This talk of rugby outside the heartlands not being successful....what about the Scorpions and Crusaders and the number of players generated for the Wales team.....you know the team that are European champions two years on the bounce.

I understand that there are a fair share of conversions from other countries, but what about players who have come across from union? these can only boost the pool of players and go on to promote the game all over Wales. Again, I know some will say that they are the ones not good enough for big union careers, but that is not necessarily the case.

I would think that a creditable interntional game is important to League and the current set up of four nations in different hemispheres, the European cup and so on is a better way to promote internationals....isn't it?

I think people think that success will happen overnight. I think the Welsh experiment has been rushed, and the club didn't have the infrastructure in place to cope, but I think that the long term view should prevail, and we should persist with them.

You've done an awful lot of thinking on this. At least that's what I think, do you think I'm correct?

Seems to be producing results, both Wales and non-heartlands English www.midlandsrugbyleague.co.uk/ar ... gland.html Matt Meek, Harlequins U18 & U20 loose forward, and Wales player here, is a Northampton RL product.

Seems to be producing results, both Wales and non-heartlands English www.midlandsrugbyleague.co.uk/ar ... gland.html Matt Meek, Harlequins U18 & U20 loose forward, and Wales player here, is a Northampton RL product.

If we gave up trying to expand the game, then it's only a matter of time until Full Time Pro RL in the UK is dead. What we do need to do is take a mid to long term view (5-20 years) and plan accordingly.

The very fact that RL is played in South Wales and the Midlands now is testimony to the fact that we have a very exciting sport to both watch and play. It would be one hell of a shame to just pack up and go home....

I agree with both Richie & Batley. Rugby outside of the heartlands is in a very good state, with great setups in Coventry, Northampton, Birmingham and Nottingham. Ok, so none of these would be ready for SL in the next 5 years, but clubs putting out 3 mens teams on a weekend is a pretty decent state of affairs.

Having said that, some of the above clubs could do a hell of a lot with the amount of money undoubtedly spend on Crusaders

I’m not disputing the state of none heartlands RL or that Clubs in none traditional areas can’t offer a valid contribution to the sport – my beef is with the way the RFL have tried to hot house a Super League club in the most unlikely place in the whole country.

It’s like they took a poll and asked “where in the UK is the daftest place start a Super League Club” and some joker answered “South Wales” – “perfect” thought the senile old farts at Red Hall “…and to make it even more ridiculous we’ll base the club in a shi[size=100t[/sizehole of a town at a RU ground, and a really shabby one at that”

The Welsh experiment has failed, dramatically. I honestly believed that Celtic would fade into obscurity and end up being a distant memory, only being brought into conversation when validating the RFL’s ineptness. But I was wrong, it has only taken a couple of years before the club self-imploded in full view of the watching world.

These crass “ideas” the RFL continually force our great sport to endure only serve to embarrass it.

You reckon South Wales, venue for Challenge Cup finals and Millenium Magic events over the last few years, birthplace of so many legends of the 13-a-side code, was "the most unlikely place in the whole country" to put a SL club?

You're entitled to your opinion, but you're way off the mark with that statement IMO.

Agreed. The idea that Rl could work in Wales is now what has caused the failure. its trying to run before they can walk that has

Yep. Would much rather try to work in an RU area (that doesn't have the public school boy issues associated with a few RU areas) than an area that seems interested only in soccer.

Apart from the strong tradition of RU you haven't really mentioned anything that doesn't apply to a large number of the heartland clubs.

My mistake guys - You're all right, the experiment to expand the sport in South Wales worked a treat didn't it?

My Bad.