I was talking to a mate in the pub about Rugby League (he's not a fan) and he was baffled about the whole QRL/QRU situation and had no idea we existed. He thought that London Broncos had been relegated and presumed I went to watch a lower standard of RL

This was said by a man who follows sport.

When we got talking further about attendances etc he said an idea that I've not heard before but has a slight bit of sense to it. He likened Harlequins RL to Wimbledon FC. Wimbledon couldn't attract fans and were sinking pretty quickly and then Pete Winkleman stepped in and moved the club to Milton Keynes, a city with no professional sport there. My friend suggested that it may be better for us to do that. It seemed outlandish at the time but it may just work.

Using MK as an example, they only have their Football team there and a hell of a population to aim themselves at. Amateur teams are fairly local such as St Albans, Hemel Stags, Northampton and then the other Merit League sides.

The problem is that the marketing in the past has been poor to non-existent and now the marketing seems to have improved, the product is poor

Where shall we go to, Bridgend, Gateshead, Runcorn, Kent, and any other place the sport has been dumped in the past-Lets take it away from where it is played by more kids than any other part of the country-I understand your thinking-At first I was thinking its like soccer where its played by every kid in every school then realised maybe it isnt-hmmm

RL is a minority sport. Out of interest as a sport fan like your mate and based on the assertion all sports fans know everything about sport again like your mate you will know which leagues Guildford Flames & Guildford Heat play in.

Sod's law isn't it really, we get marketing going and the team goes down the khazi!

Without wanting to get into a big discussion on class, all I'll say for social grouping generally speaking (and based on nothing but my own experiences) RU white collar, football (traditionally ) blue collar background.

As for grammar schools, many of them are still around in Kent (Dartford, Gravesend etc...) - the one you referred to may have shut 40 years ago but it would appear that things have always been 'different' in Kent as regards education.

As for somewhere to look , I was looking at a specific group of people with an interest in sport who may be brought across to RL, like I was. Much as though I would love to target every group in London / South East I was looking for a group to target that might yield results. With a dozen or so football teams in London even if we added an average of 100-150 from each that wouldn't be a bad start. Could target heaviest at the likes of Fulham, QPR, Brentford,Chelsea as it may be less of a trek for their fans than say for West Ham fans out in Essex. Once they're in then its down to the team (ie good results / performances) and the matchday experience to keep them in.We might have a marketing budget but I doubt it would stretch to a flyer through the door of everyone with a London postcode. As far as I have seen,particularly in the Premier League, there seems to be a much greater ethnic mix these days. Maybe a few players recruited from immigrant communities (East Europeans, Asian, Africans) could help generate some interest and / or a role model for kids from such a background to emulate.

Guildford Heat are in the BBL (British Basketball League) and I believe they won this a couple of years ago and entered a European Champions League tournemant and Guildford Flames are there Ice Hockey equivalant

You've got your sports right like your friend did, but got the rest wrong-ish like you mate. Thats one of the problems with being a minority sport

Sorry, I don't understand why you used the word MAYBE

wrong thread

Just interested...

Was rugby league a "minority sport" when it attracted nearly 7 million fans to the game in one year?

Or is this a new development?

At what stage does "minority" kick in? 1 million spectators per year? 2 million? 3 million?

And by definition, that suggests every sport bar soccer is a minority sport in England.

If you are referring specifically to London, how does a "minority" sport actually hold attendance records in excess of say rugby union in that city?

Or is union also a "minority" sport in London?

It is all definitional and doesn't assist the debate in this thread.

Every sport except football is a minority sport in England.

I've refrained from contributing to this forum since last year, when I sought to argue that Brian McDermott was failing our club as our coach – poor signings, under-performance on the field, and personally behaving like 'a miserable git' in front of fans and the media.

I recall receiving very little support for this point of view then.

However, the climate on this forum seems to be changing somewhat, now the new season has started and our team is performing pathetically in comparison with the flashes of inherent potential they showed early last season.

If David Hughes chooses to stick with Brian McDermott as our coach, I predict it's ultimately inevitable the RFL will kiss goodbye to our franchise, given that we continue to attract vanishingly small crowds to our home games.

