will grit their teeth and dig in.

[Coco]

It just depends if they are financially sustainable on their own. Do they have a benefactor, or those investing in the club. Are BARLA in any way involved with them. They have the expertise on the infrastructure of the sport. Getting supporters through door and children participating all help and that's where BARLA are the best.  

I am a fan of expansion and welcoming new clubs into the family of rugby league. It's sad to see the demise of certain clubs, but these clubs do not receive the financial and administrative support they need. We have lost the West Wales Raiders / Newcastle Thunder / Toronto Wolfpack / London S. London Broncos are only surviving through a brilliant benefactor. Without him, I doubt we have a club. Richard Branson and a so called Ian Lenegan, left us, and we are fortunate Mr Hughes and his family have the club going. Not a fan of either of them. Really dislike both.

I really don't know how long Cornwall will keep going, but the press reports of them not participating in a particular cup, only means one thing. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

I personally think Cornwall will be fine they are well run by real rugby league people and are in for the long haul.

 

[Griff]

I'll give them until their backer gets fed up of financing them.  Could be weeks, could be decades.

Plenty of other clubs are in the same boat.

[Coco]

I don't understand how clubs like these could of survived. They receive no money from the RFL and Super League to survive. They also do not engage with BARLA.  I am just happy that clubs, like Bradford, Halifax are still surviving. 

I don't understand how as a sport we can just accept that these clubs have folded, and we as fans just carry on. They are part of the Rugby League Family. It's very sad state of affairs.

[Barley Mow]

6 minutes ago, Coco said:

I don't understand how clubs like these could of survived. They receive no money from the RFL and Super League to survive. They also do not engage with BARLA.  I am just happy that clubs, like Bradford, Halifax are still surviving. 

I don't understand how as a sport we can just accept that these clubs have folded, and we as fans just carry on. They are part of the Rugby League Family. It's very sad state of affairs.

What is it that you would like BARLA (British Amateur Rugby League Association) to do for clubs that are outside of the amateur setup?

[iffleyox]

38 minutes ago, Coco said:

I don't understand how as a sport we can just accept that these clubs have folded, and we as fans just carry on. They are part of the Rugby League Family. It's very sad state of affairs.

Tbh, as a former supporter of one such club, it never felt like we were part of a 'family'* - except maybe in the sense of an episode of a soap where a son no one knew anything about turns up on the doorstep and inconveniences everyone. 

As an aside, even with all the speculation about the Challenge Cup, for now this thread strikes me as pretty poor taste. Imagine being a nascent Cornwall supporter and reading what's effectively a sweepstake on how long the club's got. 

 

*having said that, the 20 or so away fans we used to get at matches were always supportive, although the supporter of a nameless club who held court in the pub over the road from the ground, in our first season, about what an awful journey he'd had down on the M6 and why it was a joke that 'these f-ing new teams exist, and they are teams, they're not clubs, they've got no history'.... well let's just say I've got his rant still in my head over a decade on.

 

[gingerjon]

2 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

I personally think Cornwall will be fine they are well run by real rugby league people and are in for the long haul.

 

If they keep getting told they're not welcome in RL competitions it won't be their decision to make.

[Midlands hobo]

Cornwall as a county is a very odd place. (speaking as a plymothian)

While the county loves rugby they've never really had a top flight side. Some good players have come out of the place Phil Vickery for example. 

They are not in anyway rugger ###### toffs. As a culture and people they have more in common with RL communities. History of mining fishing and farming. Partial to violence (wrestling) living in small close knit towns and villages.

Football while being a big community game is a past time they have no league side and don't think they ever have. The rugby teams have been pirates(old Penzance newly) Launceston (Lanson) and Redruth. 

If the RL community could remove head from sphincter long enough to see kindred people they could turn the county with a bit of effort. And a top rate pro team in any sport to get behind would give the locals something they've never had.

