I am happy to accept your rationale behind the attendances and as I have stated above, they are all fair points. I was just seeking to understand the mind set a little more (as I have stated on these boards many times, the sport of RL is dominated by the club scene and I envy the International focus that is seen throughout the sport of Rugby Union)

I’m not sure though why you would state that I am being deliberately misleading or that my points are not backed up by reality or knowledge as this seems to be confrontational for the sake of it during a polite conversation

[url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/rugby-news/newcastle-falcons/2011/09/05/alan-tait-newcastle-falcons-at-our-lowest-ebb-72703-29363511/?Alan Tait: Newcastle Falcons at our lowest ebb[/url
[iTait added: “You have got to give praise to the Bath defence, and their coach Brad Davis is an old rugby-leaguer like myself.
"He has Bath defending like a league side, and I am keen to bring a bit more of that into our own repertoire. They shut us down well, and made life tough for our danger men."[/i
Love the first comment too

Australian rugby union fans are apparently fuming after Channel 9 decided to delay the telecast of the opening RUWC match for Friends and Scooby tomorrow night.

I'm sure the two of them will manage some how. Although they have made league fans happy by showing the storm game live in victoria.

Nice one,them Aussie union fans are so full of themselves anyway.

When the union WC was based in Aus in 2003 they thought it would be the death of RL all over the world,stuff em.

The RWC game isn't bad but I think I'll definitely be trading it in for the Lomu version next month.

Please tell me the rest of the tournament is going to better than that.

Well if thats the standard roll on 2013

Oh booohoo www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2878512.html

Oh booohoo www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2878512.html

Quote ="dids858"Oh booohoo www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2878512.html'" Well he doesn’t come across as a bitter man does he? One of the points he makes is that the RWC is the biggest sporting event this year. As always, these claims can be made and stats can prove or disprove just about anything but surely more people were aware of/tuned into the World Athletics Championships that have just finished... not least because they were held in Korea and probably had a huge Asian audience I bet if you asked a couple of billion people to identify Usain Bolt or Dan Carter from a photo, I know who my money would be on

Quote ="dids858"Oh booohoo www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2878512.html'" Well he doesn’t come across as a bitter man does he? One of the points he makes is that the RWC is the biggest sporting event this year. As always, these claims can be made and stats can prove or disprove just about anything but surely more people were aware of/tuned into the World Athletics Championships that have just finished... not least because they were held in Korea and probably had a huge Asian audience I bet if you asked a couple of billion people to identify Usain Bolt or Dan Carter from a photo, I know who my money would be on

Usain who?



Just thinking, how could a game on the other side of the world that kicked off at 9:30 in the morning affect the attendances of two domestic games played at 7:45pm later that same day?

I'm particularly amused by his dismissal of Aussie Rules (which despite being a bit odd I do enjoy) as being limited to 3 states. Well, firstly, it isn't; secondly, I can see it spreading even to New Zealand within 20 years; and I'm convinced that it's going to be the fastest-growing sport on earth in the next fifty years.

And in Australia at least, it won't be RL that is the victim, it'll be Union.

I am yet to meet one person who has mentioned the yawnion WC. I never realised what a fortunate lifestyle I lead.

To be honest, I have seen and heard far less interest in this WC than the last couple. We have a TV in the reception here (London) and I walked through at about 10.00am and there were about 40 men and women in their 20’s there and only one was actually watching the All Blacks game

If that had been a World Cup football game there would be a lot of interest whoever was playing. Not very scientific I know but reflective of a lack of interest in the wider tournament (I’m sure the home nations game will be followed closely of course)

Now- I must admit that I play Union (it's a good game to play, even though it's rubbish to watch)- and the union players are the only people I know who have been discussing it. But to be fair to them, a fair few also have been discussing RL.

Other than that, just the usual sprinkling of "oooo it's a big tournament" gloryhunters who couldn't tell a fly-half from a half of mild.

Their friends in the media seem to be trying their best to promote it, especially the newspapers I have seen, but it is not having the desired effect. Whether people have written this one off already I don't know. No doubt when a few plucky minnows have been put to the sword the shirts will be out.

Just watched Jeremy Guscott's Rugby World Cup ones to watch, you can tell I'm bored... news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 827087.stm If that is the best bits of the best players then it is going to be a long tournament!

Just watched Jeremy Guscott's Rugby World Cup ones to watch, you can tell I'm bored... news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 827087.stm If that is the best bits of the best players then it is going to be a long tournament!

Now I know you are obviously a Wire fan and I can live with that.

Now though you are saying you play union has made me see you in a completely different light,I thought you where a decent guy until you mentioned this.

How long is this union WC on for,three or four weeks.

Make yourself comfortable, final is October 23rd.

Most World Cups start to lose momentum when the frequency of the games reduce after the group stages. There has to be real interest to keep the public engaged for this long

The cricket World Cup gets criticised for being too long and anti climatic with the groups and then super 8’s and I think the RWC is in danger of the same with 4 group games per team and then the quarters, semis and final. By the end of October there may be a lot of people saying “is that still going on?”

I'm there on 9 September.

Round where I live and work I don't think anyone is aware that the tournament is taking place at all, let alone England are about to play their first game. I haven't heard anybody mention it whatsoever.

20 teams is too many IMO. There should be a maximum of 16 with 4 groups of 4 as there are some teams there that shouldn't be anywhere near a world cup.

Yes, but without the whipping boys and their porous defences, how else do they get any trys in the tournament?

Surely plucky, developing nations?