I still hold to the view that rugby league, if it ever wishes top be considered a major sport in the UK, needs a successful [defined as you will] presence in the capital. The truth is I don't know how 'solid' the grass roots are in London, nor do I really know how much the London SL club is necessary to retain or grow those roots but I do know those roots are substantial and it would be a real sad day for the game if the fruits of all that work went belly up.

I'd suspect the Broncos are a figurehead for the game down there, just as the city sides in the north are for their own areas, and same as the 'grass roots' development, to me it would be a desperate shame if 30 odd years of blood sweat an tears went down the pan.

Knowing a little bit about the academy,I would say London's academy is doing very well.Dont know what the answer is for London and it's certainly looking bleak,but if Broncos go it would be really bad news for a lot of young lads coming through the system.

Won't be holding my breath for RFL to come up with a solution for them young lads

The problem is as soon as you loose a super league in the capital you loose what
is classed as a national game. Sky would then offer monies to what will be classed as local to the north of England. Could the league and clubs afford to take that chance.

That is a good point,maybe the RFL will use that to keep London in super league

Whether most fans like it or not we have to hope to keep a team in London or the game we all know is doomed in its current format. Its down to BBC prices and floodlight comps

There is some excellent Amateur RL in London. But it is struggling, and the loss of a SL club to aim for would be a massive blow. Having said that, the Broncos have been run by a bunch of clowns for years. Fred Karno would have done a better job.

Yeah cos if you're a kid growing up in London who gets into RL your absolute ambition would be to play for the Broncos. If they go their ambition and interest is lost forever. None of this kids want to play for a club like Wigan or an Nrl side or anything like that

The might have an ultimate ambition to play for Wigan or South Sydney, but most 15 year olds wouldn't look further afield than a reasonably local club as their starting point for a pro career. If only as a stepping stone before moving to Wigan. If there isn't a professional club in London they're more likely to give up or switch to union rather than consider moving up north. And how many northern clubs have established scouting networks in the south?

That said, it might be time to accept that professional game just isn't going to work in London.

As a number on here seem to believe there is no RL beyond Bradford I don't see it is much different for London kids having limited horizons.

That's what would effect amatuer rugby league in the south east not London broncos.

Goo way to lose the argument.

Bit uncalled for TT.

I don't think you'll find it much different on any individual club's board to be fair. Let's be honest the vast majority on here come on to discuss Bull's matters and would naturally tend to have their metaphorical 'Bradford hat' on when they do so. I mean it's not the VT..[

Hard to say what the effect of northern clubs chasing youngsters in London would have been to be fair. I'd suspect the effect on the Broncos would hardly have been totally benign. Fair enough, it's a massive area - especially when considering the population - but the profile of RL is so much lower in the south than in the northern heartlands so, pro rata, the number of available youngsters already playing the game is going to be limited. The whole south-east region may well be as big as Lancs and Yorks combined but there will hardly be anywhere near as many rugby league players in it, and if those had been lost to the Broncos they may not have even survived until now.

Sorry I meant scouting of players (by whoever) is more important than the existence of the Broncos to amateur rl in the south east. In my opinion of course.

That's a fair point Maccbull and you may be right but to be honest, I'd prefer we didn't have to find out as both amateur and pro clubs have an effect on take up of the game, particularly in an area which is pretty remote from the 'heartlands', and needs all the help it can get.