The whole defence behind the "Harlequins" name is bemusing. People have been called "morons" on this thread because they can't identify two letters on the same brand, unfortunately there are a lot of "morons" in the capital. The Harlequins brand is legendary within Rugby Union, people with half a knowledge of sports will know Harlequins is a Rugby Union team, the quartered shirts and the colours. I see people here in Essex in Harlequins shirts and its not until I get close that I make the decision whether they're a Union fan or not. We've mentioned on here that RLFC means nothing, how does "RL" mean anything either? It doesn't.

I can understand the idea behind moving to The Stoop and buying into the Harlequins brand. The plan was probably to get fans watching both sports and the club buying in on a well recognised brand in sports fans eyes, however, I don't think it has worked. A mixture of the rise of Harlequins RU and the demise of Harlequins RL is a factor, not the main factor but still a factor nonetheless. Harlequins RU rose up from the second division and thrusted into the attention of the British Public through the Bloodgate scandal, the club have also been successful in British RU and now won a European trophy, whereas, Harlequins RL have had no success on the pitch and little media attention.

Now is the time to do something though. London Broncos has been used and shouldn't be returned to, in my opinion. It was arguably a very good time for the club and possibly the best there's been due to the Challenge Cup Final appearance and top league positions in the early Super League years but now is the time to do something and make a mark. I'm not going to suggest a name but the Marketing has to be spot-on this time. I like the idea of talking to the Wigan club, they've marketed brilliantly in the past few years and what with the link between the two clubs through Lenagan, then its a good idea. We have to remember that London is a big city and there are millions of people here, but 25,000 aren't just going to turn up over night. Marketing the club to the people of Twickenham and surrounding areas has to be the start, they live local and won't have to travel far, there's no point in making mass advertisements for the Underground, people aren't going to want to travel far are they? Lets see they see the advertisement for London [insert name here vs Wigan Warriors on Friday evening after work at Oxford Circus but they live out near Seven Sisters, they're not going to want to spend their weekend back on the Tube when they knowing come 7am on Monday they'll be back on their. Lazy mentality but its true. Obviously there will be exceptions as has proved with the "where do you live?" thread but the people that come in from Kent are loyal supporters, whereas its the new generation that needs to be targeted.

A unique selling point is the key for business and the "new" club needs one. It could be its a "new" club, just for example. "Be part of a ground breaking day in London", "Our City, Our Club" or whatever, try and make it a special occasion as the new club. Identifying the USP and saturating it is a must.

I hope the club get this right.

Then Dave we will just have to agree to disagree and time will tell which one of is right! it is on the cards that there is going to be a change of name.

Like many here I have followed, supported and backed the London club since day one, yes 30 years, I am called an idiot back in my home town and a traitor, I have supported West Ham United even longer when it would have been much easier to have gone with Liverpool or Manchester United, on the West Ham forum we have some great debate bit we never need to call each other morons! we rise above that and any silly action smilies! currently I am totally again Big Fat Sam but many disagree with me, but it is sport and something to be enjoyed and we just carry on debating.

I just don't want to see London Rugby League fold! in fact if it does then that would be it for me with rugby league sadly!

I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me at what point of attempting to sell Harlequins RL does the "confusion" of people thinking we are a Rugby Union team occur, and why it prevents our club from being successful. People know Harlequins are an RU team, and our promotion clearly promotes us as a Rugby League team. I assume most people in the capital can read, hence the morons tag for people who cannot differentiate.

That was a pretty fair post, but another one who think's we don't have a USP? Other than being the only professional RL team in the South of England?

Sadly for you, I won't rise to your childish games!

Dave, it is a simple Fact it has not worked as Harlequins RL, in fact if I had been David Hughes I would have pulled the plug before now!

Be careful the word and grammar police may be around "think's" but I doubt he would say anything to you!

Moe Lester made some relevant points,but at the end of the say it is not us here on a forum who will make the final decision, whatever they may say about consulting. Why we can't just express our opinions freely and just debate we are never all going to agree without a few making it childish is beyond me?

Once again, you dodge the question and refer to this "simple fact".

We have failed to take advantage of the Harlequins name. However, if we are going to stay at the Stoop then I think the name should remain and we should make the best of having it.

Yup.

If the stadium is in twickenham then why dont you call yourselves twickenham rl?.
Thats assuming you are changing your name again.

Only just found out about this today, as have been away this weekend!
I don't see the point of changing our name again. The club are obviously just using this as an excuse for the paltry crowds. However when we're still losing at home every week in front of poor crowds, everything will be ok as we're called London

The club are trying to take the easy way out again, rather than trying to make it work.
I hate the idea of being called 'Broncos.' It's a stupid American-ised name that has nothing to do with London or the club's origin. It's funny that people say we need our own identity, then say we should be called 'Broncos', given that was the name after the Brisbane takeover.
I assume this means we'll be leaving the Stoop again then?? No idea where we'll play.

I don't want to start a whole load of arguments....but well, that's what 10 or 20 people that now know Quins have a league team from you telling them? Maybe if you went into Oxford Street like those religious nutters and harp on with a tanoy system about us you might reach more people....until then, I'm sorry...the mass population and rugby fans see Quins as a union team..in fact they are probably one of the oldest 4 union teams in the world.

I'm not against sticking with Quins and I'm also not against moving...but whatever is decided needs to be sensible and pushed thoroughly.

