I honestly think the best thing for both the sports would be to come back together.

League is sadly pretty much dead in the U.K. yet thriving in Aus where union is on its uppers

Surely with the challenges of covid, pressures on both sports, you could get enough money thrown at a coming together- similar to the murdock SL breakaway and unions professionalism.

Both codes gain, we just need some sensible dialogue on rules...but what we lose on the negotiating table here we gain in Aus.
Personally I’d even keep rucks and mauls but limit them to two players from each team to keep quick recycled possession.

In fact, 13 players, 4ptbs followed by mini rucks and mauls would give you the best of both sports and some very interesting tactical battles...less technical teams kicking for territory after their guaranteed set etc, with the stronger technical teams chancing their arm etc.

I’d also be happy to go back to a 5m retiring defensive line as a compromise...imo the 10m hit em up style of league has made this game much worse over the past 20 years as all about high impact running into each other and shallow offloads in the line than clever deep attacking running lines....when union occasionally get the ball out to play a bit of rugby their deeper attack (forced by a non retiring defensive line) can be better to watch (for all of the 5 seconds the balls in play)

Imagine a SL of our strongest 6 northern clubs and their strongest 6 southern clubs...potential to drive that to 20k average gates for all in the first 5-10 years and have a truly National game neither code can really claim atm

I'm a fan of both codes and I've thought this for a long while now. A combined, single code wouldn't challenge football but it would still be a global powerhouse.

Shame there's more chance of world peace.

I certainly don't want a combined code. Fortunately, there's next to no chance of it happening.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the rules of rugby league as it is, thank you.

If Union do away with 2 players, rucks and mauls, line outs, 3 point drop goals and penalties, half their rules and introduce a limit of 6 tackles, I’m absolutely all for it.

I have just pointed out 3 areas where Union excel at over League and its all from personal experience.

Do you have any attendance stats for the premiershop in this country?

Overall I agree with you, its the tinkering around each year and number of smaller rules where you don't need them that is my annoyance.

Well, as I've said before, the way some fans seem to get their knickers in a twist about relatively minor rules tweaks like the ball-steal rule (one way or another) seems often way over the top to me. Yes, constant rules tweaks can be a very minor annoyance, but don't tell me it's enough to 'fall out of love with the sport', or some such.

It's a very odd hill to want to die on.

2019 Union Premiership Average Attendances, excluding home and european cup games. (Last non Covid Season)

Wasps *32,000 Ricoh Stadium, Coventry
Bristol Bears 27,000 (First Season) Ashton Gate Football Stadium, Bristol
Leicester Tigers 25,849
Gloucester 16,155
Northampton Saints 15,249
Harlequins 14,800
Exeter Chiefs 12,921
Sale Sharks 12,000
Worcester Warriors 11,489 Sixfields Football Stadium, Northampton
Newcastle Falcons 10,200
Saracens 10,000

Bear in mind that away supporters have further to travel than in League for most games.

* Many of Wasps supporters actually live in London.


Hope this helps.

Surely they are the ground capacities?

**Edit** They look to be. Sale averaged just over 6,000 in their last full season in front of crowds (2018/19). Wasps around 19k and a couple like Saracens and Worcester around 7,000. There are some really impressive averages but tough to get a full picture, as from what I saw, a team like Harlequins included a 75,000 crowd at a final in their averages.

I found this....seems more accurate. Wasps did get one match with 31000 fans

Tigers - 19,888
Wasps - 17,975
Bristol - 16,413
Bath - 14,024
Gloucester - 13,996
Saints - 12,471
Harlequins - 12,391
Exeter - 10,964
Saracens - 8,622
Worcester - 7,848
Newcastle - 7,440
Sale Sharks - 6,365

Also try here, can see by season total number of fans for the season rlhttps://rd.premiershiprugby.com/stats/attendance.php?includeref

Leicester Tigers 228,865
Harlequins 212,435
Bath Rugby 201,977
Bristol Bears 179,827
Wasps 177,761
Northampton Saints 169,369
Gloucester Rugby 158,158
Exeter Chiefs 144,446
Saracens 143,845
Newcastle Falcons 100,826
Worcester Warriors 91,162
Sale Sharks 72,443

Looks like domestic union a lot better supported than league.

French Rugby League has always been in the shadow of Union like our game is in our country. It is only played in the South of Franch in the same way that the majority of our game is played in the North of England while Union at a professional level in both countries is a nationwide game.

French Rugby League today is in a far stronger position than what it was a few years ago, as a result of two clubs playing in the English leagues. Even teams in the French Leagues now have players from down under playing for them which was not the case when all their players were French.

The only problem with French teams in our game is the absence of away supporters, but is it any different that having a team like Toronto Wolfpack in our leagues?

It would appear that you are right, but the fact remains that since Union went professional and created the Premiership, their attendances are far higher than what they were when they were amateur clubs and played just friendlies.

But in the lower divisions, their game is not as rosey as they make out in the media.

At the time, that their game went professional, I attended a wedding at Teignmouth RU in Devon, where I got talking to the club chairman who told me that as a result of their game going professional, players of the club which was about the same level as Orrell RU wanted expenses to travel from all over Devon to play for their club when previously like our amateur clubs, they travelled for nothing. A financial burden which he claimed small clubs like Teignmouth RU could not afford.

p.s. Just for interest, on the wall of their clubhouse was a signed picture of the winger Jim Fallon who played for Teignmouth RU, prior to going to Bath RU and then signed by Leeds Rhinos.