To all those knocking the advert, what did you want/ expect to see ?

Although clearly this plays the northern card very strongly, it certainly gets across the passion involved in following the sport.
Perhaps we shold have asked Farage and Theresa May to have a pint and discuss RL.

The last time we used national media to "advertise" our sport, having the Challenge Cup draw on Radio 4, it was embarrassing and it probably harmed the game.

If this video gets people talking down their local pub / club, then, it's job done.

Sky get excellent viewing figures for RL and this will probably help increase the numbers.

Yours

Fat Northern Rugby League Fan

Got to agree I thought it was funny and liked it just to balance out the argument, as for using Johnny Vegas brilliant a fat northerner and RL fan to boot job done.

Fat Northern Rugby League Fan MK II

It's a good advert, who would have thought RL fans find something to moan about!

The ad is about raising awareness of the season starting and to do that it needs to stand out a 30 second montage of action/hits would just blend in and be utterly forgettable, a short ad isn't enough time to use clips. Would there be any discussion on here if it was just a montage ad? Would there be any discussion away from here? Not a chance.

For all those complaining about the advert, it may be worth remembering that Sky have done this sort of thing before and that their primary/ sole interest is to increase viewing numbers (to increase advertising revenue) for its network.

Clearly, they will never promote RL sufficiently to appease most folk on this forum but, they have rather more experience concerning the their needs than the "experts" on here.

Loved it,one of the true joys of RL and being is a northerner is our ability to laugh at ourselves.

To all you moaners on here might I suggest you move down South and support Union because that's what you are, lighten up and get a life for heavens sake. It's not that ad that's sad it's you.

I'd love to hear some feedback from non RL supporters watching that. Curious to see what they make of it and if it made them want to tune in.

Johnny Vegas is what a certain part of the internet would brand a 'lolcow'.

As a standalone advert, it is amusing but will be forgotten by the end of this season. However, I think it would be great if the RFL paid Michael Joseph Pennington to do his Vegas persona all season long. Imagine him having YouTube meltdowns every time saints lost a game, coming on RLFANS to argue with opposition fans plus whatever else he gets up to on the terraces and elsewhere on Rugby AM or some old man’s pub. A car crash for the internet age..

Personally, I'd like to see a highlights reel placed during the Super Bowl ad breaks but it would be expensive. On the plus side an American club is looking to follow in Toronto's footsteps and I think our sport is most likely to see growth over there. Our professional leagues are so weak we could have a good number of recently established clubs from North America playing here in the next decade. Then they'll head back home to create something much more valuable than what Super League could ever be. Rugby League had its chance to thrive in the UK but that gift has been squandered over the years due to poor growth management by the RFL.

So we get one of britains funniest best loved most recognisable comedians and entertainers, a fine serious and comedy actor, friend of Hollywood heavyweights, and all round massive RL fan, and what do some RL fans do, moan like F**k call him thick fat northerner, and then wonder why our game is not more popular, with fans like this who needs enemies. It's a great ad And funny,

We got Richard Branson, Bradley wiggins, Russel crow and they did f**k all to increase popularity.

Oh and people compare to darts, well darts has had a resurgence due to playing to its strengths and championing its image listening to its fans, Rl contanly trying to distant itself from its past, bringing in rules that fans don't like, playing games on nights fans don't like, changing league format to something that nobody likes etr etr

I enjoyed the Ad. I sent the link to some of my mates who are footy fans and have no real interest in RL. They thought it was funny, and they didn't say "typical northern RL fan". Myself i would've liked to have seen a John Inverdale manakin, with JV stabbing him with a pencil saying "i f***ing hate you". People from all walks of life and classes would enjoy that.

The only thing better than that would be if it was the real Inverdale.

Nice one Mr Cat !

Yours.

Not_Quite_Fat_But_Tubby_&_Working_On_It

PS. (For All)

Darts is a past time for fat alcoholics & is marketed at fat alcoholics by Breweries
& the Past Time Governing Body.

It is no more than a limp C0CK waving contest for P!$$H€AD$.

i think its funny... an irreverent poke at ourselves. or perhaps we don't like it when we have the mirror held up so we can see ourselves in it!

the nice thing is that the short appearances by the players make them look big... mean and athletic... nor do i mind the gentle poking of fun at other sports foibles... because its happening in a medium that we are doing that also to ourselves.

ditch the chip! and lets start to enjoy ourselves and our sport again!

As much as I hate 'settling' so to speak. A lot of RL fans need to realise that although we think this is the best game in the world, the vast majority in this country don't. We have to accept and deal with the fact that we are miles behind football, rugby union and possibly cricket/darts in terms of popularity. We aren't going to get past them anytime soon. What we need to strive for is a slow increase in coverage. Done well in that respect that BBC are live streaming amatuer RL in the Challenge Cup.

In terms of the advert, it's funny, entertaining. Has a pot shot at other sports (which all RL fans do anyway) he syas what we all think and feel. Accurately represents the emotions of a typical RL match. As someone said before yes, Johnny Vegas is an RL lover and maybe in an ideal world we wouldn't have him promoting the game. Yet we've had Russell Crowe (a Hollywood superstar) try promote the game on Sky Sports to no avail.

The only negatives I have with the advert is possibly some of the terminology used. And the lack of actual footage of the sport. For me it should be highlights of one or two classy tries, some monster hits in defence, then a clip of the Mic'd Up section, with maybe the monologue from Vegas over the top of most of it.

Unfortunately with the clowns in charge of the game at the moment. RL will continue to be 'sub-standard' and look amatuerish in terms of marketing the game. Get someone in charge with some brains. I mean Toronto do their own marketing etc and are miles ahead of anything the RFL have come up with.

I'm not a big Johnny Vegas fan so I can't say I find it brilliant but on the other hand its nowhere near as bad as some as the moaners on here are going on about. Anyway if you want a turd, passionless advert (which TBF advertises a turd, passionless competition) check out the 6 nations guff the BBC is putting out at the moment.