Quote: silver2 "Union internationals appear to be that type of event that people flock to irrespective of the product. A bit like the boat race, Henley regata, Wimbledon or a royal wedding. Also, when you do have a large crowd even a mediocre event can feel exciting. So rather than RU being a better international sport than RL I would put it down more to the lemming instincts of the middle upper classes.'"
You're speaking my language, silver2
However the "great and good" at Twickers has done it (to get people who have no interest in sport, to sit and watch their "product"icon_wink.gif, we should bottle it and keep it.
When I was still living at home with my parents in the 80s/90s, my dad would watch the rah-rah, and the crowd would be full of the Barbour jacket brigade. Blokes in their advancing years, and not a woman in sight.
Fast forward 20-30 years, and when sports news desks come on, the crowds are now made up of a lot younger age-group, and a lot of them women. Add to this,,
MILLIONS watching on TV. How have they done this? Simple. They've really SOLD their product. They've got into the minds of TV executives that the 6 Nation's REALLY matters.
Decades ago. It was just played on a Saturday afternoon. One game live, and 20odd mins highlights of the other game (depending where you were). Now, it takes over weekends, including prime time Saturday night slots. The RFU has got their marketeers out, and pushed it as "must see TV", just like the USA TV companies market their 8 week dramas as "events". If you're not watching, you're "missing out" because everyone else is tuned in.
People ARE lemmings. They do stuff because everyone else is doing it. They don't want to be seen as "not following the crowd".
In the days when I'd listen to that Gobdaw Chris Evans, he'd be on about 6Nation's games, for days on end, regardless of their quality. We need the RFL to get out there, and spread the word PROPERLY, 52 weeks of the year. Not just CC and GF weeks.
As I've said before. You play an average member of the public a previously unheard Ed Shearon record, but don't tell them it's him, they'll probably give you an honest opinion of it's "quality", Tell another load of people that it is Shearon, and the %age of people who say they like it, will be higher. I guarantee it. People like to "fit in", it's human nature (apart from cynical so'n'sos like myself).
Huge %ages of this country are gullible. They'll believe owt they're told.
