Wakefield Trinity • Re: Loss making 3rd rate footy of SL.

I understand the point your making, but I'd point the blame in a slightly different direction.

Obviously Rugby League shares its space in an area that's a "football stronghold", and it's been that way since the year dot. But I think there are 2 other major problems it's had to contend with.

The first is one that is slowly being rectified, but like cricket, domestic RL has mostly been off terrestrial TV for the last 30+ years. As a result, it slowly slips out of the public consciousness. I remember back in the 70's when they had the 2nd half of a RL match on Grandstand. Seeing the likes of some distant Northern town on the box may have seemed a 1000 miles away, but it kept it in the national psyche. Once Sky got hold of it 100%, that was it. Just like domestic County cricket. As I say, that's slowly being rectified with live games appearing on the BBC this year.

The second problem, is that the London based media is obsessed with Rugby Union - being it Six Nations, or whatever. If you didn't scour the small print, in the Midlands/Southern editions of the papers, you honestly would barely know that Rugby League even existed. The great irony of all this, is that since Union turned professional, it's been busy changing its rules trying to make itself more appealing to the watching audience. Which is a joke, as it's still boring rubbish compared to League which is so much better (not that surprising, as it had a 80 odd year head start). I come from the Rugby Union heartlands, but I wouldn't watch it, if you paid me!

Statistics: Posted by WT_Midlander — Fri Mar 08, 2024 7:44 pm

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