Why so little interest in Domestic RL

Tallaght RL

Has anyone got an answer, why after 25years of RL being played in Ireland, there is still so little interest or enthusiasm for the Domestic game?

Stev_o

Tallaght RL wrote: »

Has anyone got an answer, why after 25years of RL being played in Ireland, there is still so little interest or enthusiasm for the Domestic game?

Very little incentives ask the ordinary joe what Rugby League is and they won't have a clue. Really RL should go into overtime promoting League during the summer where many rugby players are doing sweet f*ck all. Once you get a decent player base support in general for the top teams begin to rise.

amacachi

Stev_o wrote: »

Very little incentives ask the ordinary joe what Rugby League is and they won't have a clue. Really RL should go into overtime promoting League during the summer where many rugby players are doing sweet f*ck all. Once you get a decent player base support in general for the top teams begin to rise.

I'd almost be inclined to do the opposite. When you look at the major colleges with very few people getting near the team but thousands of students who'd love to play I'm sure RL would look like an appealing option to a lot of them.

Also the main reason there's little interest is the all-encompassing GAA.

Tallaght RL

Stev_O: hasnt the summer RU policy been around for 25 years!

The two main problems we face at Tallaght since the insurance cost issue has been resolved, is not having Irish teams to play and no access to RL facilities ie pitches.

old gregg

I'd guess part of (but not all) the problem is that the general public have very little exposure to top level international RL via TV and the media. As such, to many people, RL is perceived as being something remote that happens overseas with maybe a few foreigners and eccentric locals playing somewhere 'up the country' or on waste ground out in the 'burbs. My guess is that having the occasional domestic, overseas and international games on terrestrial TV would help things along the way in raising awareness. Having emailed RTE on a daily basis during the last world cup coerce them into including reports of the Irish team on the sports news I'd hardly see it likely we'll be seeing change any time soon.

Tallaght RL

Old Gregg: Would a super league game or even a championship game being played here occasionaly help?

old gregg

Tallaght RL wrote: »

Old Gregg: Would a super league game or even a championship game being played here occasionaly help?

it would help me anyway

seriously though .... I reckon that a SL or championship game accompanied by a little bit of media hype could only help things along. If RTE got behind it and agreed to broadcast it then that's an audience who'll in some cases be exposed to RL for the first time. That has to be good news for us all.
A game with a decent profile ... dunno a top ranking SL team v an Irish international quality team could stand some chance of getting some worthwhile media exposure if enough folks got behind it to create and maintain the hype.


meanwhile back in dreamtime ...
In my perfect little world ... we'd have a visiting NRL team join the party and then I'd magically shed 30 years, 1/3 my body weight and be called up to play left wing again *sighs*

toomevara

I reckon we should be looking towards getting an Irish based team in Championship1. That should be doable and I reckon there'd be a lot of good will over here towards an Irish team with a lot of ex-pats like me prepared to go out of their way to support them. If we look at Toulouse Olympique this year and their success in the C'ship, reckon that should be our template.

Tallaght RL

Having an irish team in the Championship would be a boast. The enthusiasm for Irish RL outside Ireland is very high as we were witness to in the RFL Merit League this summer. Unfortunately that's not reflected when your back in Ireland. Irish RL seems to have many problems, a sport that doesnt have any of its own pitches in Ireland is in real trouble!

toomevara

Tallaght RL wrote: »

The enthusiasm for Irish RL outside Ireland is very high as we were witness to in the RFL Merit League this summer.!

So true, there's alot of goodwill out there,internationally, pity we can't capitalise on it. As for the OT, I just don't understand why RL has so little purchase on the sporting imagination in Ireland. Alot of it may be down to the unusual sporting landscape in Ireland and the historical and political aspects to sports such as rugby v the GAA.

Over here rugby league was the sport of the northern working classes, whereas RU was exclusively identified with the southern political elite which knew nothing, and cared less, about the north of england. In this way it acquired a power beyond the merely sporting arena. Supporting it was a badge of political and cultural pride. The way the RFU treated rugby league, and those who played it, merely served to bind its players even more tightly together.

