Btw I'd just wait and see what the next NRL TV deal is like before you write off our sport. If, as expected, it's a bumper deal there's every chance that the NRL could crush international RU in Australia and NZ. The only people interested in watching RU in the northern hemisphere are people brought up on it, toffs and sell outs. Your average Joe Bloke isn't that interested and if all the best players start funnelling to the NRL from down under then their game will be in a bigger crisis than our's. You'll always have your toff inbreds who want to watch the mighty English empire beat one of its colonies or get flogged by one but where's the attraction going to be when the Australians can't put together a proper national side for a World Cup?

There are just over 40,000 registered players in Australia playing RU. In Australian RL, in 2010, there was 50,000 children in Victoria alone participated in RL school programs. Overall there are over 400,000 participants in RL in Australia. Now if the NRL pay deal pays off big (rumours have been that it could take some of the players into earnings in excess of £500k a year) that's likely to impact upon the RU players and also NZ where there are just over 140,000 players. If the NRL can offer those kind of salaries to RU players they will start to drift across for sure.

Is there any specific circumstance that's behind this potentially astronomic rise in TV revenue? Have they been pulling in much improved viewing figures? Is there more competition for the rights? It would be nice if something even remotely similar could happen over here, but I'll not be holding my breath.

Quote Dux="Dux"Is there any specific circumstance that's behind this potentially astronomic rise in TV revenue? Have they been pulling in much improved viewing figures? Is there more competition for the rights? It would be nice if something even remotely similar could happen over here, but I'll not be holding my breath.'" www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-l ... netimes_sb

Quote Dux="Dux"Is there any specific circumstance that's behind this potentially astronomic rise in TV revenue? Have they been pulling in much improved viewing figures? Is there more competition for the rights? It would be nice if something even remotely similar could happen over here, but I'll not be holding my breath.'" www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-l ... netimes_sb

Cheers. Interesting stuff. Hopefully Lewis wasn't blowing hot air when he said a few weeks back that this was going to be the most competitive bidding market yet for SL rights.

Two different sports. Why would one need to die, no matter how big the other became?

Football is raking in outrageous amounts of cash, and pulling in millions of viewers. Hockey hasn't died.

Last week there was a rugby union game between two sides from two of the biggest Cities in the country.

packed to the rafters it was the media interest in the game was massive. Those fans locked out would have filled the halliwell jones even with its corners filled in..........



actually the above bit's a Lie......just 5,000 watched Leeds V Newcastle

god only knows what rubbish was on display for 80 minutes aswell.

If that game is going to swallow Rugby League up then i'm a Mad Red Squirrel

Whilst it wouldn't surprise me to see the demise of RU in Australia (and good riddance), I doubt the NRL would be able to "crush international RU" in New Zealand.

Australia has always been the poor relation in the Southern Hemisphere when it comes to RU. New Zealand and South Africa (or at least Afrikanaar SA) live and breathe RU, and I doubt a NRL tv deal would do much damage.

Not a chance!

Does anybody remember the GMR phone ins, about 15 years ago, with "contraversial" Kevin Ashcroft, spouting the same 3 every week "there,s no doubt, there'll be a hybrid game within a decade"......well Kevin....I'm waiting, well actually I'm not, as the idea of watching the 3 point code, fills me with the same joy as having a filling at the dentist.

They don't like us, and we don't like them, on the whole.
I'm sure if Uncle Rupert asked RL and RU to merge to form a new sport, I'm pretty sure both authorites would tell him where to put his Australian Dollars

Given that NZRL are the best in the world currently and NZRU aren't coupled with money talking I don't think it's as safe a bet as you're making out. NZ and SA might want to keep playing each other but don't forget there is no professional league structure in Australian RU only their Super 14s or whatever they are these days. When the rewards become much greater for playing RL then you have to question how sustainable the Super 14s model is.

Nick you know where I stand where union is concerned.



There are a couple of concerns I have when it comes to the two codes.
First of all the international game,for me this is where RL has to develop and pretty quickly.
If we keep going at the rate we are, RL will continue to go on the slide IMO.

Secondly (and it's connected to the first concern) is the young talent in our game.
Surely they can see the difference where the two codes are concerned.
The likes of Eastmond going to the dark side could be the first of many (I hope i'm wrong).

Yes I remember this and he also said (at the time) that the Super 12 was the best rugby of any code he has seen.


Of course I had to phone up and tell him he was more or less talking bo11ocks.

Kevin quickly morphed into your embarrising uncle at a party, who's had FAR too much to drink.
He tried to be deliberately contraversial, just for the sake of it (a la James Whale)

One quality GB RL player converting to the 3 point code, does not a crisis make.
If it's 4 or 5 a season, then it's time to panic. Let's just get on with things. I'm sure you lot will overcome this.