I think the simple answer comes down to terrestrial vs Sky.

The 6 nations, Wimbledon, World Snooker Champs et al are all on terrestrial.

F1 has seen a fall in TV viewers since it went over, even though a handful are still free to air. Cricket exploded in 05 as the Ashes were on terrestrial and accessible to all, and have since also seen a decline in viewing figures since the move to Sky. I could name you a fair few players from that era, but would struggle now to name more than three current England players.

I think a regular Saturday or Sunday afternoon game on terrestrial would help boost our profile considerably. No one but an RL fan would tune in on a Thurs / Fri night on Sky Sports 7

Above:

I'm pretty sure that if you summed up all the hours the BBC showed of RL each year on terrestial TV, with the CC and SL Show and 4 Nations (or whatever the RL international are),it would be more than their years worth of RU coverage, yet the latter still has a more esteemed profile from that broadcaster.

I agree, but they do stick the SL show on at some ungodly hour.

The CC is a good example, I've been unlucky enough to get my face on TV a few times in the crowd. When it happens on sky, my cousin will send a message. When it happened once in a CC quarter on a Saturday afternoon my phone blew up from all manner of random non RL friends who'd spotted me.

I don't watch the sport but from sports sections in the news and the back pages, off the top of my head, I can name:

Farrell (England)
Warburton (Wales)
Sexton (Ireland)
Hartley (England)
Ford (England)
Brown (England)
Youngs (England)
Care (England)
Robshaw (England)
O'Driscoll (Ireland, retired)

How many players could someone who has never watched RL name? Based purely in the way I know those names, through television and newspaper. Any more than 1 and I'd be surprised.

chris ashton

Chris Ashton
Sam Burgess
Andy Farrell
Jason Robinson
Denny Solamona

So how has league pulled ahead of union in Australia over the past decade or so...?

Remember in the early 2000s - Aussie union was throwing cash around making big raids for guys like Sailor, Rogers, Tuqiri, Blacklock. There was all that chat about there needing to be a "hybrid game" if league was to survive.

But these days, union in Australia is a declining sport, it's struggling for participation and exposure, meanwhile the NRL keeps landing big TV deals, players are better paid than ever before. The profile of league in Aus seems to be booming.

So what did rugby league do in Australia over that time to cement its dominance? Can't just be about producing great players because they always did that, at the time when RL was under threat from union over there they had guys like Fittler, Johns, Lockyer, Kimmorley and co.

State of Origin

State of Origin has been going for years and it was more competitive back in the era when union was threatening league. Whatever has happened since then isn't SoO, which is now dominated by Queensland.

Was it really under threat? They were offering them players that money to try and raise their own profile and hopefully attract some crossover fans. It was an overreaction from the league fans that saw some good players leave.

It's off the field that union are doing things better than us, there's not a significant differences in attendances over a year but harlequins are charging upto 66 for a ticket!! And we have People complaining over a 10% Increase in prics, let's say we have 14 home games and average 11k attendance that's 154k through the gates if we were to add say £3 a game that's an additional £465k a year profit. The huge financial gulf is also down to clubs not asking for a fair price to come and watch the games.

Meanwhile the Scotland v Samoa Union game was shown live by BBC 1 and BT sports and then BBC2 took over to show a further 4 hours of Rugby Union, making a 6 hour bore-athon of kids standard rugby....

the Rugby League World cup containing one of the best games and atmospheres International Rugby has thrown up got a 15 minute slot in a 45 minute highlights show.....

Of course the BBC are looking after Rugby Leagues interests......

what drivel are people believing thinking there is no such thing as a bias towards Union and a desire to hide League as much as it can

Sky were also showing Eng v Argentina in a meaningless friendly,

The coverage of the RLWC has been disgraceful IMO...both on TV and on the radio. Women's cricket get more coverage than RL.

Just watched the 08:35 sports desk on BBC Breakfast (broadcast from Manchester) and was subjected highlights of ALL home nations RU games from yesterday (plus women's cricket).

Would any forum members like to guess how much RL news was in the same sports desk. They could have included Scotland's game, the current Ireland Wales match, and the England game due to kick off in an hour.

Yup. You guessed correctly.

The BBC REALLY don't like our sport

Agreed, the talk about conspiracy theories is ridiculous. It's been proven time and again that establishment organisations like the BBC have an agenda against the sport.

There's a reason they don't want the likes of the NZ-Tonga game to reach a wider audience - because it puts their game to shame. Think of the demographic of the average Union crowd, there's no way any match in any country could produce the same atmosphere and passion as the one from yesterday; especially not here. Even the All Blacks' mythical Haka pales in comparison to the league version and the various South Sea Island pre-match war dances.

The only time they like to lead with an RL story, and this goes for papers like The Guardian as well, is to put some misdemeanour in the spotlight like drug taking or players too smashed to board a plane.

Good piece in the Guardian.
it seems anything the BBC can Snub, the Australians can do it better.....

Christ the Game needs someone to take it by the scruff of the neck like a Barry Hearns...??

[urlhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/nov/13/rugby-league-world-cup-has-been-snubbed-in-nrl-obsessed-australia[/url

The biggest advantage the RFU have is the "old boy network" & the "old school tie". Both games are played by the foot soldiers but at the top Union is miles ahead with business & sponsorship connections & are drawing sponsorship from the world's best companies & the management is in the best place to rub shoulders with their media mogul friends to get the best air time for its sport.
A big shot in the arm for RL would be to get a prominent Royal at Wembley for the CC final once again.

When I saw you mention "kids standard rugby", I thought you were talking about Super League. The standard of northern hemisphere rugby union has far overtaken rugby league. Unless of course you think a glorified version of british bulldog is the standard both codes should aspire to. Most of the super league games shown on sky were a massive snooze fest. Errors and knock ons for 20 minutes with minimal skill on show. 5 drives and a kick is the skill level currently in SL.

Regards

King james

50 people arrested so far after that game, people dancing on cars etc, as that been reported.

"The standard of northern hemisphere rugby union has far overtaken rugby league".....??

dont talk daft....

The day I see a union four on 2 out wide and they dont make a massive queenio pass to the winger instead of skilfully passing through hands and creating an overlap and a try, i'll let you have that argument. But until they master the most basic of rugby skills they will continue to be stone cold hopeless at rugby, but they do speak super and are awfully well educated....



and anyway you watch Saints so possibly have a skewed view of whats good rugby and whats not ....don't get all negative because you aren't the entertainers anymore....!!!

regards

Not to mention with unlimited tackles they struggle to score a try or even get close to opponents line lmao.

The wigan bath games would still be of a similar score line even now under the dull rugby were seeing wigan 82, bath 6 and at Union bath 44 wigan 19.

There isn’t one northern hemisphere RL back that would get in the lions team. There are about 20 union backs who would get in the league team

Regards

King James

Then why bother wasting your precious Regal time watching League?

Don't you have knighthoods to bestow, on all things Twickers?

Regards, etc

Lebron James...not sure why you are here mate? WUM? or tiny insignificant life? bit of both I would guess you sad sad little man.

Why am I a WUM? I enjoy both codes but it’s obvious Union is now more skilful

Regards

King James