England v Australia 2025 - coming to the UK!

[M j M]

37 minutes ago, Bongo1 said:

Australia won it last so presumably still with them

It tells us all we need to know about how we have ignored the game's legacy that it's so hard to find either a decent picture or even really know where the 1928 Ashes trophy is. I think it may be at the National Museum of Australia with the Courtney Goodwill Trophy.

[M j M]

 

[M j M]

In terms of attendance all of the top attendance records (not the middle ones below!) should be targets.

 

[gingerjon]

19 minutes ago, M j M said:

It tells us all we need to know about how we have ignored the game's legacy ...

We managed to lose the World Cup trophy for 25 years.

[Hopie]

Wembley and not run by the usual suspects, could be interesting. (Although we do need those profits to keep the game alive)

[M j M]

1 minute ago, gingerjon said:

We managed to lose the World Cup trophy for 25 years.

Putting nice things on public display in Bradford has never been a good idea.

[moorside roughyed]

If and when it comes off,I'm ready with my credit card . Too chuffing right I'm going.

[Bostik Bailey]

On 27/10/2024 at 23:12, DoubleD said:

I’m hearing that Leigh Sports Village, Doncaster and the Salford Community Stadium are being lined up 

Can’t be Doncaster, it isn’t as good as Wheldon road 

[Dullish Mood]

Bolton, LSV and Huddersfield nailed on.  #LocalGameForLocalPeople

[Damien]

21 minutes ago, Dullish Mood said:

Bolton, LSV and Huddersfield nailed on.  #LocalGameForLocalPeople

Do you want a bet on that?

[sam4731]

56 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

We managed to lose the World Cup trophy for 25 years.

I love the contrast in the 2 sports losing and rediscovery of their world cup trophy.

Football: stolen and found 7 days later wrapped in newspaper in a suburban garden hedge by a small dog called Pickles.

RL: stolen and discovered 20 years later with rubbish in a ditch in Bradford by a bloke called Stephen.

[M j M]

33 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

I love the contrast in the 2 sports losing and rediscovery of their world cup trophy.

Football: stolen and found 7 days later wrapped in newspaper in a suburban garden hedge by a small dog called Pickles.

RL: stolen and discovered 20 years later with rubbish in a ditch in Bradford by a bloke called Stephen.

I bet our bloke didn't kill himself by chasing after a cat, getting strangled by his collar on a tree branch.

[Dullish Mood]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

Do you want a bet on that?

Yep.  £10 a ticket plus kid for a quid.

[ghost crayfish]

8 hours ago, M j M said:

In terms of attendance all of the top attendance records (not the middle ones below!) should be targets.

 

I think they will smash the GB series record from 1994, and could go close to the Australian record. 

[Just Browny]

10 hours ago, sam4731 said:

I love the contrast in the 2 sports losing and rediscovery of their world cup trophy.

Football: stolen and found 7 days later wrapped in newspaper in a suburban garden hedge by a small dog called Pickles.

RL: stolen and discovered 20 years later with rubbish in a ditch in Bradford by a bloke called Stephen.

To be fair the Jules Rimet got nicked again and hasn't been seen since 1983.

[The Masked Poster]

16 hours ago, WN83 said:

What I'm looking forward to most is having 12 months of thinking we can beat them only to lose all 3 tests in the last 90 seconds. 

That sort of inevitable disappointment has been missing from my life. 

That was actually the case in 2003. A 3-0 series defeat never seemed so close. Could have been 3-0 to us - and that's not just nostalgia either.

[gingerjon]

49 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

To be fair the Jules Rimet got nicked again and hasn't been seen since 1983.

I did not know that.

[Hanover XIII]

1 hour ago, The Masked Poster said:

That was actually the case in 2003. A 3-0 series defeat never seemed so close. Could have been 3-0 to us - and that's not just nostalgia either.

So many disappointments over the years! So close and yet...