RU turned a blind eye to shamatuerism in Wales Devon and Cornwall as it would have lost them To RL leaving twickers with the home counties. I don't see the RFU doing much to spread the game to the southwest. Exeter were a bit of a fluke. They weren't really wanted but fought their way to get to the Prem and to stay in it. I still don't think Bath are happy to have lost a large pool of players 

[FileyBulldog]

I still think it is complete and utter BS that the other clubs basically bullied them to withdrawn from the cup, so in 2024 I won't be paying any attention to that cup, that includes Batley games.

[iffleyox]

8 minutes ago, Midlands hobo said:

The rugby teams have been pirates(old Penzance newly) Launceston (Lanson) and Redruth. 

And Camborne.

[Midlands hobo]

Just now, iffleyox said:

And Camborne.

Can't do midweek games no train on Wednesday.

 

Besides they never really hit the higher league championship or league 1 and two like the others. Only ever been southwest league.

[Gooleboy]

It is very difficult for Cornwall to get players good enough to compete with no Rugby League in the area. So any northern based players would have to move down there with all the difficulties that brings. But they showed some improvement last season so good luck to them.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

3 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

I personally think Cornwall will be fine they are well run by real rugby league people and are in for the long haul.

 

Crowds are decent from memory 

[GeordieSaint]

Well this isn’t a depressing topic…

[ATLANTISMAN]

46 minutes ago, Midlands hobo said:

Cornwall as a county is a very odd place. (speaking as a plymothian)

While the county loves rugby they've never really had a top flight side. Some good players have come out of the place Phil Vickery for example. 

They are not in anyway rugger ###### toffs. As a culture and people they have more in common with RL communities. History of mining fishing and farming. Partial to violence (wrestling) living in small close knit towns and villages.

Football while being a big community game is a past time they have no league side and don't think they ever have. The rugby teams have been pirates(old Penzance newly) Launceston (Lanson) and Redruth. 

If the RL community could remove head from sphincter long enough to see kindred people they could turn the county with a bit of effort. And a top rate pro team in any sport to get behind would give the locals something they've never had.

RU turned a blind eye to shamatuerism in Wales Devon and Cornwall as it would have lost them To RL leaving twickers with the home counties. I don't see the RFU doing much to spread the game to the southwest. Exeter were a bit of a fluke. They weren't really wanted but fought their way to get to the Prem and to stay in it. I still don't think Bath are happy to have lost a large pool of players 

Spot on comment 

[EggFace]

1 hour ago, Midlands hobo said:

Cornwall as a county is a very odd place. (speaking as a plymothian)

While the county loves rugby they've never really had a top flight side. Some good players have come out of the place Phil Vickery for example. 

They are not in anyway rugger ###### toffs. As a culture and people they have more in common with RL communities. History of mining fishing and farming. Partial to violence (wrestling) living in small close knit towns and villages.

Football while being a big community game is a past time they have no league side and don't think they ever have. The rugby teams have been pirates(old Penzance newly) Launceston (Lanson) and Redruth. 

If the RL community could remove head from sphincter long enough to see kindred people they could turn the county with a bit of effort. And a top rate pro team in any sport to get behind would give the locals something they've never had.

RU turned a blind eye to shamatuerism in Wales Devon and Cornwall as it would have lost them To RL leaving twickers with the home counties. I don't see the RFU doing much to spread the game to the southwest. Exeter were a bit of a fluke. They weren't really wanted but fought their way to get to the Prem and to stay in it. I still don't think Bath are happy to have lost a large pool of players 

So it's a bit like Cumbria wit Rugby League.

I thought the County game was the big team to support back in the day.

BTW would hope for Plymouth Albion as noticed they are one down from Championship but get good crowds for that league.

[Midlands hobo]

1 minute ago, EggFace said:

So it's a bit like Cumbria wit Rugby League.

I thought the County game was the big team to support back in the day.

BTW would hope for Plymouth Albion as noticed they are one down from Championship but get good crowds for that league.

Albion have struggled. They gambled on getting to the premiership and failed. Been on the brink since. Sound familiar.

