WHERE ARE OUR HEROES?
While meaning no disrespect, as I understand the situation, to anyone concerned with the Rugby League authorities regarding the embarrassing electronics breakdown at the World Cup opening ceremony, I must ask one question.
Where were the former champions at the opening game of the World Cup?
This was a landmark occasion, for it is now 50 years since the prestigious trophy was last won by a team from our shores.
There are still seven or eight players who are still in reasonable health from that triumphant 1972 team and there may also be one or two from the 1960 World Cup winning squad.
How grand and thoughtful it would have been to have their glorious deeds extolled once more, not least because the opening fixture was a daytime event.
In the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon Tennis, former champions are invariably paraded and their past achievements extolled.
But it would seem that the RFL is content to settle, with all due respect to those former players on site, for promoting participants, good as they might have been, who only achieve levels below the top tier.
Roger Ingham MBE, Skipton
ATTENDANCES HOLDING UP
I understand there has been criticism about the crowd figures at several Rugby League World Cup matches, some of it from within Rugby League, some from predictable sources without.
Two initial factors spring to mind.
We are amid the deepest cost of living crisis in living memory. If you can’t afford to eat, heat or both, you cannot afford a ticket for a sporting event, however cheap.
Also, to receive funding from former chancellor George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse fund (presumably these days gone the same way as “levelling up”), the matches at this year’s World Cup had to be played predominantly in the north. For example, three matches are being played in Doncaster, none involving England. Only die-hard locals are likely to buy tickets for all three, again at a time when spare cash is scarce.
These points aside, it’s perhaps worth looking at earlier tournaments for a steer. The 1995 World Cup was generally considered a huge success.
The opening game between England and World Champions Australia attracted 41,271. This year’s opening game attracted 43,119.
The oft-cited, legendary confrontation between New Zealand and Tonga at Wilderspool that year had 8,083 spectators. This year a match that was pretty much a foregone conclusion, Australia versus Scotland on a soggy night in Coventry, attracted 10,276.
Maybe of more note, at the 2000 World Cup, a semi-final involving England played in the north managed to attract only 16,032. Meanwhile we are told that 35,000 tickets have already been sold for this year’s semi-final in London.
Of course, statistics can be manipulated to make whatever point the manipulator might wish.
But I don’t see this year’s crowd figures as being evidence of a game in terminal decline.
And just to reiterate, the economy is suffering more than at any time in the past 40 years with the burden falling, as ever, mainly on people who constitute Rugby League’s target audience.
Michael O’Hare, Northwood, Middlesex
VALUE FOR MONEY?
Some of the World Cup crowds for some of the games involving the lesser lights of the competition have perhaps not been as good as could be expected.
But Jon Dutton surely should have had a more flexible approach to ticket pricing.
Rather than playing to half-empty stadiums, why not re-price the cheapest tickets to £15 with concessions for students and OAPs and big discounts for families, rather than having huge empty terraces.
Jon has obviously sat down with his advisors and worked out a ticket pricing plan that would put the World Cup into profit.
I run a small business and when I find my goods are overpriced, I must drop the price or they just don’t sell.
The RFL has had two years to think about this, so it surely didn’t come as a huge surprise.
I went to Newcastle to see England thrash Samoa, I had a great day out, but paid £150 for my ticket, which I didn’t think was value for money even though I had a padded seat, a free pint, a free pie, a free programme and a souvenir key ring.
Anthony Kelvin, Leeds
LAY OFF COVENTRY
The great philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, ‘Whereof one cannot speak, therefore one must be silent’.
May I suggest Garry Schofield takes note?
Whilst I totally share his regret at there being no World Cup games in Cumbria, his reasoning behind his criticism of Coventry as a venue is flawed.
Any problems that Coventry City have had, including having to play games in Birmingham and earlier, Northampton, was all due to Wasps RUFC, who mercilessly asset stripped the sporting venue built for the people of Coventry and especially its premier sports team.
And I can’t say I’m sorry to read of their demise.
There’s plenty of appetite for football, Coventry regularly attract crowds around 20,000 and 40,000 saw them beat Exeter City in the League 2 playoff final at Wembley some years ago.
Dr Geoff Teece, Exeter
WELL SAID, GARRY
I met Garry Schofield in Australia in 2017.
After thinking about him not too favourably in the past, I found him to be honest, upfront and knowledgeable. He was a great guide on our five-week tour.
His comments last week in his column, Pulling no Punches, made a great argument for Cumbrian rugby. I’m sure a Scotland game should have been arranged for Derwent Park.
The RFL can’t afford to forget the contribution Cumbrian Rugby League teams, professional and amateur, make to our game.
Philip Semple, Widnes
LET’S JUST ENJOY OURSELVES
Why are some Rugby League fans talking our game down?
A previous rugby union World Cup saw an opening match with a score of England 105, Georgia 0. It was described by a commentator as “marvellous rugby. England were too powerful and too fast.”
A Rugby League fan would have said It was rubbish. They may be right, but rugby union talk themselves up while we talk ourselves down.
The same can be said of crowds. Rugby union would have concentrated solely on the Saturday night occasion, while League fans concentrate on a low attendance involving minor nations.
