Sam Burgess to Union

Quote: mystic eddie "I am not arguing that the game is not very dull. It is. RL is the superior game to watch, but RU is BY FAR the bigger game worldwide.

Let's just have a wee look.

Internationally we have the 6 nations, the southern hemisphere four nations, the Autumn test series, and a World Cup with a number of sides with a hope, rather than not having a prayer.

There are strong sides in Aus, NZ, South Africa, England, Ireland, Argentina, France and Wales. There are secondary countries like Scotland, Italy, Samoa, Tonga, Romania, and Fiji.

Club wise there are strong leagues in France, England, Japan, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. There is the Heineken Cup, Amlin Challenge Cup, Super 15, Celtic League, Anglo Welsh Cup.

Despite your claim that 90% have not seen a game and it is only played of a handful more countries than league there are 101 registered international RU playing nations.

There is also a World Sevens competition annually.

You usually have it spot on TT (in fact you are one of the few I cannot ever remember arguing with
My initial point was the lack of satisfaction Burgess would get from playing yawnion, not the respective adulation heaped on each code. The strong nations you quote would account for less than 5% of the world population. Hardly anyone in the top 20most populace countries will have watched yawnion, most won't even have access to a TV. League has about 50 playing countries apparently, but 40 if them will be a joke, as with most of the 100+ yawnion ones. I am jealous to death of the coverage & investment yawnion gets, especially when I see the standard of the game.