When are we going to see some rugby, this is e?

Yeah I agree with all that. You're right we never stick with anything. We even have rules of the game chopping and changing every year.
As you say we need to get our calendar set, both domestically and internationally. I like to think, being fairly heavily involved in RL (I'm a season ticket holder at 2 clubs, I play touch rugby, coach youngsters and follow it pretty closely on here and social media), that I'm pretty up to speed on RL matters. Yet I had no idea until the last couple of weeks that England were playing France at the end of October. If I don't know how the hell will people not so involved in the sport?
We desperately need regular games set at the same time every season, preferably at the same venues. I have a few mates who will happily go and watch the odd RL game, but they need time to organise their work and family commitments. If we knew that every year, say, England were playing France on the 2nd Saturday in June, we'd probably book our tickets every year. It's a chance to meet up, catch up, and have a good time while watching a decent sporting event. But as we never know when it's going to be we (as a group) just don't bother. Now this is obviously only anecdotal, but I can't be the only one in this situation.

As for expansion, as Headhunter says, unfortunately RL has sod all money. Which is why, in the northern hemisphere, I'd be tempted to concentrate on Wales & France in the medium term. If we could get them competitive with England I think it would transform the sport in this country, and in France and Wales.

Yep. It's just a shame because he could contribute to a discussion if he wanted to, but he chooses not to.

[youtubeYQySzTGkxv0[/youtube

Well I've refrained from commenting on this thread so far. Having now watched a few games in the RUWC. Just so boring. There must be 10 mins at absolute best in which rugby is actually played in a game. The rest is all kicking and dead ball time. I only wanted to watch the rugby tonight because of the burgess factor. He's hardly touched the ball. Made maybe 1 tackle and is now off.

Lancaster dropped a clanger taking Youngs off for Wrigglesworth.

Ahahaha! But in fairness Should have left Sam on.

So the great plan of playing England's last group game at the Manchester City's stadium on the same day as the SL GF at Old Trafford is now possibly a dead rubber if they lose to Australia next week?

In fairness they lost to a class Wales side...should be ok next week.

Seriously? They were shocking. Not to mention they lost half their back line in one incident! England are terrible.

No

It's a sad state of affairs isn't it? How can a sport this good be lagging behind women's cricket in terms of sponsorship?

Maybe my thoughts on expanding in Scandinavia is about a decade too early. But I'd agree on making Wales and France competitive. I believe there are 40000 active players in RL in France (a 10k rise since 2012). The sport is in the up there. When Hull KR went and played Catalans in Toulouse the other year there were 15000 spectators there. That's impressive. When you think that I was fairly impressed with Wigan-Catalans getting 8000 at Millwall a few weeks back. Catalans-Warrington got 18000 in Barcelona in 2009 too. Okay that's not in France but maybe there's something to be built on there as well but we've never revisited the idea.

There is certainly something there to be built on in France though. It just needs to be run properly.

I think the biggest thing for the international game to grow is for Australia to really get behind it with a big sponsor(s) on board though. As you say, we just don't have he money up North. We need the Aussies!

But as we've both said, we can still help ourselves up here in the Northern Hemisphere by getting a proper calendar and cycle together. I'm from Manchester a random rugby league fan in an area where there are about eight local amateur rugby union clubs. Not many of my mates like rugby league. But I've taken a few of them to about four Grand Finals and a Magic Weekend in the city and they've all enjoyed it. If we could set our calendar to an international game a year as well and we knew that every year we would be off to "xxxxxx?" to watch England v France in June, lien you say, then there's another thing in there that people can pin-point and build from (doesn't have to be in Manchester, I just used that as my example). Casual fans, people who don't particularly follow one club or the sport all year round may still get themselves off to see that game once a year as well as the usual RL community. Have it at Bolton's ground every year or something.

52 points and 2 tries?
is that right?

what a bloody god awful sport it is!

if only RL had RUs money and influence eh

That's how the game usually pans out. You do get the occasional match where a fair amount of rugby is played. South Africa/Samoa wasn't bad at all, and the ABs (who believe in keeping the ball alive in the hands, and avoiding excessive kicking) are always worth a watch.

Ford was an unknown quantity? So you are saying Wales management team didn't know anything about him Wales sent plenty of big fellas down his channel in February and he did very well. As for saying Farrells abilities are best suited against Wales, remind me how each got on respectively against Wales this year? And i mentioned BOD because you said pundits were slating Burgess because they were 'anti-league', do you think BOD is anti-league? No, so you were talking rubbish.