Listen, I know the RU world cup is a bigger event and I watch it, but they have to be careful because we are talking about two games reasonably similar in nature and choosing one over the other! We had 100 years of that sort of rubbish go on and not sure I like the government appearing to do something similar. I would be happy for them to say RL internationals when played in the UK and restricted based on the home nations (if we are serious about RL in Scotland and Wales and Ireland) and the RL world cup final and games including the home nations. We don't have that many games and don't think that is too much to ask do you!

BTW. You are very wrong about the RU world cup. The two biggest sporting events on the planet are the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics, which are 4 yearly events. The worlds biggest annual event (by miles) is the Tour-de-France. This coupled with European and other areas soccer championships, Winter Olympics (just cos we are rubbish at it), Wimbledon and the other Tennis grand-slams and US sport such as Super-bowl, World Series and NHL the RU will be nowhere near the top ten or possible 20 events! Which means RL is way, way, way down the list!

Bigger than the Olympics?

Sorry, and how could I forget F1 and Moto GP etc!

Last time I looked that featured slightly more than a single sport.

Thank you tvoc. Nice to see someone picked up on the distinction I went to great trouble to make.

No it isn't.

Olympics.

You'll never know how close I came to making the same mistake Serge made though.

Ye gods, even the legal professionals who are trained to split hairs are missing it. I must stop being so cryptic.

I did, I just pointed out the general hierarchy of global sporting events. Other the the Olympics every other event I listed, which are all bigger than the RU world cup, were single sporting events!

You are still way wrong!

If I at least got close to Gilder's intention I'm making progress.

I would remind you of the conditions of the restraining order and ask that you refrain from poking, lest I be required to fetch the garden shears again.

A single sport event, i.e. an event featuring a single sport. As opposed to a single sporting event, i.e. one event in isolation from others.

I'm disappointed you would think my grammar would be so sloppy as to use a phrase like "sport" where "sports" or "sporting" would have been more appropriate.

True in terms of number of teams, and spectators / income, but its absolute gash, and for anyone to think that its vastly better than an RL comp is deluded.

In RU, there are 4 maybe 5 teams that can win it. In RL there are 3.

In both competitions there are massive washout games, although in the RL World cup they tried to reduce it by a tiering system.

With both competitions it only really gets interesting at the semis.

The problem with the RL internationals is that there is no structure to them, or very little structure to them.

With RU internationals you know you get Autumn internationals against southern hemisphere teams, 6 nations in the new year, and tours to southern hemisphere teams in the summer.

With RL, we get a poorly thought out mid season game, and some international matches whose format seems to be decided by the flip of a coin 18months in advance.

If I were in charge I would have autumn internationals alternating between southern and northern hemisphere teams each autumn, with the world cup instead every 4 years.

As well as a lower tier international competitions in autumn for the likes of the home nations and france (depending on who is in the 4 nations), and similar for the pacific islands.

I think the other major issue is with the profile of internationals. The main difference in mindset / viewing of the two games is that in RL clubs come first, and in RU its internationals.

the RFL need to work on making the international game more appealing to spectators, and the supporters need to get as excited at seeing GB beat the Kiwis & Aussies, as going to the Cup final or grand final.

Use a bit of nouse, let kids in free with an adult etc, but get people into the games and fill the stadiums.