Rugby union is a minor sport bar in new zealand.

in wales, scotland and ireland it is going backward or dieing off,

the paranoia from the welsh RU guys is a reflection of a declining game.

sure the international crowds are OK but the club crowds are pathetic and merging clubs still hasnt worked.

Not a clue what your point is, or how it relates to my post.

what about england, wales and south africa?


where do you get that idea from?


agree there's a certain sense of worry in his statement. interesting to read the wrfu boss saying both codes can co-exist in wales.


it certainly was a desperate measure super14, celtic league. hasnt worked as well as the rugby unions would have liked.
the whole amateur ethos which stood union in good stead for so many years is currently hindering it at club level in my opinion.

Hmm … and yet between them, the dominant southern hemisphere RU powers can muster 14 professional teams in three countries: SA, Aus and NZ.

RL musters 16 professional teams in two countries (NZ and Aus)

it's not difficult chuck.
you're making comparisons between league and union.
if you believe the press and media hype, that's like comparing football and hockey

1. england : soccer first, then daylight.

2. wales - they cut the number of clubs in half, crowds at club level arent the best. soccer does much better.

3. south africa - apparently soccer is much bigger. union is still a toffs sport.

sure union has areas where it is strong, but its not like they are many or indeed any bigger than RLs.

for example look at england, RL is strong in Leeds. union isnt strong in any major city in england in the same way.

yeah the get great crowds for internationals but at club level its just not there.

theyll go to an event but arent really fans

with Super LEague exapanding well into france with les cats and later toulose, and also to wales, and the NRL doing very well in New zealand and considering expansion into PNG, i can understand the union guys being paranoid.

at least with all the RL games theyll be watching theyll get a chance to watching proper running rugby instead of their game.

seriously, how anybody can watch it and think its good is beyond me.

(btw, this is getting close to Other Sports Forum, and lockage, territory.)

im not a union fan. im sat here listening to wigan-wakefield on the net rather than watch scotland-wales on the tv.
i agree that football is clearly no1 in england but it's biggest rival in terms of column inches is union (cricket during the ashes)
union is no1 in wales and a distant second in scotland.
leicester, bristol and london are quite big and they have top flight union teams.
to deny any of this seems a bit foolish to me. im with you in that icant understand how anyone can sit down, watch a game of union and a game of league then honestly say union is better.

regarding tb's recent (and correct) post, i feel celtic and rl in general must be left to fight for itself. if it's not meant to be then so be it.
i can see a bright future for league in wales, i just cant see it becoming the national sport any time soon.