In Ireland, arguably GAA occupied that role in many respects. Rugby was a garrison game identified with the ruling elite and the professional Irish middle to upper middle classes. Indeed that split is still clearly visible in Irish rugby's support base today. It is still a hugely bourgeois game watched largely by the aspirational middle classes. GAA, hurling and Gaelic, were the peoples' games for want of a better term.

There's also a huge level of ignorance surrounding the game. Anyone, from Ireland, I've brought to Headingley has gone away with a changed perception of the game, and I've definitely recruited a few new supporters. I'm a great fan of both codes, but to me its clear that RU is not the sport it was and alot of the recent rule changes, tinkering around the fringes, and the, I believe, fundamental "unrefereeability" of the game have made it alot less attractive.

The future of RU looks like the type of thing seen in this years tri-nations and frankly, it's deathly, deathly boring stuff with a huge over-emphasis on raw power and conservative kick based game play. Skill levels are going through the floor. When you're used to watching RL week in, week out and you tune into an RU game, the lack of skill and absence of creativity is genuinely shocking. RL is the antithesis of this, the game is constituted to award attacking, creative play and we can can capitalise on this. I do genuinely think there is a place for at least one professional RL team in Ireland....but the will and the organisation to achieve it has to be there....

amacachi

toomevara wrote: »

The future of RU looks like the type of thing seen in this years tri-nations and frankly, it's deathly, deathly boring stuff with a huge over-emphasis on raw power and conservative kick based game play. Skill levels are going through the floor. When you're used to watching RL week in, week out and you tune into an RU game, the lack of skill and absence of creativity is genuinely shocking. RL is the antithesis of this, the game is constituted to award attacking, creative play and we can can capitalise on this. I do genuinely think there is a place for at least one professional RL team in Ireland....but the will and the organisation to achieve it has to be there....

I know this is a RL thread, but I really do wonder where RU is going to go from where it is now. I can't see it getting more popular if the current path is followed. I remember even back in the 90s when I was 8/9 and had no clue about RL someone on TV was criticising it for being "purely about power" and so on, which I still read here and there nowadays, always from RU fans. It's funny if nothing else.

Tallaght RL

Toomevara: Your post says it all about passion for the game. Thats what is missing so much from Irish RL generally.

GAA & RL have so many links outside of Ireland through current & past players. It unfortunately that the GAA wont allow RL in Ireland to use their pitches etc. I've even had GAA clubs write to the County boards on our behalf without success.

toomevara

Tallaght RL wrote: »

I've even had GAA clubs write to the County boards on our behalf without success.

Amazing, I wonder how much of that is down to lack of knowledge about the game? They see 'rugby' and you're scuppered? I'd have to say that though I watched RL I didn't really appreciate the massive difference in culture between the two games until I moved here. You're average RL supporter is far closer to a GAA man in the way he supports his club team and local area than RU fans. The club/locality is all, and stuff like the national game takes a massive back seat...

blinding

From a sometimes watcher of rugby league on tv I believe that it is a sport that you would have to be brought up playing to fully appreciate.

As a sports fan rugby league lacks enough variety to make it enjoyable spectacle and I consider the ball dead every time there is a tackle until the ball is released.

In this day and age is it necessary to have two codes of rugby in any case.

It may be that not having played the game that I do not understand the suttleties of the game.
Actually it would not surprise me if rugby league is actually a better game to play than rugby union but for me at least a good game of union presents a better spectacle.

Stev_o

But it's the cricket syndrome, people outside of the sport who don't know about it say that the rules are to complicated etc when in fact they are very clear and precise.

Look if you put RU beside RL the major difference you ll find is that League has clear precise set rules that don't change from ref to ref, now of course you ll get some refs who will allow x amount of interference in the tackle and some won't but that's not going to throw any teams of compared to Union situation where two ref's have two completely different interpretations of breakdown.