Not that I'm 100% in favour of the potential change of name, but what is the advantage of the name, I do understand the bennies that the Stoop brings, but what advantage does the Harlequin FC brand bring beyond potential Harlequin double headers, instantly identifiable kits (as Harlequins, it is up for debate the trade off against readers not choosing to read on when they see who this London RLFC team is against ah this is not union, I'm not reading this), a named brand in the same way as the image but with an article headline.

We pay to play at the Stoop and if we stick with the name there I reckon we should do more with the union side, not less, because at the minute we seem to be winning a few fans because of the Stoop, not because of the name linked to the team that plays at the Stoop.

The confusion is that we are that similar to Harlequins RU. It may seem stupid but its true. Harlequins RU are known for their quartered shirts and it isn't until you get close to tell the difference between the RU team and the RL team! I know Harlequins RU have the jester with legs and Quins RL have a legless jester but its that similar it becomes hard to differentiate.

You say people must be able to read but if you see Harlequins in big capital letters and RL at the end on an advertisement, unless you sat down and had a good look, you'd probably think "Ah, Harlequins. Union team." You mentioned RLFC meant nothing, neither does RL. I quite like the look of the Tag Rugby advertisements in London on the Tube, I've never properly stopped to look at one but they are eye-catching, well to me anyway.

Yes, and the mass advertising is done in a way where the Rugby League is highlighted beyond a simple "Harlequins" message. It's not hidden in the small print. And I would say that word of mouth is the most important tool we have as a small club.

See previous post. See the promotions that the club has done. Rugby League is the main theme. Harlequins are the supporting element. Rugby League and London RLFC wouldn't be a draw. At least with Harlequins, people are drawn to the recognizable element of the message. I doubt people would simply dismiss anything to do with it because they instantly assume it is linked to the Union club. And this of course is irrelevant unless you discuss the channels and audiences that you are using to market the club.

What's gonna happen to the 'Harlequins Rugby League Foundation' then?

As far as I know, not a single Super League club uses "RLFC" anymore. Yet some people think it is a wonderful idea and we should adopt it as it would instantly associate us with Rugby League and people would easily pick this up. Madness.

How about:

Loandon Hardlyeverwins?
London Let's Have another new name changers?
London New Name Version 5.0?
London Insert Stupid Animal Team Name?
Insert New Name Change RL?
New Name Every 3 Years RL?
London 1980ers?

Lots of people have heard of Harlequins, they know it is rugby and recognise the distinctive colours. As such it has value as a brand.

We haven't exploited that and explained to people that Harlequins now means something different like rugby all year round or two kinds of rugby.

There would have been lots of ways of doing this. When people ask for Coke, the question is whether you want regular or diet.

Saints, Hull and Hull KR?
Most Wigan fans want to be rid of the Warriors tag and just be Wigan RLFC.
Dave, you are entitled to your opinion, but why all the name calling? Morons? Come on!
I live down south, and Harlequins is known as a Union club. Fact. The same would happen if you joined forces with Saracens, or Wasps, or London Irish or London Scottish.
Yes, you do some marketing, but you play in THEIR colours, in THEIR ground, using THEIR name. I have to get close up to spot the difference between a RU shirt and a RL shirt. When I see a Union shirt, I walk away as I have nothing to say to them. I even see Union shirts at your League home games!
A name change won't make you win more games, but it will stop you being associated as the poor relation.

Thank goodness for that, attendances are bad enough without us banning people in union shirts.

As it happens the season ticket holder who sits next to me, a regular poster on this forum, is a Quins RU season ticket holder as well as being a club official at another quite high level RU team. He started watching us when we became Quins RL. Nice guy, knows his RL inside out now and can be found down Skolars and at away games as well. Quins RL would be a poorer place, in several senses, without people like him.

Some RU people have done a lot for RL down south over the years. The people at Streatham & Croydon RUFC who dared to upset their most famous ex player, Dudley Woods, turning themselves persona non grata at Twickers in the process, in order to save the leading amateur rugby league team in London when Dudley ordered Streatham & Croydon to evict them deserve our thanks.

As an individual all I want is to have a name I can be proud of again. I'm an RL fan and all of the values that RL has are important to me. RU is another sport with another culture which I generally choose to have nothing to do with. In itself a name change won't radically change our fortunes. But it will give me a 100% RL club to support again.

Hopefully those who make the decision will look at things from a somewhat broader perspective.

really?
I suggest that anyone who lives down south, supports RL and is confused between the RL shirt and the Union one neds to look in a mirror





Next up, anyone who states we have lost fans because of our Union connection is again not dealing from the top of the deck.



3,704 was the average at Griffin Park. 3,596 is the average at the Stoop and I challenge anyone to put the 108 missing bodies down to anything other than the dross being served up on the pitch. 3,762 was the average over the first 4 years......since then, they have played 45 games and won 12.

21 of these have been home games...they have won 6 games and drawn 1......that's where the fans have gone over the last 2 years.....nothing to do with Harlequins being a Union Brand, everything to do with a crap team.

Rugby League fans are generally a lazy lot. SKY and the RFL Reckon there are 1,000,000 of them in the greater London region, yet only 3,500 are prepared to come and watch it live......same number pretty much every year since 1996. Nothing to do with a Union brand......

...people need to stop blaming the Union tie in......it's just another excuse when the real reason is that SKY/The RFL should be throwing a minimum of 500k a year at marketing the game and therefore the club down here.....

No, of course you won't





You have never managed to construct an original point in all your time posting so here's your chance, one simple question, one simple answer.

What proven advantage would changing the name of the club bring?