Rugby League really gives me the shits

[terry j]

Is Australia a hold-out for that kind of class division within rugby?

Pretty sure you got a hold of it in your earlier post....rugby is played in private schools and league in the public schools.

So it's not 'within rugby' per se.

Like I said, australia IS pretty egalitarian, but it often manifests as reverse snobbery.

Meat pies and beers and footy. Had a chuckle when I finally read some of the comments that occurred as a result of Sullys article...particularly liked the one that mentioned 'you can tell union chick followers have more class as they have more teeth'.

Which is, of course, OUR version of snobbery no?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Wikipedia says Greco-Roman Rugby is played in 38 countries, 27 ranked by RLIF and 11 countries are unranked.

RL Test Nations are: (15)
Australia, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga, Wales

Affiliate Nations are (26):
American Samoa, Argentina, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Niue, Norway, Philippines, Serbia, Sweden, Tokelau, Tuvalu, United States

Unaffiliated Nations are: (10)
Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Norfolk Island, Portugal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, UAE, Ukraine, West Indies

There are between 500 000 and 1 000 000 million registered players of Fivekick worldwide.
I can't find any real figures.

For Rugby - In 2011 a study completed by the Centre for International Business of Support recorded that more than 5 million people play rugby union in over 117 countries.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Hugh Jarse what is one to make of the inclusion of England, Scotland and Wales plus a separate entity known as Great Britain????

 

[Hugh Jarse]

And these joints? What are the total population of these? Cook Islands, Tonga, American Samoa, Malta, Morocco, New Caledonia, Niue, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Norfolk Island, Solomon Islands, UAE, West Indies.

This is like counting the countries that support Japanese Whaling.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

And these joints? What are the total population of these? Cook Islands, Tonga, American Samoa, Malta, Morocco, New Caledonia, Niue, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Norfolk Island, Solomon Islands, UAE, West Indies.

This is like counting the countries that support Japanese Whaling.

UAE?
They're still using sand for place kicks.


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[Lindommer]

Wikipedia says Greco-Roman Rugby players have visited 38 countries.....

corrected. The FiveKick boys don't get around much (they do tend to wallow in their shallow pool) but they are trying to expand their horizons.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Wikipedia says Greco-Roman Rugby is played in 38 countries, 27 ranked by RLIF and 11 countries are unranked.

(Wikipedia now redirects Greco-Roman Rugby to league -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Roman_Rugby.)

 

[young gun]

Wikipedia says Greco-Roman Rugby is played in 38 countries, 27 ranked by RLIF and 11 countries are unranked.

RL Test Nations are: (15)
Australia, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga, Wales

Affiliate Nations are (26):
American Samoa, Argentina, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Niue, Norway, Philippines, Serbia, Sweden, Tokelau, Tuvalu, United States

Unaffiliated Nations are: (10)
Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Norfolk Island, Portugal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, UAE, Ukraine, West Indies

There are between 500 000 and 1 000 000 million registered players of Fivekick worldwide.
I can't find any real figures.

For Rugby - In 2011 a study completed by the Centre for International Business of Support recorded that more than 5 million people play rugby union in over 117 countries.

These figures were obviously manufactured by the Moore Park creative team. At best, "a" game of league, played by Australian / NZ ex-pats on holidays, has been played in most of those countries, if at all. This is what really annoys me about league. Their persistence in attempting to create an illusion of international relevance - of which it has none.

Do most of these countries have recognised domestic competitions - no

Do most of these countries have junior competitions and structures - no

Wait until their "World Cup", what a joke. If anyone could be bothered, and I doubt anyone could, go through the players from all teams and see what their real origin was. 99% will be from, drum roll please:

Australia England and New Zealand and New Guinea (and I'd suggest their best player doesn't play league)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

(Wikipedia now redirects Greco-Roman Rugby to league -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Roman_Rugby.)

Classic!

Some clever sausages at Wikipedia.

 

[Wazza2013]

Rugby League has banned the shoulder charge
Rugby League has banned the fighting.
Much to the dismay of league players

Maybe the players will actually have to play some rugby league now.........OMG

 

[terry j]

ha, I don't watch the game but am enjoying the kerfuffle over 'sanitising league'.

One comment on the roar made me chuckle (a response to an article about the correctness of cleaning up league)

I've taken a few bits out to just leave the flavour of what made me chuckle

I now realized the reason why I have watched rugby league for 25 years, is i like the physical contact,big hits, the shoulder charge, the fights, the john hopoate’s, gordon tallis, chief harragon,mark carroll’s of this world, do battle. And you take the not thuggery element out, but the intimidation and physical factor out, and sanitise rugby league you have a boring product, much like ice hockey. So rugby league I predict will die as a TV sport if it’s sanitised anymore.

It needs to bring back the shoulder charge, allow for punch up’s not to go to the sin bin. Otherwise what does rugby league have as a product.