 

[Hello]

5 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I think if Covid hadn't have happened, Toronto would still be going purely because of Eric Perez's determination, so on that basis, they will grit their teeth and dig in.

I agree to an extent, though I don't think that it would require massive determination for Toronto at that point as  they would have been a success for themselves and SL because they were already touching 10,000 crowds in the championship.  By now, they would likely have moved to an increased capacity stadium in SL and good chance been getting the best crowds in the league, if covid hadn't intervened.  The knock-on effect in terms of interest would have been great for the sport and Super League and potentially have helped boost televison income.  However, though Cornwall's efforts and crowd levels are very impressive for what they are, and I truly respect that, it's brilliant, the population of the entire county is far smaller than Toronto, so the potential for crowds is far lower.  To get the crowds they have been getting in such a spread out, low population area, with an awkward-to-get-to stadium has been amazing, but has massive limiting factors.  Sadly, I can't seem them sticking around for long under the circumstances presented by League one with its funding and travel costs.  I, for one, couldn't understand why Perez went from the ambition of choosing a massive place like Toronto to choosing a club in a location which has such said limiting factors on potential crowds.  If he were to go for expansion in the UK, i would have thought he might have chosen somewhere less remote with a greater population nearby and therefore greater potential such as e.g. Bristol.   That's my two pennies-worth.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Hello

[ChristianB]

To answer the question... a long, long time.

Everyone involved with the club has an eye on the long term. It's in safe hands.

[FileyBulldog]

It is called having morals Griffy

[sam4731]

27 minutes ago, Hello said:

I agree to an extent, though I don't think that it would require massive determination for Toronto at that point as  they would have been a success for themselves and SL because they were already touching 10,000 crowds in the championship.  By now, they would likely have moved to an increased capacity stadium in SL and good chance been getting the best crowds in the league, if covid hadn't intervened.  The knock-on effect in terms of interest would have been great for the sport and Super League and potentially have helped boost televison income.  However, though Cornwall's efforts and crowd levels are very impressive for what they are, and I truly respect that, it's brilliant, the population of the entire county is far smaller than Toronto, so the potential for crowds is far lower.  To get the crowds they have been getting in such a spread out, low population area, with an awkward-to-get-to stadium has been amazing, but has massive limiting factors.  Sadly, I can't seem them sticking around for long under the circumstances presented by League one with its funding and travel costs.  I, for one, couldn't understand why Perez went from the ambition of choosing a massive place like Toronto to choosing a club in a location which has such said limiting factors on potential crowds.  If he were to go for expansion in the UK, i would have thought he might have chosen somewhere less remote with a greater population nearby and therefore greater potential such as e.g. Bristol.   That's my two pennies-worth.

What's clear about Perez is that he likes a challenge. Playing it safe is not what he's about. The way you describe it, Toronto was a sure thing but if you told someone 10 years ago that Toronto would get a SL team they'd have thought you were mad. Perez's determination definitely played a part in that.

[Griff]

1 hour ago, FileyBulldog said:

It is called having morals Griffy

What is?

[OriginalMrC]

6 hours ago, iffleyox said:

Tbh, as a former supporter of one such club, it never felt like we were part of a 'family'* - except maybe in the sense of an episode of a soap where a son no one knew anything about turns up on the doorstep and inconveniences everyone. 

As an aside, even with all the speculation about the Challenge Cup, for now this thread strikes me as pretty poor taste. Imagine being a nascent Cornwall supporter and reading what's effectively a sweepstake on how long the club's got. 

 

*having said that, the 20 or so away fans we used to get at matches were always supportive, although the supporter of a nameless club who held court in the pub over the road from the ground, in our first season, about what an awful journey he'd had down on the M6 and why it was a joke that 'these f-ing new teams exist, and they are teams, they're not clubs, they've got no history'.... well let's just say I've got his rant still in my head over a decade on.

 

Similar experiences here of rants from supporters, and staff from other clubs still ringing in my ears! Some great welcomes and good travelling support though from the likes of Bradford, Workington, Doncaster, Oldham and Rochdale so not all bad.