I stopped reading after this.

Face the facts, you've just changed your argument! Haha.

You were arguing that RL in Australia is bigger than RU in the entire southern hemisphere. Now it's just Australia? Well done on slyly moving the goalposts. It wasn't unnoticed though.

And this opinion is the exact reason why RL is isolated to where it is. Outside of Australia, very few care about the NRL.
Outside of Australia, a hell of a lot more care about RU. More people globally will watch major RU internationals than a 3 game test series between two states in Aus. It will get more news references because it is more global.

Australia are the single reason why RL isn't as big as it is. And the irony is they think they're the reason WHY it's as big as it is! Once you've gotten your heads out of your *rses and realise that you're not the solution you're the problem, the game might actually move forward at some kinds rate!

That's an interesting one, when I get time I'll dig out the viewing stats for S15 across the Southern Hemi and see if they come close to NRL in Oz,NZ and PNG. My gut feeling is they don't but will have a look to see if I can find any evidence.

New Zealand, France, England, Wales, South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Argentina, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, USA, Canada, Georgia, Madagasca, Namibia, Nigeria...there are a lot more countries if you need them..................keep it up champ

1,464 France v Wales in RL.......84,000 in Union.....go on...tell us again how union struggles

Toyota cup >>>>>>>>>>> S15

No wonder sth Africa wants out!

Lol

I'm sorry JB and as much as i'd like to wholeheartedly agree with you, I can't. RL is the greatest game and NRL, SOO and Superleague are great competitions to watch. However the NRL is signing the death warrant of RL by not bothering about International RL.

RL needs a competitive international game to thrive and expand. If you took away RU's international scene then RU would be nothing with crowd figures matching those in SL and the Championship. RL needs TV money to survive and the only way it will expand and grow globally is for it to have a decent international scene.

NRL may be about to sign a billion dollar deal but in the UK superleague is struggling. If we had a good international scene then we would entice larger sponsorship and in turn larger tv deals. If sky were to pull out of RL then there would only be 1 country in the world with a full time professional league. How many full time professional leagues does RU have?

Problem is the NRL cannot make England, wales, france or any other country competitive. The apathy in international rl is due to the fact that Australia is so dominant and most games are not competitive. Bringing warriors in has aided NZ and moves are afoot to do more with png. Beyond that what exactly do you think the nrl could/should be doing to develop the international game?

Nrl clubs will play PNG and USA this pre season, not much but better than SL club will be doing.

It was the RFL that ditched the GB Lions and Ashes series, our biggest profile international competition.

Like it or not, in Australia nrl brings in the money and is what people are interested in, hence why rl urinates on RU from a great height in this part of the world.

For me I'd like to see GB back, proper 3 test ashes series and proper tours, world nines in per season and more work done in the PI but that all takes money and the RLIF has none.

You'd be wasting your time, as you do realise that isn't comparing RL with RU. That's comparing NRL with S15.

If you're going to compare two sports, you can't select a competition in each and then pick a few selective countries. It's a terrible argument. Might work with a few idiot ockers down in the pub, but it's getting ripped to shreds on here.

Ok let's agree on
NRL>>>>>>>>>S15
SOO>>>>>>>>>int RU (inOz)
RU is not stronger than RL EVERYWHERE like gutters has stated

And leave it at that.

Well no, because that would leave out the part where you admit it was wrong to say that RL is stronger than RU in the southern hemisphere.

Apart from JB, does anyone else think that the mindblowing number of people who watch the NRL on T.V. in Australia would hold any sway with the IOC, if RL was to put forward an application for consideration for possible inclusion in future Olympic games. Or do we think the fact it is only played in a small number of countries where it tends to play second fiddle to the dreaded Union outweigh this somewhat.

I only ask this in relation to the original question (RL at the Olympics) which appears to have got lost as everyone went off on one big style.

We've got no chance BP.

Ru must be ing themselves at Australias abandonment of the rl international game.

Nah, but they do laugh at the fact we (English Rugby League) struggle to sell out GB/ England Internationals in the North of England.

You want to blame ppl for abandoning teh International game..forget about the ARL/ NRL and start with the fans who just cba to attend, before making your way to the clubs who imported players from the Southern Hemisphere because its easier, quicker and cheaper than developing the declining pool of British talent...

As to BP1s question...no, it prolly won't mean a thing to the ioc or its president.

Just like Australia do in Sydney.


Is it because they can't be d to attend? Or is it because the international game is so poorly organised and administered that we don't know when and where games are until a few months before and as such the game is perceived as not that important? Who administers the international game again?


How is it declining? Do explain that one...


Which is why the Aussies need to stop being so bloody insular and realise that the game will be better with decent international competition as well as realising that Australia is not only not the centre of the universe, it's not actually that significant.