Quote: Leeeigh Leeeigh "But RL is not a regional sport like it used to be. Its played up and down the country, and Sky viewing figures show there is interest. We all got introduced to the game one way or other. The future generations outside the heartlands of RL enthusiasts will thank us for it 20 years down the line - how many that will be who knows.'"
For me it comes down to the RFL being embarressed that the sport is a largely played in the North.
A RL game is worth watching if its in Bridgend or Batley so long as its played to the same rules for all and everyone has the same chance of failure or success.
The Heartlands died a long time ago and doesn't really exist IMO, I'd love people where I live to know about RL (circa 10mins from a local lower league team, circa 50 mins to a host of SL teams) but they don't.
I here " expansion , expansion" is what's best by people at Redhall - even taking the game to expand in France but the game is still a minority sport in the UK with vast area's near to where you or I live not knowing anything about RL - a huge untapped audience ignored
.
Yes we should be alarmed at Leighs gates, but so should the RFL, Once old style clubs in what once was the RL "Heartlands" lose support then its time to start worrying, especially if support in the new clubs doesn't match expectations.
Mr Lewis seems to have a obsessive quest to overhaul Union in being a national sport, what he has compleltley missed is that Union knows its heartlands and largely looks after them as well as trying to expand , they know only a idiot bites off the hand that feeds them.
) tho I think. I think too many things are just being repeated from months ago.