Let us support them. Every country participating in the World Cup must have some sort of league structure involving 20 teams.
In Greece, Rugby League was banned, made illegal. They had matches stopped by the police and had to resort to advertising, on social media, a game against Malta at a false location in order to confuse the police.
They are to be WELCOMED not criticised, no matter how they perform.
Finally, in the coming weeks the games will become more competitive as weaker teams are eliminated and attendances will grow.
Tennis does not see this as an issue. Wimbledon regularly begins with games of 6-0, 6-0 (particularly in the women’s game) lasting only 30 minutes, only to produce a sold out final with prices set considerably higher than anything in our game.
As for the prices. Yes, they are higher than, say, Hull v Wakefield, but it is a WORLD CUP and the money made is being used to fund all kinds of initiatives in our communities.
To those fans who moan and say that the game is dying, I say cheer up and enjoy yourself. It’s really not that difficult.
Philip Howard, Hedon, Hull
WOLVES APPREHENSION
What a difference a coach makes!
Warrington misfit George Williams turns in two man of the match performances and turns up trumps for England after a woeful season at Warrington.
Another consigned to the scrapheap by Powell, Chris Hill, starts both England matches and gives standout performances.
I am dreading next season already.
Dave Bate, Ripon
TOO MANY ONE-SIDED GAMES
I’m generally loving the World Cup.
All those teams rarely seen and every match covered. So what’s not to like?
Well, actually, I’m getting bored with the massive mismatches and blowouts. It’s no fun at all.
Rugby League could maybe have learnt from the cricket T20 World Cup, which is also underway.
Before the big teams get involved, the other teams have a mini-league to qualify for the next stage.
There are competitive games and then the strongest get to try their luck,
Andrew Collier, Brighouse
LITTLE IMPACT
I am very sorry to say that many of the World Cup group stage matches have been disappointing because the result has been a foregone conclusion before the match has started.
I could only bear to watch 15 minutes of Australia v Scotland.
This total humiliation of national teams must not happen again.
A new format is needed with, for example, the six top sides from this competition only playing in the next World Cup.
No wonder the media is largely ignoring us. There was no mention at all of the Rugby League World Cup competition in the “sport to watch this weekend” section of my national newspaper.
Hopefully things will improve when we get to the quarter finals.
Geraldine Ingham, Sheffield
CRAZY PRICES
Take note, those in charge of the game, with your ridiculous pricing for the World Cup.
A city like Hull had a stadium looking as empty as it did.
Yet it could have been filled if you had priced it differently. The only real areas filled were the corners, where the cheapest tickets were £25.
And in the other areas, with moronic prices of £55 and £75£, they were virtually vacant.
Rugby union must be laughing their socks off.
Our group enjoyed the day’s games while staying in the local bars.
Mike Wright, Hull
WHAT HAS THE BEEB DONE FOR US?
Great trolling by John Wheeler and League Express (‘Underwhelming Beeb’, Mailbag 17 October).
It’s up there with ‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’ Only dafter!
Joe Ogden, Bayswater, London
TAKE THE GAME TO THE HOME NATIONS
Why were the fixtures involving Scotland, Ireland and Wales not arranged to be played in those countries?
Surely the fans of these proud nations would have turned up to see their team play, even if they’d never seen Rugby League before.
We keep hearing about wanting to expand the game into new geographical areas, but it seems the ‘powers that be’, have been short-sighted yet again.
Phil Davidge, Leeds
HEADINGLEY LETDOWN, SAINTS DELIGHT
I’d like to congratulate the World Cup set-up at St Helens for the Tonga v PNG match.
After a long drive from Leeds, we were greeted by fairy lights, a rainbow bridge and fire eaters.
The PNG fans all chatted to us and the Tongan fans had started partying. Inside, school children performed the World Cup dance.
Compare that to the two matches at Headingley. No entertainment. No dancing. Stewards slow to come to help when we needed them.
In the Ireland v Jamaica match, what a missed opportunity!
Both nations are well represented in Leeds. So why didn’t they invite the West Indian Carnival group to take part and walk round the pitch? Why not have Irish dancers at half time?
Not even the music played represented these two cultures. The result was a flat atmosphere compared to the one at St Helens.
Please do better for the Women’s double header at Headingley.
They tell us to get there early to enjoy the pre-match atmosphere, but there wasn’t a great deal of it.
Pat Benatmane, Leeds
GOOD LUCK, BRIAN
I read with great sadness of the passing of Brian Bowman’s wife Marian (Talking Rugby League, 17 October) and would like to pass on my condolences to Brian through your newspaper.
I was at The Recreation Ground when Leigh won the Championship in 1982 and Brian’s face beamed with pride for his club and his town. Needless to say, there was quite a late celebration.
For younger fans who may never have heard of Brian Bowman, he was one of the old school directors and Chairman. His hospitality to visiting clubs and officials was legendary and came naturally. There was always a big smile and a handshake, win or lose. He never faltered in his natural bonhomie. Would that we had more of his kind about nowadays.
A gentleman of the first order and a credit to his beloved team, I hope this finds you okay, Brian, from your friends at Whitehaven and we really don’t begrudge you your win in 1982!
Tom Todd, ex-Chairman Whitehaven Rugby League Club
