There is now only one rugby union club left in London (Harlequins), most of the rest play in the Midlands. The potential to drum up some new sponsors and support for our sport down there is huge now. I think it's a great idea for the wider scope of the game.

England v NZ is being played in London. If you think this will have even a tenth of the impact you're deluded. Wigan played in London every year for years, as did every other team.

Wonder if this special mission will be carried out at a part of the season where you can't pinpoint when or where you're playing yet and Latics have a couple of games at home.....

Check out his username as I'm sure he won't be giving a monkey's when Latics play.

Anyway, I'm sure IL would.love some advice from you on business strategy, let's hear your ideas for his club.

I'm not sure about this. The football season starts in August so getting a suitable venue may be a problem. It would have to take place during August rather than September to maximize our own support. It won't be at Twickers or the Olympic Stadium because they are too big and the crowd of say 5,000 will look ridiculous. So a smaller venue is needed. How about the Stoop? Oh, it's been done...

Another problem is this - coming top 4 brings an advantage of 4 home games - why throw away that advantage? If it is Catalan, they can't win for toffee away from France but make it neutral (they drew with the Giants at Magic) and they have plenty of chance to beat us. The outcome could be that we finish 5th and lose the chance of qualifying for Old Trafford.

And really- hasn't the London RL thing been done to death over the last 40 years? Taking the game to Newcastle and building on Magic would make sense to me, even Edinburgh or Cardiff.

From a sporting perspective it's madness. From a marketing perspective I fear it will make us look bad as there's nothing worse than a three quarters empty stadium (ask Huddersfield fans!!! )

Getting the corporate world interested id the main thrust of it, I reckon. Couple of guys at work went to a rugby union international last year, courtesy of some rep or other; it's a commonplace thing. But does it happen with league? Does it hell! It so happens one of our major suppliers in based in Castleford. Now Castleford isn't a big place, but when I said to him, how about some Cup Final tickets, then (this was the year Cas were in the Final), he just looked at me blankly.

When this topic cropped up before,I said that finding a venue might be the stumbling-block anyway. But if Wigan are plugging it again, maybe they've got something sorted out (or at least tentatively)?

He probably thought "Why doesn't he just buy a ticket if he wants to go - you can get a ticket for twenty quid all year round and they still can't sell the place out!!"

PR disaster in the making, IL lines up a group of bluechip firms for potential sponsorship deals and we serve up dross like last night (and a lot of previous nights)
It won't be pretty.

Don't be so sure about that. It [iwill[/i rely on some none-too-subtle brown-nosing and bigging up the reputation of the club (which, for all the bluff & bluster of Leeds & StH is still head & shoulders above all others in Britain). But if the game is to expand (or even just remain a viable concern) then this sort of thing is essential.

Much as I bemoan and question the logic of taking a home game on the road (disenfranchising lots of ST holders who simply can't afford the time or additional cost), who else is even attempting this sort of thing? The RFL certainly aren't. They've comprehensively squandered all the gains made in the (albeit tainted) afterglow of the WC only 18 months ago (ish).

And "Northern Powerhouse" my arris. Much as we'd like to think we live in a much nicer part of the country (and we do), London is where the money & influence are. If this is done well then it could have a positive effect & we might see some more entrepreneurial thinking heading towards not just WW, but the game as a whole.

Although with my cynical hat firmly clamped on, I do suspect this is the start of IL's tilt at running the RFL.

It happens at Wigan. I have friends who were treated to a corporate "do" at the DW. Meal before the game, one of those executive boxes and goodies given out. One of the goodies was a hip flask with the Wigan crest on it. One of my friends gave his to me!

It would have been a very easy win to get some brownie-points with local businesses. Not every executive demands £16k Parmigiani watches.

I know.

I must admit, in all the years I've watched sport I've never been invited to do 'corporate' - I must be mixing in the wrong circles!

Only ever been asked to the Ring of Indifference once for the CC final against Leeds in '11 - turned it down. Had a much better time in with the prols - I'd have only scared the living daylights out of the langoustine ciabatta mob anyway (or spent the entire 80 explaining the rules).

This is not exactly corporate, but against Salford a couple of weeks ago I was treated by my Niece to a Hospitality package at the Club to celebrate my 75th birthday.
After doing the stadium tour we had a very nice 3 course meal in Riggoletoes which I washed down with 2 or 3 pints (after 2 pints I lose count) , after the meal a couple of players ,Thornley and Shorrocks did a bit of a question and answer with the people from Wigan Hospitality doing the compering .
During the evening they came round with tickets for a draw and when it came to do the draw everyone was sat there with their tickets waiting .
The winning ticket for prize No 1 was announced and the winner went up to the stage for his/her prize all the while receiving warm applause, this was repeatead for prizes 2, 3 and 4. Then one of the announcers said prize No 5 is No 246, lo and behold I had the ticket, so up I got and made my way to the stage for my prize with everyone applauding. When I got near the stage the announcer suddenly said "if we had a prize No 5 we would gladly give it to you but we have not got one ", cue loud laughter all round as I about turned and made my way back to my table.

I laughed myself at the time but in hindsight I should have carried on walking to the stage, thrust my ticket in their faces and said where is my prize.

Many years ago (early 80s?) I managed to get myself a job at the Open Golf at Royal Birkdale for 4 days. I worked in a tent that served some pretty fancy food to the great and the good (Tarby/Brucie et al).

At the end of each day we chucked out enough untouched food to feed a small African country for a fortnight. Blokes spent the entire day scoffing and quaffing what they could tip down their throats. There were a couple of small tv's in the corners of the tent that were largely ignored.

I think for most of them the tournament itself was an unsubstantiated rumour.