[gingerjon]

22 minutes ago, Hanover XIII said:

So many disappointments over the years!

It's "so many jokes, so many sneers / and all those oh-so-nears".

[Dave T]

I don't wanna be the negative head in the room, but I do think people are getting a little over excited and OTT in terms of records being smashed.

Reasons to be pessimistic:

1. If the record in the UK is 140k, the last schedule couldn't break that. (63k, 37k and 28k capacities). We announced those grounds in 2019, and I see little that has changed that would make us suddenly go more ambitious.

2. Our last few games versus the Aussies over here have seen 35k, 45k, 34k - well away from some of the numbers we talk about here. I dont think the Kangaroos brand is anywhere near as strong even in RL circles as we think.

3. We can talk about the Ashes brand giving a boost, but there isn't a load of evidence that supports that. We've only broken the 40k average crowd mark twice, and that was 1990 and 1994.

4. The last World Cup showed that while we have a decent level of interest in England, unless the planning and pricing is spot on, our crowds are extremely volatile and can be disappointing.

 

Reasons for optimism

1. Some real genuine green shoots over the last 15 years or so for the England team. 67k at Wembley for a game versus the Kiwis was genuinely brilliant. 45k versus the Kiwis at Olympic St was also very good. 43k in Newcastle too.

2. 67k and 73k at Old Trafford for well organised neutral world cup finals (plus almost 30k for the neutral semi final) shows that we do have tens of thousands of people who are happy to spend money on international RL and fill stadiums.

 

I think we should be excited, and I'd love to see us aim to beat that 57k record crowd, but in reality, getting 40k averages would be superb.

 

 

[sam4731]

7 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

It's "so many jokes, so many sneers / and all those oh-so-nears".

I would absolutely love a official Ashes song. Maybe a collaboration between James and Johnny Vegas.

[sam4731]

2 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I don't wanna be the negative head in the room, but I do think people are getting a little over excited and OTT in terms of records being smashed.

Reasons to be pessimistic:

1. If the record in the UK is 140k, the last schedule couldn't break that. (63k, 37k and 28k capacities). We announced those grounds in 2019, and I see little that has changed that would make us suddenly go more ambitious.

2. Our last few games versus the Aussies over here have seen 35k, 45k, 34k - well away from some of the numbers we talk about here. I dont think the Kangaroos brand is anywhere near as strong even in RL circles as we think.

3. We can talk about the Ashes brand giving a boost, but there isn't a load of evidence that supports that. We've only broken the 40k average crowd mark twice, and that was 1990 and 1994.

4. The last World Cup showed that while we have a decent level of interest in England, unless the planning and pricing is spot on, our crowds are extremely volatile and can be disappointing.

 

Reasons for optimism

1. Some real genuine green shoots over the last 15 years or so for the England team. 67k at Wembley for a game versus the Kiwis was genuinely brilliant. 45k versus the Kiwis at Olympic St was also very good. 43k in Newcastle too.

2. 67k and 73k at Old Trafford for well organised neutral world cup finals (plus almost 30k for the neutral semi final) shows that we do have tens of thousands of people who are happy to spend money on international RL and fill stadiums.

 

I think we should be excited, and I'd love to see us aim to beat that 57k record crowd, but in reality, getting 40k averages would be superb.

 

 

I know it seems obvious but marketing is the key. Everything we do, we preach to the converted. We need exposure to the outside world.

From my experience growing up in London, the key area for advertising is the Tube. Guaranteed footfall and plenty of in your face exposure.

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

31 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

I know it seems obvious but marketing is the key. Everything we do, we preach to the converted. We need exposure to the outside world.

From my experience growing up in London, the key area for advertising is the Tube. Guaranteed footfall and plenty of in your face exposure.

This was plastered all over the tube at the time

[Archie Gordon]

4 minutes ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

This was plastered all over the tube at the time

Seats from £15. Similar to today.

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

5 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

Seats from £15. Similar to today.

Hadn't noticed that!