To give the RFL some credit I thought today's double header was a great idea, it gave the games a 'big game' feel and helped secure a BBC1 slot.

If the games were played separately I reckon we'd have seen about 8k for Saints - Catalan at Leigh or Widnes, and 12/13k at Hudds or Donny for Leeds - Wire. And at least one game would have been shoved on BBC2.

Can imagine that a double header in good weather was good for the stadiums beer sales, so hopefully we can get some rival stadiums competing in future years and paying a fee to host the games.

Actually, no it isn't. The Irish ladies Hockey team had just featured in the World Cup Final, played in London at the end of a 14 day festival of Hockey played in front of enthusiastic crowds in the Capital.
The last official stats had RL participation in the UK sitting at 67,200.....same company, same stat, same year for Field Hockey was 142,600.
rlhttps://www.statista.com/rl

Again, we have the RL bubble coming to the fore. Just because I look for the London Broncos results on a Monday morning or watch all the NRL I can, I am fully aware that the game of RL has a dwindling profile in the English public's conciseness. Because I want the game to be better covered, doesn't mean it should be and the media in this instance see the "fairytale" of Ireland making the final on a budget that is a tiny % of that of bigger nations is more newsworthy than the CC Double header...because it's not just a sports news story, there a human interest side to it.

Are you an accountant by any chance? You are often quoting numbers.

EDITED....

Don't beat yourself up Barnaby, I enjoy your responses to the flatcappers.

so why not have it reported on BBC sport, they showed it live on BBC1 then choose to ignore it in favor of an amateur sports team from another country.

thats all well and good but surely the human interest story of the little french minnows overturning the mighty all conquering saints is newsworthy on a channel that 2 hours early showed the game on its prime channel. they also reported a Scottish soccer friendly surely that could have been given the boot instead if airtime was tight. People say RL is paranoid but just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you.

Did you actually watch the gripping match between Australia and England in the 2017 World Cup Final? Did you actually watch the match between Tonga and Samoa in the same series? Or the match Tonga vs New Zealand?

I am compelled to ask: do you really watch any international rugby league?