Aha, I see you've found a photograph of block 4 row 12 at Twickenham when England played Argentina. The row that was filled with bored supporters who also had jaundice like symtoms due to the boring entertainment they were subjected to. In fact, I believe it's the same group that were involved in a mass suicide attempt at the end of the game due to boredom induced depression.

Wow two biggots in one place, well that's the second day of Christmas sorted in the small minded remake of the 12 days.

I was pointing out that the team was IRISH, not British and it is the British team of the year not the International team, not that it was Yawnian, fair play if the England, Scotland or welsh team had won what ever they have to win get nominated but they might as well nominated Barcelona for being the First Spanish team to achieve the Treble in that country.

MR, I think I have to back BP up on this one. As much as a I try to follow Union as it does produce the odd great game (I thoroughly enjoyed the Lions Tests this summer), the general standard of fare they offer up is p*ss poor in comparison to League IMHO. I've had a look at the tries per game ratio for last season, comparing Super League against the Guinness Premiership and I think the stats are quite conclusive.

SL - 168 matches, 1574 tries scored @ 9.37 per match.
GP - 132 matches, 544 tries scored @ 4.12 per match.

For me there are far too many "technical" rules in Union which are open to misinterpretation, thus resulting in penalties. With 3 points awarded for a penalty I can see why most teams try and kick their way to vistory rather than throw the ball about. The stop-start nature to Union can also be hugely irritating with the ball being in the stands for probably half the match added to the time wasted setting up line-outs & scrums. If they only awarded 2 points for penalties I would hope thsi would encourage teams to go for tries more.

I'm sure the League v Union debate deserves a thread of it's own (it probably has had a few down the years!) especially as it keeps cropping up in any random thread posted on The Turkey.

My main concern with this is that one of the main people on here who blanket any reference to Union as Yawnion is either a teacher or teachers assistant, i'd personally be very concerned if my child was taught by someone with such a closed and biggoted mind, very worried indeed.

Union whilst not being a patch on SL at club level will always for me wipe the floor with League on an international basis, as i've said before coming from a Welsh family i've had the pleasure of attending a 6 nations game at the Millenium stadium and the atmosphere generated by the crowd is unlike anything i've come even remotely near to at any RL game. And as you say the Lions tours generate an interest that anyone in RL circles can only ever dream of creating.

For me as a fan I was glad Giggsy got the vote there has been no greater achiever in the game of domestic football, but I think it would have been more befitting if it had been a 'life time achievement' award rather than the personality for that year.

Michigan red wrote: Union whilst not being a patch on SL at club level will always for me wipe the floor with League on an international basis,

Union has a far bigger worldwide audience, bigger attendances & far better TV coverage. With regards quality of rugby I'd still watch Tri-Nations RL over Six Nations RU anyday.

Michigan red wrote: as i've said before coming from a Welsh family i've had the pleasure of attending a 6 nations game at the Millenium stadium and the atmosphere generated by the crowd is unlike anything i've come even remotely near to at any RL game.

Unlucky , my uncle's Welsh and Chairman of Llandovery in the Welsh Premiership. I keep trying to get him to step foot in The Willows but he's not having any of it!!! Think he's scared he might get converted

Michigan red wrote: And as you say the Lions tours generate an interest that anyone in RL circles can only ever dream of creating.


I'm planning on going to Oz for the 2013 tour. I'm not a massive Union fan but the atmosphere in SA this year looked amazing and the matches were superb. Can think of much worse ways to spend 2-3 months of my life!!!

Well I attended the England France game over in Doncaster and if the comedy band is what you call atmosphere it was excellent, if not it was dire and was one of the first times at a game of RL that i'd have happily back doored it and left early. I think until the RL see that we can only compete as a GB & I team then international RL will be of no great quality on a regular basis.

I would suggest that if you brought your uncle to a game that is gauranteed to have a decent crowd and a free flowing game then he would enjoy himself, a few years ago when I lived in Monton the lad next door was from Bath and a confirmed RU fan but I took him to a few games and is now an unashamed RL fan as well, he agreed with me in that club games are much more entertaining in RL (well apart from some of the big South West derbies in RU).

Have to agree with you on the Lions thing, though do think if enough RL fans went on a large scale RL trip down under to follow the RL Lions on a 3 test tour with say 3 weeks of warm up games and a midweek game when the tests were on that it could generate the same excitment, though I think possibly the appeal of the RU Lions is the sheer numbers who travel. It harks back to what I said before that we need a BG & I team who have more than an outside chance of winning one game to make it appealing, the fact that currently we have a brilliant crop of youngesters coming through would suggest that better tiems arent that far away - though of course it could just be another false dawn.

it appears people with money follow Yawnian (union), as you mentioned MR I am a lecturer at a college, my bigotry does not come out in the sessions as I like good open honest debate in class even though i teach maths. I agree this type of stuff should never be taught to a class of any age and allow students to make up their own minds as long as it is legel, but when I see a sports programme featuring an Ex-England Yawnain player teaching and coaching at a public school and he states to his charges that Rugby league is a working class game and you are all better than that, in answer to the question, "please sir can we play rugby league?" now that makes my blood boil and is a reflection of the public school sector in this country.