Damn you BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/31098420

Damn you BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/31098420

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/30987066 And again!!!

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/30987066 And again!!!

I didn't realise until I was checking the BBC website from abroad, that the link to Rugby League isn't on their main sports menu. I had to go to All Sports and possibly A-Z sports after that.

I don't know if this is a regional or national thing.

To be fair to the Beeb, in certain circumstances, as Harold McMillan once said, "You've never had it so good"

As I said in counter to duckie's codswallop earlier, yes, the Beeb DID drop the Lancs/Yorks Cup, and they lost the Prem/Tests for years (whether they bidded for them, or were outbidded I don't know), BUT, we now (and have for the last few years) get TWO Challenge Cup games per weekend ,shown FULLY, and live. For those on here under the age of 30, let me tell you JUST how the Beeb treated our game in the mid to late 80's.

Picture the scene.
It's 2:40 on a Saturday afternoon.
Des Lynam would sneer, and say here's Rugby League. The game is already underway, and you get literally 5 mins of highlights of the first half, and then the second half live. As soon as the match was over, the players would just be shaking hands, and it's be straight back to Des sneering at our game again, just in time for the all important footie half times. No interviews, no try recaps, no analysis. Just Des' self love.

But, these WERE the days of the Old School Tie, when the Beeb's hierarchy were all Oxbridge educated, and in their 60-70's (typical Rah-Rah fodder). For the last 20 or so years, the Beeb's been run by middle class lefties, so the Old School Tie brigade are of a bygone generation.


I think Granada's Saturday afternoon games from the autumn of 1989 were a HUGE kick up the Aris for the Beeb. It's hard to believe, but ITV's sports department did a half decent job (for once), and the Beeb really took notice and immediately started showing our game the respect it deserves. It upped the standard of their coverage, even though we had to put up with Steve Sims and Ross Strudwick.

With regard to the 6 Nations, we've just got to admit defeat.
We are a nation of 60 million people. You mention Rugby to someone, and automatically they think 6 (or 5 Nations). Not because it's better, it's just the one thing they subconsciously grab hold of, once a year. That bottom hole Chris Evans has been on about it this week, and will be 'til it ends. After that, he won't mention it again. Similar to Wimbledon. Joe Public doesn't give a stiff one about tennis, 50 weeks a year. Come the last week in June, I'm sick of hearing "Come on Tim/Andy/Fred Perry". After that, the public don't care.

Nah, the Beeb don't particularly like us, but they tolerate us a lot better than the did, a generation ago.......and we get a magazine show, now. "Enjoy your Rugby League.......we do"

BBC just lost The Open. Let's hope they consolidate their assets and look closer at RL!

I think It must have been the Bath game in Which Sam Burgess debuted that I finally realised I have no understanding of Rugby union....

the passage of play was:
a penalty was awarded to one team who kicked for touch (like rugby league I thought),
the kick never went dead and a back caught it, (as happens in Rugby League)
the commentator screamed "that's criminal absolutely criminal" (just like they would in Rugby League).
the back then kicked the ball straight back to the team who had just squandered possession and they went straight on the attack

I thought off this is juvenile and turned off.....

I tell anyone who'll listen that story, as it just sums up the nonsense that is rugby union.

Its like Big brother I watch it out of some morbid curiosity then after about ten minutes I can be heard walking away muttering who watches this .....

apparently millions....... so tip for the RFL make our game crap they'll tune in in their millions

Lefty, don't forget three quarters of the screen being taken over by football results, or having to switch to BBC 2 midway through the game.

Worth noting that the first CC semi final will be broadcast on the Friday night. I know some will have a cry about this but the Friday night FA Cup has been a huge success and being given such a prestigious slot in the schedule shows both respect for our sport and a belief that the game can pull in a large NATIONAL TV audience.

He probably had. Have you ever been to Wakefield?

Ryder always gave the impression that he'd prefer to be seen coming out of a brothel by the Sunday papers, rather than a RL ground.

The rights a thing happens with every broadcaster and every sport. The BDO at Lakeside got far more coverage on BBC Radio 2 etc than the PDC World Championship.

The reason for that is that one of the commentators co-presents the breakfast show. Radio 5 Live the other year had full match commentary of the PDC World Final, a tournament that they don't have highlights of. They also did full text commentary, something which they repeated this year. It's different for different broadcasters. Sky Sports don't have the 6 Nations, yet make a massive fuss over it. Just like the do the Olympics, World Cup, Euro's etc.

My comment regarding Sky Sports was down to the fact that they HAVE the option of showing Challenge Cup games, but because they don't have exclusive rights, most of the time they don't bother exercising the option.

To get back to the original post on this topic, Gareth Raynor has been found NG on all charges> I'm almost surprised that the Beeb didn't run a story entitled, 'Ex Leicester Tigers RU Star found Not Guilty on trumped up sex charges.' Everyone has conveniently forgotten that he did go to RU for a couple of years.