Great piece by him on BBC.

Can't post the link cos I'm fiddling on the train with an iPhone

m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/24454330

m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/24454330

I'm assuming you mean this one www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24454330 I've got a lot of time for Lancaster, comes across as calm and thoughtful and doesn't come from the traditional Union background

I'm assuming you mean this one www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24454330 I've got a lot of time for Lancaster, comes across as calm and thoughtful and doesn't come from the traditional Union background

And we need to be honest enough and go and learn from Union

Quote ="Him"I'm assuming you mean this one www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24454330 I've got a lot of time for Lancaster, comes across as calm and thoughtful and doesn't come from the traditional Union background'" Which is?

Quote ="Him"I'm assuming you mean this one www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24454330 I've got a lot of time for Lancaster, comes across as calm and thoughtful and doesn't come from the traditional Union background'" Which is?

In how to have decent World Cups ?

Couldn't care less.

spot on - the development of the international game, and also i suspect in how to sell stadiums out and marketing and promotion - in fact just about all the stuff that takes place off the field

the statement that had me branded a Union Troll a few years back.

As I've said on another thread, the RLWC organisers need to get that article in every newspaper in the country...even if they have to pay for the space!

Very short sighted. It's really good publicity for the sport.

Let's say 1 million people (and that's very conservative) either heard the interview or read the article. Say 50,000 (again, pretty conservative) of those have never bothered to watch rugby league before. Of that 50,000 maybe a couple of thousand will think, "when's this World Cup on? I might check it out." Or even better "hey there's a World Cup game just down the road, I might take my lad and go see what it's all about." Hey presto, the game gets a few more fans.

Personally, I couldn't care less about his opinion on our sport. He's a coach in the most tedious, over-rated sport in the world. I don't get a hard-on every time a union coach or player compliments our sport.

Introduce a 5 nations that runs through the season with a GB tour every two years, stop players either hopping nations or saving themselves for just an England call up, or even 6 nations and invite the Exiles into it.

Grow internationally and we'll see more investment.

I have been banging that drum for a while. England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France in mid-season tournaments and World Cups. GB in overseas tours. 1 NH tour, 1 SH tour, 1 quad nations tournament, and a WC every four years.

We don't even have to be obsessed with crowds, play it in 10k stadiums or less but at least play the games and play them if not in the country then close to it.

Scotland games in Cumbria or Gateshead
Wales have Wrexham
England could play any SL ground preferably one less than 20k
Exiles could have a London base
Ireland, sure there are plenty of small grounds close to Dublin
France we know about
Create some incentive scheme for tickets or a season pass.

Just play the games and to be considered for GB you must be selected in a gome nations side, that way they're not holding their breath for England

There are hundreds of thousand people who think they like "rugby", be it members of amateur rugby union clubs or part time viewers who just tune in for the internationals.
Like it or not, a lot of these will have an aversion towards league for no good reason other than loyalty to their own sport. Comments like this will help break down the barriers and, if you could get RL watched on the big screens in the amateur rugby union clubs across the land without prejudice, our support would increase incredibly.

Ok, but I don't have to care what he thinks!

This.

but you care enough to post several times on this thread telling everyone else - why bother posting?

Quote ="Him"I'm assuming you mean this one www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24454330 I've got a lot of time for Lancaster, comes across as calm and thoughtful and doesn't come from the traditional Union background'" He definitely comes from a very traditional RU background.

Quote ="Him"I'm assuming you mean this one www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24454330 I've got a lot of time for Lancaster, comes across as calm and thoughtful and doesn't come from the traditional Union background'" He definitely comes from a very traditional RU background.

how? he openly admits that rugby league players are better at every aspect apart from the ones that are not in our game and union man would never admit that. And i would love to hear the phone calls from the RFU to him this week.

Its very clear to see that he has took the professionalism from the top clubs in rugby league and translated it to the England rugby union team.

The RFU also see the benefits in league,
The coaching and games for players at U7 & U8 have no specific union content at all and can apply to either code. Simple basic rugby skills.
The technicalities of the union game start to be introduced when the kids are at U10.
I enjoy and appreciate both codes for what they are

Thats hardly the RFU seeing benefits in league they have done that for almost 15 years, more to do with they don't want kids getting hurt at an early age playing rugby.

Part of your reply is true, , the RFU are trying allow the kids to improve ball skills in a safe environment and phase introduce the technicalities so the basics aren't lost in technicalities.
To get really technical it's about making the basics part of the kids system 1 response, which RL have been doing for years.

I started off in union when i was 7 and it was all ways tick rugby because they didn't want us getting hurt and it wasn't until the under 9's we was allowed full contact, thankfully i moved up north and played the great game. It was the new zealanders who started the don't play contact till later so we develop better skills.

Boarding/public school education.