(john hopoate is one of his heroes?)

Anyway, why then does he want to bring back the biff? Because he has realised what the game actually IS when the biff is gone.




Hit up, play the ball, kick on the 5th tackle, wow how exciting.

Fans want big hits, scuffles, and tough guys and girls who play the sport.
UFC is loving all this as it will get more rugby league fans watching and leaving rugby league, so they can get there fix of intensity , and contact sport.

R.I.P rugby league, is where the sport is going in ten years, if it doesn’t bring back the shoulder charge, and relax the rules about biffs, and push and shoves.



Reckon he's seen the emperors clothes? Probably not tbh. At least he can see the game for what the game itself is, Hit up, play the ball, kick on the 5th tackle, wow how exciting.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

terry j, your mate from the roar has surprisingly forgotten about the dying fish flap that occurs between the hit up and man hug to the ground, and before the play the ball,

 

[Badgers are ace]

I live in England and can tell you that League is basically dead up here. League is often cited as being popular in "northern England" but it isn't, football/soccer is king in northern England, and outside of wigan, widnes and err hull, league has no presence, local rugby in rural northern England is union, in the towns it is soccer/football (aprt from wigan widnes and err hull).

League fans always bang on and on about crowd figures, bagging union for no reason, and the state of origin, which is the pinnacle of league as a global game.

Rugby in Europe is massive, and is comfortably the second biggest sport in England (Cricket being the biggest summer sport, of course), Scotland, the biggest sport in Wales (where it is followed with the passion matching NZ), is arguably bigger than soccer in France (domestic club games sometimes get 80,000), Ireland and growing well in Italy (Italy rugby cool par excellence these days, 70-80,000 for internationals, oh yes what a great place to watch rugby too).

I've met so many arrogant and bitter league fans it is unbelievable, but outside of NSW and Qld League is a complete joke, it has no presence.

People just don't like league, simple end of.

 

[Badgers are ace]

I do find it bizarre League has somehow got a foothold in eastern Oz. 5 tackle kick, 5 tackle grubber kick, unnecessary ground shagging. wtf?

 

[terry j]

I do find it bizarre League has somehow got a foothold in eastern Oz. 5 tackle kick, 5 tackle grubber kick, unnecessary ground shagging. wtf?

yes for me too, the history and how/why it happened is endlessly fascinating, esp given the real and obvious differences between the two games.

For mine, it has to do with the media (esp nowadays, even with the lions tour and last weeks game we are still behind ten or so pages of league) but particularly in the early days.

Wamberal IIRC has always pointed out that back then our game perhaps WAS more boring than league (?) but I feel there must have been a bit of 'super league' going on, ie a big push and investment in the new game, coupled with getting dally m so naturally media pushes it.

Become entrenched now of course.

Back then too the league scrums were not the farce they are now, and maybe 'the tackler must release' was also enforced more fully, ie no dying fish routine.

I remember in the eighties (mortimer bros and canterbury) the games COULD be fast and entertaining, so really like anything it can be more about how the game is played rather than the rules..which is a warning to our code too.

Anyway, this to me is the most interesting point about this topic.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I was trying to explain to someone how I knew so much about the current day trivia of mungoball when I dont consciously watch it.
My theory is that you dont need to concentrate to pick up what's going on. You can have it on in the background, glance at the screen every so often and you'll basically pick up the essential points in any mungoball game.
If you watch union in the background you miss most of the good stuff. It takes some attention span and a bit of concentration.
If my theory is right then its the reason league is more popular.

 

[It is what it is]

UAE?
They're still using sand for place kicks.


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No, solid gold kicking tees.

 

[lincoln]

I was trying to explain to someone how I knew so much about the current day trivia of mungoball when I dont consciously watch it.
My theory is that you dont need to concentrate to pick up what's going on. You can have it on in the background, glance at the screen every so often and you'll basically pick up the essential points in any mungoball game.
If you watch union in the background you miss most of the good stuff. It takes some attention span and a bit of concentration.
If my theory is right then its the reason league is more popular.

Sorry too many long words for me mate - anyway Go The Rabbitohs!

 

[JSRF10]

Origin finale to sell out in record time, say officials

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/origin-finale-to-sell-out-in-record-time-say-officials-20130630-2p5er.html#ixzz2XlIk4Myr​

NRL really know how to get themselves publicity, not once does it mention that this tickets have been on sale since November! Record time is apparently 7 months, or the fact that it hasn't sold out before the day of the game your choice.​

 

[Aussie D]

was laying carpet with my father and nephew yesterday and turned on the greco roman rugby for them (both avid league followers) whilst having a coffee break. The first thing the commentator said was along the lines of "it is just 5 tackles and a kick at the moment". It had me stumped as I thought it was always 5 tackles and a kick. After the minute or so it was on I felt a few brain cells drain away from the experience so was glad to get back to work.