www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24835527 The link above is to todays BBC Business page. Yet another amazing piece of media interest in the World Cup. This is NOT the BBC sports, but the BUSINESS page. I don't know what the RFL have been doing to achieve the massive coverage we are receiving over the last few weeks, but please, please, keep it up !! I have been watching RL since the 1950's but I cannot remember anything like this. The whole competition has been fantastic, the rugby, presentation, commentary, media. Whether it is Mr Barwick who is responsible I don't know, I'm sure a lot of it was probably in place before he came along, but the results of a lot of very hard work is plain to see. I do think getting the BBC on-side has been a massive factor. I have been one of their biggest critics over decades but it just shows the influence the BBC has. All I can say to the RFL is, whatever you have been doing, "keep it up" and keep the BBC onside. I am just revelling in the World Cup, fantastic !!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24835527 The link above is to todays BBC Business page. Yet another amazing piece of media interest in the World Cup. This is NOT the BBC sports, but the BUSINESS page. I don't know what the RFL have been doing to achieve the massive coverage we are receiving over the last few weeks, but please, please, keep it up !! I have been watching RL since the 1950's but I cannot remember anything like this. The whole competition has been fantastic, the rugby, presentation, commentary, media. Whether it is Mr Barwick who is responsible I don't know, I'm sure a lot of it was probably in place before he came along, but the results of a lot of very hard work is plain to see. I do think getting the BBC on-side has been a massive factor. I have been one of their biggest critics over decades but it just shows the influence the BBC has. All I can say to the RFL is, whatever you have been doing, "keep it up" and keep the BBC onside. I am just revelling in the World Cup, fantastic !!

Wow that's a great write up, , well done Brian barwick.

Brilliant, within weeks people on here and the VT were crying that he had done nothing, yet his appointment has really been felt in recent weeks. I met him at the Halliwell Jones the other week before the Nz v Samoa and he was a really genuine, down to earth bloke.

If only we could get all this domestic mess sorted the sport really could take off.

As much as I'm enjoying the World Cup, does anyone think it will actually grow the game and how would we measure it.

I only work for a small company but out of the eleven of us, I'm the only person who knows it's taking place.

The thing is, for around ten years rugby league neglected test football and left it to rot. But it has started to recover more recently, especially since the new NRL Commission has fully got behind it. The competition was never going to have the nation hanging flags out the window and grinding to a halt- but for me it can have a 'legacy' (I hate the word) in the following ways-

[uParticipation[/u
RL suffered in the last round of Sports England funding and this is a great chance to address that. I remember when England won the other code's World Cup I must have been about 12 and had no interest in the rugby. Until the final I didn't have a clue that there was a World Cup on and only saw the final because my Grandad had it on. In school two days later everyone had gone RU mad and suddenly everyone was playing it after school. I can remember nagging my mum to go out to JJB and get me a rugby ball. It was exactly the same with the Ashes in 2005 and more recently with cycling. For it to really work we need England to have some success.

[uMedia Coverage[/u
This has been spot on so far and seems to be taking the game to new audiences. I read the other day that RL took the first three pages of the Telegraph's Sport section the day we took on Australia, completely unprecedented. The day after NZ v Samoa RL was the top two most watched videos on the BBC Sport website, again I imagine that is unprecedented. I went into work in Liverpool the next day and people were asking all sorts of questions.

Media coverage may not make someone go out and buy tickets, but it can change one's perceptions and give the game a strong, fresh image. People will be seeing that the game is played in front of a diverse and family friendly crowd in modern, packed out stadia.

[uInspiring people to follow the game[/u
There are a lot of people who will be going to their first game of RL during the tournament, it is important that everything possible is done to keep them up. Due to the nature of our clubs newcomers from outside of the 'heartlands' are unlikely to suddenly adopt a club, but we need to keep hold of their details and be pushing the boat out to get these people to Old Trafford and Wembley next year.

Overall I think the RLWC is great for the game's profile and test football, but after the dust has settled following the final it is important that all this stuff is worked on and a full international calender for at least the next two years is announced as soon as possible.

cracking article that, and based on what it said gave me the kick up the to go book tickets for the final, can i get 4 together? nope, can i even get 2 together? not an effin chance.

Looks like i wont have to tell the missus i'm disapearing for 3 hours on our first anniversary after all.

I'm sure you'll all agree what we really need is for England to win the World Cup. I think we'd get a bit of media exposure then and the rest follows.

Go on, lad, do it. You know you want to. You'll have lots of other anniversaries. She won't mind.





On second thoughts, don't. I missed one many years ago and I'm still paying for it.

My anniversary is also my birthday, missed last year s and this years because of the GF

Im less cool about the media coverage.
I think the bbc coverage is small.

I remember that ITV gave union blanket coverage about 25 years back in their first proper world cup and completely transformed the game internationally, and it grew from then on.

I would rather see the beeb give the league world cup the same respect even if it were on a bbc 4!

Highlights is not an unmissable programme, unlike a live tv!!