This is such a shame, given the huge potential for growing support for Rugby League in general and Quins RL in particuar across our capital city.

Exactly.

Which places rugby league in the same boat as everyone else bar one.

Quit groaning and get on with supporting the game...

Just a tip.

I don't see it happening.

(Even!) the RFL won't shoot themselves in the foot like that...

The history of the game in England shows how important London is. It really is as simple as that.

There will be a presence in London - whether or not it is Quins is a different issue altogether and I feel for the supporters of the club itself.

Sorry, but as reasoned as you would like your post to seem, Brian Mac is not the sole reason for Quins being up the creek with no paddle....yes, he needs to go, but the failure to market properly is the SOLE reason!
the vanishing crowds? same average 2009 as 2000.......just not growing, but not vanashing

Accepting football is the most popular sport-there are still high profile sports that are either played by large numbers and or watched by large numbers-ie Cricket and RU which have huge international profile. I wouldnt call RU a minority sport more a sport that isnt as big as football

RL sits behind both of these

The viability of the club here has long been a topic of debate. These last thirty years have seen the club in its various incarnations struggle almost continuously.
I was involved with the club for seventeen years and came to the conclusion that the club will always struggle, both on and off the pitch.

It is remarkable that David Hughes has been the stalwart and champion for as long as he has. The man has almost single-handedly saved the club from oblivion several times. One cannot doubt his dedication but I believed eventually that sustaining fully professional top-flight RL in the capital is not viable. The club has only ever lost money; it hasn't made a cent in thirty years. If it had been run as a business during that time, it's highly likely that it would have gone into receivership at some point and, indeed, the club has gone close to extinction several times.

The Sky issue is interesting: Sky were the unseen hand at the crisis meeting at the Galpharm in 2005 when London were in serious trouble. Apparently they said that, if London were not re-awarded their SL franchise, the deal on the table for the other clubs would be substantially less than before. The club cannot compete effectively to challenge for silverware due to being under-capitalised.

I loved the club for a long time; it was my life. It was a very hard decision to walk away. I wish QRL all the best for the season and the future. The club's followers are the most dedicated in RL, bar none. Total respect.

Putting all that to one side-Why dont you pay your £15 pound and just watch the game and go home?

Then surely now is the time for everbody to put their cards on the table , Quins have to survive for SL to survive , then quite simply the RFL have to find an extra million to help them market themselves and somehow increase the fan base at the Stoop

Oops!

I did for a while but I was emotionally involved with it all so coming back after two years away now would feel really weird. I've moved on now and it's a closed chapter in my life. Good luck to you all though.

so all the calls for sacking the coach still true today after the squad put in a good performance

Lets be honest, we stuck with Tony R for a long time and I hope we will stick with Brian Mc D
why? well if you get rid of him who is there out there that we could get to replace him?? Nobby aint gonna leave Wrexham, at least he can commute home from there!! (do you really think he did not know they were not going to be SW based when he signed)
Offiah! pah, makes to much money as an agent and has never coached

Shaun Edwards!!! be serious why would he leave where he is now!!

as a northerner what did it take to get you to move saaarf!!!??
so other option is an aussie coach and whats the cost of that

even with a change, the playing staff are the same!!! and the coach can only work with the tools he has as in the players on the field
Quite simply the issue is not the coach, its money!!, without cash in the bank we cannot attract quality players, we will muddle through with journey men! and the odd star that comes thro the london ranks like LMS, or the converted who have decided that they like the London life style like purds and danny Orr

so
lets give over with this negative stuff about Brian, i would rather have someone who calls a spade a frigging shovel (which is what he would do if he was allowed trust me) and lets keep paying to get thro the gate and hassling friends etc to join us and keep feeding ideas thro any way we can to the club re marketting!!

Doesn't change anything in that respect.

Source?

And answer the earlier post...

At what point does "minority" kick in?

Sorry but yes, nothing has altered there, we would obviously get a win somewhere down the line.



As is being proved time and again in SL, assistant coaches from down under can transform into very capable head coaches in the UK