Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:59 pm  

According to the RFL it is anyway. However if this is all true (which I hope it is) why is the salary cap been reduced in real terms year after year? Surely with all the points below made by the RFL we are ready for an increase in the salary cap?

Why the RFL say the game is booming
Annual Super League commercial income has risen by 50% since 2014.
Distribution of funds to Super League clubs has risen by 50% since 2013.
TV viewing figures for live Super League games increased from 2015-2016.
Regular season average attendance has risen by 10% since 2013.
The 2015 Super League Grand Final between Wigan and Leeds was the first ever sell-out at Old Trafford.
Last year's Magic Weekend broke the weekend attendance figure with more than 70,000 people attending the event in Newcastle.
Trans-Atlantic expansion with Toronto Wolfpack in League One also selling almost 10,000 season tickets.

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:28 pm  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

According to the RFL it is anyway. However if this is all true (which I hope it is) why is the salary cap been reduced in real terms year after year? Surely with all the points below made by the RFL we are ready for an increase in the salary cap?

Why the RFL say the game is booming
Annual Super League commercial income has risen by 50% since 2014.
Distribution of funds to Super League clubs has risen by 50% since 2013.
TV viewing figures for live Super League games increased from 2015-2016.
Regular season average attendance has risen by 10% since 2013.
The 2015 Super League Grand Final between Wigan and Leeds was the first ever sell-out at Old Trafford.
Last year's Magic Weekend broke the weekend attendance figure with more than 70,000 people attending the event in Newcastle.
Trans-Atlantic expansion with Toronto Wolfpack in League One also selling almost 10,000 season tickets.

Some dubious facts to say the least...is the 50% of commercial income because they gave the rights away for free to Eddie Stobart in 2012 or 2013?

2015 was a sell-out at Old Trafford, but why did the crowd drop in 2016?

If viewing figures are so good why have SKY scaled back the coverage to a bare minimum and barely promote RL anymore?

Magic Weekend 2016 did break the record, but the growth was only a few hundred and while the size of crowd is still positive the event appears to have hit a ceiling in terms of crowds.

Can't deny that the last point about Toronto is very positive though.

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:32 pm  

Alternative facts are very fashionable right now.

They have also compared average attendances of 2013 when there were 14 teams (one been London) and 2016 when there were 12 teams.

But then they switch to using 2015 and 2016 figures for the tv ratings comparison.

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:43 pm  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

Alternative facts are very fashionable right now.

As are average attendances.

Especially when you relegate a club averaging barely 1000 per game.

And even more especially when you compare 23 regular season rounds and 138 fixtures in 2016 with 27 regular season rounds and 189 fixtures in 2013, of which 27 of those involved a club whose home attendances were barely 1000 per game.

How about total attendances instead?

Are they up on 2013?

Didn't think so

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:52 pm  

Also an interesting choice to choose 2013 rather than 2012. I wonder why they would have chosen that year and not the year before?

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Tue Jan 24, 2017 10:26 pm  

UllFC wrote:

Some dubious facts to say the least...is the 50% of commercial income because they gave the rights away for free to Eddie Stobart in 2012 or 2013?

2015 was a sell-out at Old Trafford, but why did the crowd drop in 2016?

If viewing figures are so good why have SKY scaled back the coverage to a bare minimum and barely promote RL anymore?

Magic Weekend 2016 did break the record, but the growth was only a few hundred and while the size of crowd is still positive the event appears to have hit a ceiling in terms of crowds.

Can't deny that the last point about Toronto is very positive though.

In fairness they've got rid of a lot of the filler stuff like Boots n All but they're showing more games than they ever have. If Catalans are at home you can watch 50% of that round of Super League on Sky.

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Tue Jan 24, 2017 11:01 pm  

Great thread for shiit stirers and those that want to change what actually happened in the passed.
The trl geneneral forum moves across to the the virtual terrace

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:30 am  

I read the same report & wondered how accurate it was? Then of course realised that they are talking about super League. I get annoyed that they interchange rugby league with super league they are not the same. Our sport is on its backside especially at grass root level with a sharp decline in player numbers, Just look at the number of teams in the local Hull league compared with 10 years ago & most of them are struggling for players. The pro clubs have stripped the local league's top youth to pad out there academies most won't make it & won't come back to the game. The expression fiddling while Rome burns comes to mind.

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:43 am  

UllFC wrote:

Some dubious facts to say the least...is the 50% of commercial income because they gave the rights away for free to Eddie Stobart in 2012 or 2013?

1. 2015 was a sell-out at Old Trafford, but why did the crowd drop in 2016?

2. If viewing figures are so good why have SKY scaled back the coverage to a bare minimum and barely promote RL anymore?

3. Magic Weekend 2016 did break the record, but the growth was only a few hundred and while the size of crowd is still positive the event appears to have hit a ceiling in terms of crowds.

1. Warrington
2. To show more live games
3. So it still grew then?

Also. Imagine if our Sky viewing figures had dropped as much as Premier League Football's has? This forum would self destruct.

Re: Rugby League is booming in the U.K. : Wed Jan 25, 2017 12:13 pm  

The RFU would never distort the facts like the RFL have just done

Regards

King James