Quote: Gijou "So as I said earlier in the thread, what consideration should rugby league give union in Canada given union is barely a blip on the map?
Absolutely none whatsoever...'"
Despite not being a big sport over here, Union is still capable of being an obstacle to attempts to get RL going here. Unlike other countries, it's not possible to play at a different time of year here, all outdoor sports have to operate between May and October due to the climate. That means no Union players are coming over unless they give up Union altogether, it's just too physically demanding for guys to try playing both in the same season. It also means there's a heavy demand for fields in spring and summer too.
Union being much smaller here than other sports, they'll want to hold onto all the players they have now. They leaned heavily on players not to give RL a try when the previous league headed by Dave Silcock was trying to get established, and I see no reason they wouldn't do the same again.
That being the case, a Canadian RL body would have to be make it worth their while to come over, or recruit American football players exclusively. Very few will give up a sport where they get regular games in a structured competition for one where they may or may not get games depending on how well it takes off, but the fewer players they can recruit the less likely that is to happen....
Until a way is found to make it appealing for guys to give up playing union for RL, I doubt it's feasible to get enough players to get the game going here. I hope I'm wrong but don't think I am.
