Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 4:19 pm  

After the success of the Rugby Union World Cup, and the widespread use of the word 'Rugby' being associated with the other code, should the name of our sport be changed?

After-all, we started life in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union, and it wasn't until 1922 where 'league' was incorporated into the Northern Rugby Football League.

I think our sport has evolved so far from the other code that it needs it's own identity. Personally, I like 'Thirteen'. It's the only sport to have Thirteen players in a team, it's unique, modern, could brand it as 'XIII' etc.

It's rarely referred to as RL in Australia/NZ, often being called 'footie', and in France it's called "Rugby à XIII'.


Anyway, I'm bored, don't shout me down too much

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 4:40 pm  

I understand what you mean. I used to be dead set against a name change until I started noticing the confusion it presents in other countries (and even in this one).
I think we either need to run off the coat tails of "Rugby" and use it to our advantage in other countries, or change the name to something identifiably ours.

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:28 pm  

Definitely not.

Retain our Rugby League name. As reflected in the Australian National Rugby League ("NRL") and our RFL. We can call the game whatever we like colloquially; 'League', 'Footie' or whatever.

We have the same origins as Union from before the 1895 split and have equal right to use the word Rugby in the name of our sport. It was the word 'Union' that we dropped in 1923.

The French fought hard to be able to call the game "Rugby a 13"; not long ago the Unionists over there forced Rugby League to use the term "Jeu (game) a 13".

If Union gets more kids nationally and globally playing rugby at a young age instead of soccer, that's no bad thing. Most casually interested or newly interested people and kids just see the word rugby and don't really know or care about the difference. When they start playing Union it's actually more like RL as they play touch and tag and learn basic running, passing and tackling skills. There is then a bigger pool of young players that might enjoy Rugby League more (like Sam) as we continue to grow at grass roots level as a Summer game both here and overseas. This will apply especially to young kids who learn basic rugby skills at a Union club at very young ages, but who start to dislike it when they are forced to specialise over time eg as a fat boy scrum pusher or beanpole line jumper etc and all that nonsense.

No. We are Rugby League.

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:30 pm  

No.

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:47 pm  

Mr Churchill wrote:

Definitely not.

Retain our Rugby League name. As reflected in the Australian National Rugby League ("NRL") and our RFL. We can call the game whatever we like colloquially; 'League', 'Footie' or whatever.

We have the same origins as Union from before the 1895 split and have equal right to use the word Rugby in the name of our sport. It was the word 'Union' that we dropped in 1923.

The French fought hard to be able to call the game "Rugby a 13"; not long ago the Unionists over there forced Rugby League to use the term "Jeu (game) a 13".

If Union gets more kids nationally and globally playing rugby at a young age instead of soccer, that's no bad thing. Most casually interested or newly interested people and kids just see the word rugby and don't really know or care about the difference. When they start playing Union it's actually more like RL as they play touch and tag and learn basic running, passing and tackling skills. There is then a bigger pool of young players that might enjoy Rugby League more (like Sam) as we continue to grow at grass roots level as a Summer game both here and overseas. This will apply especially to young kids who learn basic rugby skills at a Union club at very young ages, but who start to dislike it when they are forced to specialise over time eg as a fat boy scrum pusher or beanpole line jumper etc and all that nonsense.

No. We are Rugby League.

Good points.

I fully understand our right to use 'Rugby' in our title, I'm just thinking in terms of building an awareness and identity for our sport. Are we effectively being overshadowed by the larger code through their dropping of the word 'Union', and forever be seen as a smaller version of the 'real thing'?

Grassroots/amateur numbers are getting better as you say. I'm not sure how much is riding off the back of kids brought up playing RU as you mentioned, but they're getting better. But as I said, it's more to do with awareness, brand and identity I feel, everything else can work off that back of that.

I speak about RL to pretty much every new person I meet (I'm a complete bore with it, I love the game), but speak to someone outside of the heartlands about RL and the image RL portrays is that of an old fashioned, insular, northern minority sport that's on TV once a year. Then there's the ones who haven't heard of it, and assume it's Rugby Union.

I'm not saying it definitely needs changing by any means, just wanted to throw the question out there to discuss (putting aside any sentimental attachment if possible) whether it's a hindrance in our sports development.

bewareshadows wrote:

No

Thanks for that. A cracking point well made.

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:49 pm  

Doom&Gloom Merchant wrote:

Good points.

I fully understand our right to use 'Rugby' in our title, I'm just thinking in terms of building an awareness and identity for our sport. Are we effectively being overshadowed by the larger code through their dropping of the word 'Union', and forever be seen as a smaller version of the 'real thing'?

Grassroots/amateur numbers are getting better as you say. I'm not sure how much is riding off the back of kids brought up playing RU as you mentioned, but they're getting better. But as I said, it's more to do with awareness, brand and identity I feel, everything else can work off that back of that.

I speak about RL to pretty much every new person I meet (I'm a complete bore with it, I love the game), but speak to someone outside of the heartlands about RL and the image RL portrays is that of an old fashioned, insular, northern minority sport that's on TV once a year. Then there's the ones who haven't heard of it, and assume it's Rugby Union.

I'm not saying it definitely needs changing by any means, just wanted to throw the question out there to discuss (putting aside any sentimental attachment if possible) whether it's a hindrance in our sports development.

Thanks for that. A cracking point well made.

Yes I agree it should be changed and it should have been changed years ago I now live down south and the times I say to some one I have a game to watch on TV, they always say they did not Know a rugby union game was on Some say when i put them right, they have never heard of league

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:16 pm  

We should probably just call it what it is, the greatest game of all!

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 9:07 pm  

The point with this is, what would we change it to ?
I don't think that you can take "rugby" out of RL.

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:44 pm  

Of course we should change our name, we broke away from a sport, and created a different sport, but kept calling it the same name!

Gridiron have come up with a different name, and we can't call it Football. We might reduce to 12 a side, so not Thirteen for me. The Welsh word for 13 is tri-ar-ddeg, we could use that phonetically, and call it treearthehg.

How does Treearthehg sound, and it looks unique

Re: Should Rugby League Be Renamed? : Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:13 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

The point with this is, what would we change it to ?
I don't think that you can take "rugby" out of RL.

I agree, I'd maybe be more tempted to drop the "League" part and replace it with something else.