I don't recall Wembley being traditionally the start or end of a tour / tournament. The 82 and 86 Aussie teams didn't play there as I recall. In the 90s possibly it was more regular, but Northern in securities soon showed through. Imo.
The 90s was a period when the sport could and should have boomed in the south. We had stars in Hanley and Offiah that the people of the south respected and knew. Then came Sky and all was lost.
I also speaking as a dedicated follower of the sport have lost interest as a result. I no longer go to cup finals and test matches regularly. I don't remember the last test match I went to. I have also stopped going to the GF unless my team get there.
It was dull with Wigan winning everything but they captured the nations imagination and we have fought to avoid that. Rightly or wrongly I am not sure.
It still pees me off that NFL and Saracens RFU can fill Wembley and we can't even fill the Stoop but that's the fault of Sky and the RFL who fail to promote the game sufficiently. Plus as I said the Northern bias against the South.

Think that may summarise part of the reason why that's a non runner

It's actually finding PUBS!!!

They are closing at about 40 a week in GB!!! and have been doing so for many years.

It will be the highly priced warm beer and the small bags of fried pig skin and fat (scratchings?) they sell behind the bar thats causing the punters to disappear faster than a labrador who has just seen Joel Monaghan reaching for the peanut butter.

British pubs are pretty ordinary.


Thats why Barry McKenzie refuses to drink in any other establishments other than Shepherds Bush Walkabout during the week and The Church on a sunday lunchtime.

You are at the moment living in London Barry,I thought all the beer darn sarf was warm anyway.