Jesus Christ moaning because of a name that still means the same.

St Helens RLFC chaning its name to Saints RL.

Dont know what the issue is really, it worked for Quins RL.

Oh hang on......

Saints RL I guess, is more appealing than St helens RL to new sponsors. We will only actually tell them that the club is in St Helens, once the sponsorship/advertising contracts have been signed.

St Helens RLFC are not changing their name to Saints RL. St Helens RLFC are remaining St Helens RLFC. They're just selling themselves to the outside world as Saints RL so that people who don't come from St Helens can relate better to our brand of RL. The company name remains the same.

First question from somebody not in the know:

"Where do Saints RL play/come from?"

What's your point mate.

That's the whole point. They aren't supposed to know. They are supposed to identify with the rugby league first and foremost, making it their own club, and where the team plays/comes from is supposed to be of secondary importance. The idea is to appeal to as wide a geographical fanbase as possible. Community-neutral.

I'd personally stop supporting them if they ever changed the name officially to Saints RL.

I would not go that far but I can understand where you are coming from.

Widnes

Common sense translation - it's a bullsh[ii[/it marketing idea.

no offence to people who live in St Helens, but its not exactly a thriving and exciting commercial metropolis.

In a game of word association, the first association to the name "St Helens" to an outsider would be negative IMO. Whether you like it or not, the club has to bring in sponsors and fans from outside the town of St Helens, and by taking away the initial negative connotations of being associated with the town there is more chance of getting people interested initially.

Add into the fact that for 12 months the club will have nothing to do with the town of St Helens, then it makes sense to rebrand publicly as Saints RL.