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What ever happened to expanding the game out of Northern England?

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  • 26-02-2015 4:21pm
    #1
    A Thing Well Made
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭


    A few years ago the RFL had the idea to try and make the sport more popular outside Northern England what's happened to it? As an example Sheffield Eagles and Halifax played in Northampton in 1998 with a crowd of 1500 or so and nothing has happened since. London bob up and down and financially struggle but that's about it everything else is stuck in one area of the UK.

    Rugby League Ireland are having a punt at getting the game going but that's struggling as well because it's not well funded. To extend the support for the sport someone either in Ireland or the UK has to decide to chuck some money at it or it'll stay stuck as a Northern (England) sport which will be a shame.
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    #2
    Dozen Wicked Words
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,325 ✭✭✭✭Dozen Wicked Words


    Its a real shame, it is such an easy game to understand, much easier than Union anyway, media in the South of the UK hasn't done it any favours, coverage non existent for a lot of Broncos past.

    Ireland even more difficult, no traditional heartland for the game unlike Cricket which has the North and some of the better off parts of Dublin.


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    #3
    A Thing Well Made
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭A Thing Well Made


    Has the GAA as competitor sports as well so it will always be a struggle in Ireland.


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    #4
    Dozen Wicked Words
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,325 ✭✭✭✭Dozen Wicked Words


    There was an idea discussed a couple of years ago on this forum about RL trying to get under the umbrella of GAA sports, obviously a pipe dream but as "foreign sports" go, it would be fairly unthreatening to those in that organisation that baulk against such things. Thumb in the eye to Union as well, so win, win!


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    #5
    A Thing Well Made
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭A Thing Well Made


    Yep it would be a hard sell for GAA it's still a UK sport. Needs a bit of success for London in UK or Ireland RL in a tournament to get non northern UK interest flowing


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    #6
    Dozen Wicked Words
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,325 ✭✭✭✭Dozen Wicked Words


    Might well be flogging a dead horse, shame as I said, it's a good game to watch and easy to understand.


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    #7
    LeinsterDub
    Registered Users Posts: 8,229 ✭✭✭LeinsterDub


    Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »
    There was an idea discussed a couple of years ago on this forum about RL trying to get under the umbrella of GAA sports, obviously a pipe dream but as "foreign sports" go, it would be fairly unthreatening to those in that organisation that baulk against such things. Thumb in the eye to Union as well, so win, win!

    The GAA have 2 sports they ignore and a other they ignore in half the country . Not sure how being ignored under the GAA umbrella is helpful


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    #8
    Dozen Wicked Words
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,325 ✭✭✭✭Dozen Wicked Words


    LeinsterDub wrote: »
    The GAA have 2 sports they ignore and a other they ignore in half the country . Not sure how being ignored under the GAA umbrella is helpful

    Can't really argue with your post, but a validation at a local level would open up options of training facilities and allow committed GAA diehards to play/watch with clear conscience, plus might give at least a fleeting bit of publicity. But as I've said before, pipedream.


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    #9
    Faing
    Registered Users Posts: 481 ✭✭Faing


    Not too many people understand the original concept of League, if they did they would see that it is the true working mans rugby. North of England? all whippets and flat caps and they keep their coal in the bath.. as for all the Brit hating GAA lads I know, I ask them why they spend a fortune on overpriced Kickball supporters shirts for the likes of Manchester, London and Birmingham.... I grew up in North and we called Union "Schoolboy rugby". I wish BARLA would get a grip and try and develop the game over here.


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