Do a search for advertising tenders & you'll soon find that sponsorship/advertising requests are targeted at different demographics (especially when they're national).
Union is typically ABC1, whereas League routinely goes all the way down to E (and curiously includes children which Union doesn't).
It's not that there are [ino [/iwealthy supporters (the west stand's centre section wouldn't be filled otherwise), it's simply that the lower socio-economic classes have additional weight.

Is that due to the aforementioned chips?

I can't really understand why a the superior spectator sport (RL) lags behind RU.
A couple of us were having this conversation a few nights back, we put it down to the visibility of the six nations as the club games are pretty dire.
It's a big event held every year and available free to all via BBC.

Rugby Union is played in all public schools. About 90% of the England team went to public school -except the Wigan lads! The decision makers at the BBC went to public school. The decision makers at the funding bodies went to public school (or are members of the Conservative Party or both). The newspaper editors and most of the journalists went to Public School.

Rugby Union in England (though not in Wales or NZ) is the game of the ruling classes.

That doesn't mean we should just give in, but it does mean that it's a difficult job to promote Rugby League. A job that the current administration has singularly failed to do. 40 years ago we were on a par with Union. Now it's a different world, but everything that has happened since has weakened the game. Union going pro/Super League/Summer Rugby/Licensing. And yet - the product is so superior both to what it used to be and to Rugby Union as to be almost beyond belief.

Except it doesn't help that for the rest of the season the only pictures for those who don't have Sky are scheduled for silly o'clock on a Sunday night on 2 or 3 northern regions (and the middle of a Monday for everyone else - as if Mrs Trellis from north Wales is going pay any attention anyway).

I remember when some football fans where not pleased whwn teams started to get sponsored by bookies. Now it seems every other team is sponsored by a bookie. In the short term I'd say follow the money so as a sport, we can use the money to invest, advertise and market the game by external companies who are experts in their field. Hopefully we can then gwt more £££ year on year.

I would also like to add I've seen some great posts about the running of the RL in the UK on the Wigan board. I has made interesting reading. Now where is that soap and water....

I'd also like to add that the heads of the media in this country do tend to come from privileged backgrounds where they more than likely went to private schools in the south whos businesses are down south. Unfortunately the 'its grim up north' attitude still exists in higher society.

Quote: the flying biscuit "thats a very simple outlook on things, I doubt the target audience has any baring on it at all. Why are poor peoples shops like Aldi and Lidl the two fastest growing supermarkets? because there's money to be had off poor people. The RFL just don't realise it. I've just seen and advert for Unions Heineken cup....... a run of the mill lager.....? it wasn't the Pims trophy. Anyway here's my take on Why union get more: The RFU is an industrial and provident society owned by over 2,000 member clubs, representing over 2.5 million registered players and forms the largest rugby union society in the world, and one of the largest sports organisations in England. It is based at Twickenham Stadium, London. Patron Queen Elizabeth II Chairman Bill Beaumont President Paul Murphy Union has 166,400 registered players, a drop of 16% in 12 months. and is not very healthy it seems. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -fall.html

Quote: the flying biscuit "thats a very simple outlook on things, I doubt the target audience has any baring on it at all. Why are poor peoples shops like Aldi and Lidl the two fastest growing supermarkets? because there's money to be had off poor people. The RFL just don't realise it. I've just seen and advert for Unions Heineken cup....... a run of the mill lager.....? it wasn't the Pims trophy. Anyway here's my take on Why union get more: The RFU is an industrial and provident society owned by over 2,000 member clubs, representing over 2.5 million registered players and forms the largest rugby union society in the world, and one of the largest sports organisations in England. It is based at Twickenham Stadium, London. Patron Queen Elizabeth II Chairman Bill Beaumont President Paul Murphy Union has 166,400 registered players, a drop of 16% in 12 months. and is not very healthy it seems. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -fall.html

Union has 166,400 registered players, a drop of 16% in 12 months. and is not very healthy it seems. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -fall.html That article is from 2011.

Union has 166,400 registered players, a drop of 16% in 12 months. and is not very healthy it seems. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -fall.html That article is from 2011.

Quote: Finfin "Union has 166,400 registered players, a drop of 16% in 12 months. and is not very healthy it seems. have things changed much. looks at how much Union is loosing, they are living in a "bubble". www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/j ... p-tv-rugby

Quote: Finfin "Union has 166,400 registered players, a drop of 16% in 12 months. and is not very healthy it seems. have things changed much. looks at how much Union is loosing, they are living in a "bubble". www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/j ... p-tv-rugby