I think it's entirely down to the exposure it get's in the media. I get the Daily Mail on a Saturday, Not for the paper but for the TV Guide. If you look at the Sports Pages it's a true reflection of the national media as a whole.
If there's a Rugby Union Friendly against anybody there's four full pages of coverage together with a Headline on the back page and a column from Sir Clive Woodward "The World Cup Winning Coach".
When Great Britain played New Zealand in the Four Nations two weeks ago there was nothing (Unless it was that small I couldn't find it)!. Note that that's in the northern edition of the Paper, what it's like in the southern Edition god only knows.
Until this imbalance is addressed we will never become a National Sport.
I thought Brian Barwick was brought into Rugby League to help out with this situation. It's obviously working, Well done Brian!!
As for the game, Myself, a friend and my son (Aged 11) attended a Sale Game on a Groupon Offer. The fans were nice a friendly, welcoming us as new spectators but the game was atrocious. No excitement apart from one move that you see a hundred times in an average Rugby League game. My son said after about 20 minutes to never bring him to a Rugby Union game again. I thought that sums up the entertainment value of Rugby Union.