Not a bad return at all:

1. It's great that they managed to get the game played during curricular time! this is really how you get things moving. Weekends = Kids don't turn up, but play the xbox. Extra-curricular= schools can't afford to cover teachers! I've often wondered if rugby league could be squeezed in the pe curriculum during the summer term, when cricket and tennis are covered. During the Autumn term its competing with Football and union. During the Second term it is competing with schools who play 2 term union.

2. Also a good return. The population density of students around this area must be higher than some areas in the more traditional heartland therefor it has to be worth a shot at keeping the game alive down here, it seems to be spreading too, only this morning I received a flier from Hemel Hempstead Staggs. Hopefully it won't be long before we see London born players playing for England.

3. This interests me, I have played League and union to a reasonable level. The difference in my opinion is that in union you can play as an 'old timer', be the person who rucks and doesn't make as much contact, also due to the infrastructure there are vets teams and therefore the risk of injury is lower. League on the otherhand, due to constant crashing into each other lack of vets teams is harder to play the older you get. Unless you are Steve Menzies or stanley gene. This means that vets will often kick off early then watch a game on the telly or buy a batch of tickets and go together. It keeps the interest, and that is what I'd like to see happen with league, I know we have the masters, but it would be great if it was build upon.

Another thing I have noticed:

Union is often over coached, a lot of focus on technique rather than reading the game. League to use a Laurie Daley quote is a more "simple game" however league seems to have more some success in that I'm guessing more kids play union, however we could be looking at an ex league back line in the England union team.

There isn't a hidden agenda, It's a simple question that somebody on here managed to post a simple reply to. Will I ignore the fact that 40,000 kids were exposed to Rugby League - No, why would I? I have been involved with the game for a lot of years including coaching and scouting often off my own back and have first hand experience of what exposure can do for the game. I asked the question as I'm interested in if Rugby league has managed to make it into schools curriculum in London. In some northern schools it has, Cass Academy is one, Corpus in Leeds is another, and they have had great results in the schools cup. The reason I ask is that you can do much more in curriculum time but getting League into that time is no easy task. Especially in a Union stronghold! For league to be really successful it has to get into both the curriculum and extra curricular!



With Harlequins RL work starting in 2006, expecting a SL player to pop out at the far end inside 6 years is asking a bit much but player who started playing at 12, six years later could play for Broncos at 18, I've seen it happen at clubs. The point of this question was to find out if players were starting to come through yet and if they were who were they? I like to keep an eye on players, especially ones from outside the heartland. I like to see if they stay playing for London Clubs or if they relocate up north. I also like to see how they settle.



Good, it's good to see. The reason I asked this question is that I was looking at whether the kids who make it play only 'school rugby' or 'club too'. I know in the North kids usually play for a club first school second. It is though more tribal up there. To mention schools again you have Cas Academy who play and have good pro links, but a lot of their kids also play for Panthers/lock lane, Normonton and Smawthorn, usually depending on who their family are connected to. If players who make it come from clubs I wonder how you get these school kids into clubs too, and if there are enough clubs in a commutable area for them to join and if coaching standards are high enough to keep them progressing.



Thanks, I'm glad you find my replies witty.



I'd have to agree with him.

I think you possibly have me mixed up with somebody else, never once have I commented on "terrible crowds" or league down here isn't "working". The posts I have made have been to ask about how I could attend the games. This is adding to the Broncos support. Although I have to admit it if the majority of supporters are like yourself I won't be attending!



Sorry I don't understand, but am happy to answer if you rephrase it.



No need, I was there, they played Cuthberts, and the loose forward had a great game! I was also at the final against Cas Academy, hence why I used them as an example above. Out of interest I was also at outwoods win against Brentwood and the High Wycombe win against Cas. Cas have had some great results in the comp, I wonder what they are doing right?

Haha, in that case I'll play my trump card - Mark Calderwood, although he did come through the Stanningley ranks a year after Jamie Jones and went to school at Intake.

I'll rephrase my comment.

I hope it isn't long until we see more London born players playing for England.

Interestingly were LMS and TC both products of Greenwich Admirals?

I suppose you could count Offiah too as London born, I think he was anyway, but unfortunately not a product of the junior league system, we have Doug Laughton to thank for him!

Martin Offiah was a union convert and although from London, went to School at Woolverstone Hall
( ILEA ) Ipswich on the banks of the river Orwell. He played for Ipswich Rugby Club, Rosslyn Park, played sevens rugby union and for the Barbarians before going to League.

No, it was stated that the people drawing up the lease never expected to have a Pro RL club. I think the councils view of local playing fields with a couple of non-league sides that have 100-200 supportors was very wide of the mark of what TK had in mind. I know he had been in talks with RU clubs, top level netball (odd I know!!) and trying to get professional boxing matches arranged for the hive and I'm fairly confident that he has been looking for a summer sport to dovetail with the football season ever since the stadium build started, hence the formation of the London Bees.

Nothing odd about Top level netball!

I knew I spent time in Ipswich, I'm guessing because his father was involved in politics during times of instability and it is a boarding school, however this is a guess, just wasn't sure if he was born in London. I wonder if St Helens were kicking themselves when he went to widnes. One thing Laughton was good at was spotting a good union convert.