Its parochial but the difference is people aren't embarrassed of being associated with Oxford and Cambridge the way they are of being from Lancashire or Yorkshire.
Everybody knows that the only rivalry game that will work is the hybrid game. League fans want to see Union's carthorses whooped, Union fans want to believe that their sport is the best form of rugby, etc.
If a cross-code game began and somehow became a success, that is where the great rivalry would lie in RL in Britain, not in counties or crud friendlies like last night. If enough big Union players taken part (Premiership/European?) then it would grant far greater exposure than anything daft like an all star weekend or the exiles game. Still, getting a mix of the code that both fans would like would be a challenge, but maybe not so big a challenge for an annual game, or a couple of games per year.
Its parochial but the difference is people aren't embarrassed of being associated with Oxford and Cambridge the way they are of being from Lancashire or Yorkshire.
It's different and you now full well, it's not about shame it's about growing a product beyond its traditonal boundaries.
Do you think we should persevere with the Lancs/Yorks game?
Who do i support then being from Cheshire? Lancashire because they are the closest?
Yes my opinion is that Lancashire v Yorkshire wouldn't do the game any harm if it was successful and supported, any more than NSW v QLD damages the spread of the game in Australia.
Why people are obsessed with hiding the fact that it's predominantly a northern sport is beyond me - that's what it is, there's nothing wrong with the north, that's where the game's strength is. I don't see why league fans care so much about what non league fans would say if they saw Lancashire v Yorkshire. Do you think non league fans are impressed by the concept of 'Exiles'? Or by having made up international teams where all the players are from England, Australia and NZ anyway and swap country allegiance anyway....
I wouldn't mind a Lancs v Yorks but there aren't enough league fans interested to justify it. I think we should stop feeling obliged to play a midseason game though. If we can't find something that is really popular then just scrap it and let the fixture calendar be less congested for the players.
I wouldn't mind a Lancs v Yorks but there aren't enough league fans interested to justify it. I think we should stop feeling obliged to play a midseason game though. If we can't find something that is really popular then just scrap it and let the fixture calendar be less congested for the players.
IMO, it should be the World Club Challenge around mid-season. Either mid-season or at the end of the season. Should have a charity shield-esque season opener between the Cup winners and the League winners/or The Champions.
The problem with Lancs vs. Yorkshire is the identity part. I don't relate to Lancashire in anyway, and I do wonder if any of the players identify with Lancashire as well. The things that create hype/support is history and tradition. Could the modern fan really adapt to the Lancs/Yorks rivalry? It means nothing to me, so the game would mean nothing to me. Just like I imagine the game would mean nothing to Kallum Watkins, as an example. For me, it's incredibly hard to reintroduce things that are outdated. I get that the game is popular in the north, but trying to promote rivalries that aren't there (IMO) isn't the way to go, as the Exiles has proven.
IMO, it should be the World Club Challenge around mid-season. Either mid-season or at the end of the season. Should have a charity shield-esque season opener between the Cup winners and the League winners/or The Champions.
The problem with Lancs vs. Yorkshire is the identity part. I don't relate to Lancashire in anyway, and I do wonder if any of the players identify with Lancashire as well. The things that create hype/support is history and tradition. Could the modern fan really adapt to the Lancs/Yorks rivalry? It means nothing to me, so the game would mean nothing to me. Just like I imagine the game would mean nothing to Kallum Watkins, as an example. For me, it's incredibly hard to reintroduce things that are outdated. I get that the game is popular in the north, but trying to promote rivalries that aren't there (IMO) isn't the way to go, as the Exiles has proven.
You see that's my problem, i don't relate to either team and i'm a rugby fan, it's not inclusive enough, i see the argument that people support clubs even if they live nowhere near a team but the Lancs/Yorks would play too infrequently to grab those type of fans, the Exiles game sounded good on paper but similar to playing London or Catalans at home there's no atmosphere with a partisan crowd.
the problem that we have is that we have always been a club first, country second.
there in lies the problem with what ever people try to do. I myself am an advocate for international i think it needs to grow but whether you have.
eng v exiles york v lancs north v south east v west
or whatever 99% of peoples opinion would be pointless game no rivalry and dont want to risk players getting injured. As seen what has happened with tommy before the game the wigan board going crazy that macillorum hasnt been picked to play and got a good build up then the game finished and it was a pointless game we want compensation for tommy being injured.
that is the main problem no one really gets behind international rugby and no one gives anything a chance to grow, if it hasn't been a success after two games, lets sack it.
Last edited by wolfinwidnes on Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.