(p.s. hope people sensed the sarcasm in my post!)

Yes they are, because they'll willingly pay £50 upwards to watch the England rugby union team, who, even by RU standards, play a shockingly turgid form of the game. But thats a seperate point.

There's no point in us moving to a stadium we're never likely to fill. We've just closed the bloody lexus stand because of (I assume) the financial cost of opening two stands we don't fill, so what is the point of moving to a stadium where that will be even more accentuated? Lets by all means think big, and start by aiming to fill to capacity The Stoop - our fecking ground - before we start with the pie-in-the-sky notions of filling Olympic arenas.

And, as for big internationals, yes why not have them at a big stadium - like Wembley. You know, the big one. Thats quite good.

You completely missed my point

. I was not suggesting Skolars or Quins RL move to the Olyimpic venue - I was suggesting it be the national venue for the Rugby Football League - you know the governing body up north. Read again, where do I mention Quins or Skolars?



As for Wembley - it's the home of football, we are but small scale tenants that turn up once a year. I also have to say the new Wembley was a big let down when I got to go last year. Beckham and his chums/WAGs can keep it.


With regard to RU, I was not making a point about the game in its form, I was trying to make the point that the home nations all have a NATIONAL stadium to represent the country and it's supproters can gravitate around / to it and call the stadium HOME! Murrayfield, Millenium, Twickers, Stade France, Cork Park(Dublin?).

RL does not have this in the UK, we have Huddersfield as the founding point - but no national stadium - WHY NOT?

Hockey has a national home somewhere near Luton (stand to be corrected), tennis has Wimbledon, horse riding has Badminton, cycling has Manchester and soon SE London. Bl**dy hell, every other sport in this country has a national stadium/venue why NOT US! Rugby League National Stadium - not a new home for Skolars or Quins RL.

Now do you understand?



Rant over.

Milton Keynes I believe.

Thank you. Someone who can read!

So does Ice Hockey.

Although in europe the football teams tend to move around rather than play in just one stadium - italy germany spain.

Hockey no longer has a National Stadium

The stadium was taken over by MK Dons for 4 years, who now have their own Stadium.

English Hockey decided that the necessity for a National Stadium was unfounded for our sport (yes, im a hockey player!) and have thus decided the 8k seated stadium is to be demolished and returned to the ownership of English partnerships.

Noticed a passing mention to 'rugby' on the Yahoo sport section under Olympics.

Also though the Stadium will continue to be used by 'runners, jumpers & throwers' the LODA and the Ms Jowell know that it could become a 'white elephant' without an alternative major sport tenant or tenants.

As the major football clubs have turned the place down - upgrading to allow loads of boxes for the 'prawn sandwichs' and for pens to hold in the 'mob' would cost loads of extra dosh - as anyway they would not be willing to host atheltics, as top level football demands prestine pitches. In addition the roofs would need to be 'rebuilt' to cover the seats over the 'disused' running track - this would hasve been a very major cost negative for football - estimate £200-£250 million - to meet.

Hence the idea of trying to get the RFL involved......though perhaps not as a true 'national stadium' as the post 2012 plan is to reduce capacity to around 30/35K but rather as 'national/south-east of RFL excelance.

.......will watch developments with interest as still believe we could get increased 'support' by baseing 'London' Superleague at this venue with it's much better public transport links. Also it will see RL returning to it's first post-war roots at the nearby Hackney Marshes which the majority of the current QRL fan may not remember or even know.

I bet your parents are really proud

though it does explain why you are exiled from Hull


I find it hard to believe that Hockey doesn't need a national stadium. It always seems to be well supported and one of the sports GB does well in in the olympics.

Sorry - confession time here!

Im a GB Olympic hockey player who went to the Sydney Olympics! (honest!) - so my parents are proud!

Hockey just isnt well supported enough. There is a degree of apathy amongst the hockey paying public in the UK whereby only 4k is an average crowd for an international.
People just cant be d to watch hockey - which is a shame.

Most Premier League clubs in the English League can accomodate this (Reading/Cannock/Beeston) so English Hockey just host the internationals around the country.

...the operative word is 'did'......could that be because hockey dumped it's national stadia idea.

yep - they dumped the idea fairly quickly!

shame really. I remember many moons ago a challenge laid at the door of the Lensbury (Shell employees) club hockey team by the "Lensbury Gnomes" veterans rugger team....the hockey team survived the rugby fairly well, but there were plenty of sore shins/ankles/knees on the Gnomes after the Hockey game


Always thought Hockey was a very skillfull game (if a bit poncy)

Always thought Hockey was a very skillfull game (if a bit poncy)

'"

You could tackle a train head on with the poncy padding they wear in Ice Hockey. I've seen more aggression in dancing on ice.

Try taking a field hockey ball to the knackers with just a skirt on. Thats a mans game.

or

or



North Americans are bloody soft

that's health and safety. They used to play without helmets!! Vulcanised rubber flying around at 114mph, no helmets and 16 stone lumpsndropping the gloves to smack me one when I'm notbgetting crusehed into the boardsbor taken out in any direction at any time?? No effin way

No need to go to North America. There are four English Premier league teams locally to Twickenham; Bracknell, Guildford, Romford and Slough. Go to one of the Guildford games and you'll see pelnty of agression and great hockey as they are top of the league of the moment (only just thought)!!

Thought Coventry Blaze and Sheffiels stelers were top at moment

Field hockey or just Hockey to be precise was my sport.

I enjoy Ice Hockey, as like a speeded up version of football on ice, with a bit of agression.

Anyway back to the point I am sure I read somewhere that after the 2012 Olympics all the temporary seating will be removed from the Olympic Stadium and the remaining stadium will have its capacity capped at around 18,000. I believe this was when West Ham finally gave up interest.

However long away it is I'd love to watch a Super League team on the proper side of London, in front of 18,000 fans, and best of all, it would only about 40 mins from my house

Is quicker from my house to there as well, by the way.

Club can't leave west London. It's only just starting to put In roots with fans player dev and media. Move and not only will you lose a percentage of hardcore fans you'll also lose all the casuals and anyone thinking of coming along. Some player dev would stick it out but there's a reason why there is a concentration of clubs and schools that play the game in south west London. Media contacts would die and new ones take a long time To rebuild and would have to get over the "why bother" resistance suspicious that the team will then bugger off again in a few years time.

A second team however would have the benefits for both sides. It would raise the profiles of each team. Attract new fans from a different area. Attract league fans who don't like Quins. Give both sides a high profile rival and help spread RL in the capital.

Hockey and Poncey dont really go together!

equivalent of a hockey ball flying round at +90mph for 70 mins wearing only a gumshield and shinpads!!!!!

If hockey players were sensible we'd be wearing a HELL of a lot more protection!

Different league - they are fully professional and the nearest one in London is Basingstoke. The EPL is semi-professional and has a majority of British players in most teams.

Sounds interesting. I must go and find a local women's match to watch.




Not as dangerous as Hurling I would think. They whirl their clubs round at head height and I don't think there are any restrictions on the height that your allowed to hit the ball at, unlike hockey. Not knocking hockey though, just comparing.