The fact is that the standard of Union has completely dropped over the past two years, it's more about can x kick amount of goals then y. Honestly im not watching Aussie Rules i really don't care if you can kick a ball over a post from 60m's away. What i do want to see is you make a break from inside your own half and after a few phases of good play score a try or at least make a huge gain. Sadly the only time you ll see that in Union these days is when one team is on the side of a hammering.

Also there needs to be a effort to get people playing RL in universities, im heading up to DCU next week and from what iv heard there is no society or anything associated with RL. Considering the huge amount of players of Union that quit after school it would be a good steal to get them interested in the other side of rugby aswell as introducing League to new people. League here can't survive with just Union folk who have nothing to do during the summer but play League it just won't work.

toomevara

Stev_o wrote: »

But it's the cricket syndrome, people outside of the sport who don't know about it say that the rules are to complicated etc when in fact they are very clear and precise.

Look if you put RU beside RL the major difference you ll find is that League has clear precise set rules that don't change from ref to ref, now of course you ll get some refs who will allow x amount of interference in the tackle and some won't but that's not going to throw any teams of compared to Union situation where two ref's have two completely different interpretations of breakdown.

The fact is that the standard of Union has completely dropped over the past two years, it's more about can x kick amount of goals then y. Honestly im not watching Aussie Rules i really don't care if you can kick a ball over a post from 60m's away. What i do want to see is you make a break from inside your own half and after a few phases of good play score a try or at least make a huge gain. Sadly the only time you ll see that in Union these days is when one team is on the side of a hammering.

Also there needs to be a effort to get people playing RL in universities, im heading up to DCU next week and from what iv heard there is no society or anything associated with RL. Considering the huge amount of players of Union that quit after school it would be a good steal to get them interested in the other side of rugby aswell as introducing League to new people. League here can't survive with just Union folk who have nothing to do during the summer but play League it just won't work.

QFT

amacachi

Stev_o wrote: »

Also there needs to be a effort to get people playing RL in universities, im heading up to DCU next week and from what iv heard there is no society or anything associated with RL. Considering the huge amount of players of Union that quit after school it would be a good steal to get them interested in the other side of rugby aswell as introducing League to new people. League here can't survive with just Union folk who have nothing to do during the summer but play League it just won't work.

That's exactly my thinking.

ednwireland

toomevara i live in donegal and i'm sitting in a halifax rl shirt (and have a dewsbury rams one at home as well)

i lost real interest in RL when sky got involved and changed all the names and moved it to summer. remeber watching a game after thinking you cant do that but theyd changed half the rules as well.
its now a sport sky use to fill out their summer schedules IMO
watched the last world cup games on non sky channels though

but then i was born in eddie waring country so i guess i'm biased (i have started watching again occasionaly but wont buy sky so limited to whats shown on the bbc)

and went to a school where a barla founder taught

toomevara

ednwireland wrote: »

toomevara i live in donegal and i'm sitting in a halifax rl shirt (and have a dewsbury rams one at home as well)

i lost real interest in RL when sky got involved and changed all the names and moved it to summer. remeber watching a game after thinking you cant do that but theyd changed half the rules as well.
its now a sport sky use to fill out their summer schedules IMO
watched the last world cup games on non sky channels though

but then i was born in eddie waring country so i guess i'm biased (i have started watching again occasionaly but wont buy sky so limited to whats shown on the bbc)

and went to a school where a barla founder taught

Some fair points there ed, I think there was a period of massive convulsion when the game made the move to summer, but I'd definitely take a look again, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Sky's coverage of RL is imo, very good...yes they may have exercised an undue influence over the course of the game in the past and it still wrecks my head when they dictate TV fixtures and force clubs to jump to their tune, and Eddy and bloody Stevo, especially bloody Stevo, wreck my head, but on the plus side their coverage of C'ship One has been really good and has showcased the superb level of rugby on offer this year. Fax/Barrow last night was a good game (not for Fax fans though;)

I guess ultimately, if you want to watch league, Sky is the only game in town, love 'em or loathe 'em. Although with ESPN showing the NRL grand final, maybe they might put up a challenge to sky's hegemony which I'm all for.

