So if i chose to support Swinton, id be representative of Lancashire

Can't argue, I think I'll leave it. It's just some guy who likes to tell people where they're from based on unfounded opinion. Btw the Mayor of London example is a classic one of someone who is evidently a representative of the UK around the world, but was born in the USA, and spent the first few years of his life there. Mo Farrah as above is another good example (as are people like Graham, Hamilton, Beckham etc who do not live in the UK) of the idiocy of these people who like to try to tell people which country they should/not be allowed to represent.

Really? Your definition of pretty popular and that of the OED are on seperate levels then. There are a load of AFL clubs in Britain and the GB side plays in a Euro and International cup.....it is in no way "pretty popular"....neither was RL in Italy. 73,000+ Watched the Union match v the AB's a few weeks back, with another 32,000 last week v the wannabees...that's more people than watched the 2 ANZAC RL tests this year between the 2 best RL sides on the planet......and in a soccer mad country, I would say that that is the definition of "pretty popular". HTH



So, a sport that was amateur and required it's players to be amateur threatened any players who played a professional sport with expulsion......I see no problem here, given GB RL was full of Welsh Union players who faced the same ban, but took the cash anyway. If you play a game, in this case RU, you abide by the rules and instructions of that games governing body......it's the same for any sport.

I'm excited by the potential of the Fijian team. They had a good world cup last time and look even stronger this time. Shame Uate and Hayne won't be playing for them.

Really JB?

Loking atwho's available for each nation I think Fiji are behind a few others.

Such a rule would be illegal. Regardless of that, just because it was a rule, doesnt mean it was right or acceptable or shouldnt be criticised.

Pretty popular, relatively speaking.

As expansion in other countries was very small in the mid-20th century, a 24 team league is pretty popular. If you're going to compare to other sports, it's obviously easy to bash the game in any direction... yet achieves nothing.


I know you're doing your best to defend union from unfair bashing (and most of your defence I usually agree with), but the fact that you can't see a problem with one governing body preventing people from having a freedom of choice by using its influence to ban people is just ridiculous.

Was Italian RL professional? Does being a professional once mean you're not ever able to be amateur again? Were other professional sportsmen banned from playing union? Don't try and dress this one up, it was just an attempt by rugby union governing bodies to stump the growth of league.
And just because it happened in other countries also doesn't make it not a problem. Quite the opposite.


So what could they have done?

Italy 750/1 to win the world cup ...

Canadians make a national dish out of it.......

If they can get Hayne to switch their backline looks great, There was a couple of young Fijians come through in the NRL last season that looked very talented.