An interesting addition would be how many of the total number of fans at heartland clubs attendence figures are away fans at each match? With many teams being close together and not having to drive for hours for an away match...this would surely build up attendance figures? London isn't going to attract that many visiting fans...possibly a couple of coaches if that.

It's not an easy proposition for the management at Quins...they have to get the RL message out and get infront of the other attractions...and also rely on more home support, as the away support is often deadful - admittedly not as bad as Quins away support...but 200 miles each way every other weekend isn't exactly cheap or easy for them.

im having 'the lads' around next friday for a night of super league, beer, Xbox and sexist comments.
the attendance in my living room my well rival that at the game we will be watching


oh sorry, didnt mean to be light hearted. I forgot Quins bashing was on the menu!

i'll tell you now, at all but 2 or 3 home games (at most) each season at least 95% of those at Widnes games are widnes supporters.

Bar the local derbies, Quins probably receive the biggest away support of the lot because of the 'weekend away' factor.

Maybe they should move closer to the M62 and call themselves North London Quins like their counter parts in South Wales.

to go anywhere near a Union ground.

Fair point. Still above average though, from my experience. Or at least compared to a Friday game in Hull etc.

over the years have not perhaps done enough work with local business to make the one away game per season an attractive enough proposition for away supporters............we should not just try to build gates via away fans, but it's not an either/or option, all means of increasing support should be looked at in the round.

I've been to a few Quins games in the last few years and seen a decent number of away fans, so not sure if that argument is valid.

?

I think we've battered and battered at London, and until we do what we did (I hate, HATE) to say, but it's time we started to move into the centre, handing free tickets out, and trying to get people down, combind that with a good team, can start to pull off. At Huddersfield, we've raised our attendences from 3,400 a few years ago to well over 7,000 now. As a club, we're improving. You can't transfer that over, but principles can be applied. Free Tickets, Free for Under-16's, If we have so many players in the capital - why not give them all subsidised season tickets?

at last,some common sense on this subject !

To support what Gutterfax has been saying, Harlequins Rugby League have just sent out a press release about their pink away kit that they'll be debuting, in a link up with Cancer Research. All very good, except they fail to include who they'll be playing and what time the game kicks off. Isn't that an absolute minimum requirement, including that info on your press releases?

London hasn't been 'tried and failed' until we've had a professional effort at marketing it. I see the new employee is a guy who was an intern for Quins RU. I hope he is a talent on his way up, if he can bring some of the techniques that the RU club have used successfully then maybe we'll see a change for the better.

af-where is the press release

The kit will be worn at leeds tomorrow night

You can throw as much money marketing RL in London as much as you want.

The sad reality is that people won't come and support the club in significant numbers until the club starts winning things and / or provides a good afternoon or evening out.

Neither of those 2 things look like happening in my lifetime.

Phipps have you been to the Stoop-There is a bar under the stand, Bands on after the match, player presentations, its a great day/night out

I mean, not to be harsh but that info just has to go in any press release, doesn't it?

Glad they mentioned the Purdo Testimonial at the end as that is the reason Cancer Research ended up with their logo on the shirt - nowt to do with the club AFAIK.

Not true. Quins have been competitive and had some good wins at the Stoop. This has yet to be translated into increased gates.

What makes you think it will ?

Quoted for truth. It really needs to be hammered into the blissfully unaware London folk. They need to know that the Greatest Game is on their doorstep.

I do think Quins need to get away from the rugby union association ASAP too. RL needs to carve out its own identity down there (yes, none of the other monikers have worked either but were those versions of the club really marketed properly either?).

Who was talking about success on the balance sheet? I was talking about winning games. It saddens me to say that (not including the current guy) that Harlequins RL haven't had a good coach since Tony Currie. That is the plain and simple problem that's plagued the club for years.

I don't that it will but I'm sure it can. I've seen how good a game at the Stoop can be, and virtually every game has a selling point - see a load of cocky northerners brought down a peg or two at their own game. All the while I've seen mates, colleagues and kids I teach, all from non-RL backgrounds take an increasing interest in League, and it's by no means unusual for a rugby playing kid in the South East to play League in the summer.

Harlequins Rugby League (get a slightly less unwieldy name, ffs) can be as big a club as we have in the game, no doubt. The potential fanbase, player pool and sponsorship is all there. Whether they ever will remains to be seen.

You said that success on the field will result in more fans , what makes you believe this ?

You used the operative word there

Potential , potential means zilch , unless you can turn potential into actual , then it means bugger all , that's the hard part