As for The BBC, their coverage of league is woeful, for them the only game in town is union, the see RL as some weird regional offshoot and have no love of it. So yep there's alot to be wary of with Sky, but no other broadcasting organisation would give league anything close to the coverage Sky does. Look at this weekend, all the play off games on...even if the beeb were to get rights they'd never cover the game to that extent.

As a league fanatic I find Sky, exceptionally good value for money and to be honest couldn't live without it....I know, I know that makes me a giant corporate whore, but what's the alternative....I am a season ticket holder at the rhinos and watch as many C'ship games as possible, especially when the all conquering rams are playing...but when it comes to the TV, well you just gotta have Sky if you want to watch RL...and lets not forget they pump a small fortune in terms of revenue back into the game every year.

Stev_o

You gotta hand it to Sky they do a superb League package, their coverage of all levels of RL is very good combine that with a a strong review show in Boots N' All and you have to say they are doing the best they can. Yes the commentators are a bit rubbish but hey it could be worse we could be listening to Vossy every weekend *shudder*.

amacachi

Looks like they're showing every play-off match, have they done that before?
Really can't complain about Sky's coverage, there's a lot there for the price like.

mountain

toomevara wrote: »

Although with ESPN showing the NRL grand final, maybe they might put up a challenge to sky's hegemony which I'm all for.

Thats great news!

Do you know if you can get just the final, or do you have to sign up for a monthy contract?

Tallaght RL

Training at Belgard Community Centre (next to Luas stop) starts wednesdays 7th October 7.15pm. All very welcome. Cost €3 per session. Further details on www.tallaghtrugbyleague.org

WakeyTyke

toomevara wrote: »

Some fair points there ed, I think there was a period of massive convulsion when the game made the move to summer, but I'd definitely take a look again, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Sky's coverage of RL is imo, very good...yes they may have exercised an undue influence over the course of the game in the past and it still wrecks my head when they dictate TV fixtures and force clubs to jump to their tune, and Eddy and bloody Stevo, especially bloody Stevo, wreck my head, but on the plus side their coverage of C'ship One has been really good and has showcased the superb level of rugby on offer this year. Fax/Barrow last night was a good game (not for Fax fans though;)

I guess ultimately, if you want to watch league, Sky is the only game in town, love 'em or loathe 'em. Although with ESPN showing the NRL grand final, maybe they might put up a challenge to sky's hegemony which I'm all for.

As for The BBC, their coverage of league is woeful, for them the only game in town is union, the see RL as some weird regional offshoot and have no love of it. So yep there's alot to be wary of with Sky, but no other broadcasting organisation would give league anything close to the coverage Sky does. Look at this weekend, all the play off games on...even if the beeb were to get rights they'd never cover the game to that extent.

As a league fanatic I find Sky, exceptionally good value for money and to be honest couldn't live without it....I know, I know that makes me a giant corporate whore, but what's the alternative....I am a season ticket holder at the rhinos and watch as many C'ship games as possible, especially when the all conquering rams are playing...but when it comes to the TV, well you just gotta have Sky if you want to watch RL...and lets not forget they pump a small fortune in terms of revenue back into the game every year.

Having been brought up in the RL heartland, playing the game at school from an early age and managing to play for Trinity's Junior team (with Andy Kelly) moving to Ireland in the '80's meant I lost contact with the game.

Sky (and Ryanair) have enabled me to once more to engross myself in the 'greatest game'. Having followed the game for over 40 years I feel the Superleague is now producing the most evenly competitive and enthralling RL in that time, for which Sky must take some credit (and the salary cap).

I have to say though I am not optimistic about RL ever really becoming established in Ireland. The strength of the GAA will prevent the necessary grassroots development of the game. Perhaps the RFL might give consideration to bringing the Magic Weekend to the new Aviva stadium in a few years time which should help to raise the profile of the game in Ireland.

toomevara

WakeyTyke wrote: »

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I have to say though I am not optimistic about RL ever really becoming established in Ireland. The strength of the GAA will prevent the necessary grassroots development of the game. Perhaps the RFL might give consideration to bringing the Magic Weekend to the new Aviva stadium in a few years time which should help to raise the profile of the game in Ireland.

Unfortunately Wakey, I completely agree. It's difficult to know where to start with league in Ireland. As regards the magic weekend, i know the RFL are actively considering hosting it in the AVIVA, but I recently saw an RFL development officer interviewed on the subject and his response was, and I'm paraphrasing..." yes we'd really be interested in staging the weekend in Dublin as we've got a mission to bring the game to all parts of the UK." Own goals like that don't do the game any favours.

Also I reckon we should have been in this years 4N, not the french, based on our excellent performance in the WC. Couple of top flight RL internationals in dublin/Limerick, whatever would have really helped with the game's profile. Yet another missed opportunity.

Dozen Wicked Words

I'm not totally without hope for RL in Ireland. The experiment in the South of England IS working (not that you would know it from attendance at Quins), but hundreds of schools that only used to play kick and clap now play both, and more importantly schools in less well off areas of London are also beginning to play RL as well as football.

The RFL haven't done this overnight, it has taken years and years and years of grind to get where they are in the south and probably still only have achieved a quarter of what they want. Every year though, more and more homegrown "southerners" are stepping up.

Exiled Northerners/Antipodeans apart, the RFL worked in the south with little goodwill, so who knows, maybe its possible here.

/rose coloured glasses.

WakeyTyke

I don't think the progress that has been made in developing RL in the south of England can be used as a template for Ireland.

In a head-to-head with Union rugby league, because it is a far more enjoyable and inclusive game to play and watch, would always stand a good chance of prospering.

However, in Ireland, Union is only a minority sport, as is soccer, with the GAA having, by far, the major sporting (and social) influence in every parish.

Hopefully RL can still develop further here in Ireland and but it will always be very much a minority sport.

Tallaght RL

WakeyTyke wrote: »

I don't think the progress that has been made in developing RL in the south of England can be used as a template for Ireland.

In a head-to-head with Union rugby league, because it is a far more enjoyable and inclusive game to play and watch, would always stand a good chance of prospering.

However, in Ireland, Union is only a minority sport, as is soccer, with the GAA having, by far, the major sporting (and social) influence in every parish.

Hopefully RL can still develop further here in Ireland and but it will always be very much a minority sport.

I agree that RL will always be a minority sport at best in Ireland. I have in the past been asked to coach at GAA clubs because of their need for players to learn some tackle/ collision skills. My own view for RL in Ireland is that it should join the GAA in order to survive.

Dozen Wicked Words

Fair enough, I consider myself suitably less positive. I don't know what came over me, I am definitely usually a glass is half empty type person

Robert J.

Just viewed your post and said i'd mention what i heard. I'm informed by a few interested RL followers that most if not all of the original RLI founders walked way from RL due to the way they were treated by other members ? I can only presume that no one wants to get the same treatment for there efforts, shame but true by all accounts.
The league has got smaller over its time and could very well disappear over the next few years if things don't get resolved or changed,?
It seems RL enemy seems to be with in, and not RU or lack of facility's, without interest from the off field team officials you wont have a game and that goes for any sport.

old gregg

I'd not be a founder member by any means but your description of how RLI has functioned at times does very much mirror my own personal experience of the organisation as somone who loves the game and who spent a year involved at coaching level with a club here.

My heart truly goes out to clubs around Ireland where everyone, regardless of whether they are players, coaching, admin or support staff are giving it everything and just want to enjoy their footy and hope that those who run the show are going to be as dedicated to Rugby League.

It wrecks my head to see an organisation like RLI destroying the game for everyone :mad: .... and if I hear that they've invested in blazers for themselves I'll go frickin' balistic