Union V League

justsomebloke

So it seems Leeds Rhino are interested in playing against a Union side and there seems to be some interest in oz about similar cross code challenge

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/17817597

CatFromHue

Under the rules being proposed by Dwyer - who is a keen advocate of experimenting across codes - rugby league is played while a team is in their own half and the rules switched to rugby union as they cross into the opposition's territory.



that sounds like a mess!

MungBean

Be interesting to see a game but the penalty count would probably be ridiculous.

Podge_irl

These games always massively favourite the league team anyway as when union is being played the union teams can't fully exploit their advantage in the scrum for example for safety reasons. Otherwise every scrum would be a penalty to the union team.

durkadurka

Wouldn't it be better to play a half of the game in each code?

Union would demolish them in the set piece

Blair

Wasn’t something similar done in the UK before, played over two matches, one league one union. Can’t remember to much about it but each side won at their own game.

durkadurka

I remember Wigan played bath in the mid 90's. I think bath won. They were both at the top of their leagues at the time.

Edit: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_the_Codes_(rugby)#section_3

Bath won the union game but Wigan murdered them at league

errlloyd

Bath got absolutely minced over two matches in the 90s, it was like 100-50.

Sale beat St Helens in a "game of two halves" in 2003.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/2700407.stm

I'd say League will usually win though, because the pace of the game is quicker your advantage is multiplied.

CatFromHue

Remember the bath wigan game was professionals against amateurs. or certainly not far from it anyway.

Fishooks12

The thought of the concept even gives me a headache

JustinDee

Two seperate sports and no need for any cross-code publicity stunts or experiments with a hybrid mush-up of the two.

Bob Dwyer is keen because rugby union needs it in Australia, far far more than rugby league does.
NRL is about to sign a record TV deal with both free-to-air and pay-TV. Channel 7 dropped rugby union which is now almost confined to Fox Sports (pay channel).

Quick flash then a fizzle. Like the last great waste of money in Aussie rugby union, the multi-million dollar money-pit that was the ARC.

desertcircus

CatFromHue wrote: »

Under the rules being proposed by Dwyer - who is a keen advocate of experimenting across codes - rugby league is played while a team is in their own half and the rules switched to rugby union as they cross into the opposition's territory.



that sounds like a mess!

I think this was done at university level somewhere: the rules massively favour union teams. Bash it up to the halfway and make the defence retreat ten yards each time, then make your rucking skills count. A league team forced to ruck every time they clear the halfway will keep losing ball.

awec

CatFromHue wrote: »

Under the rules being proposed by Dwyer - who is a keen advocate of experimenting across codes - rugby league is played while a team is in their own half and the rules switched to rugby union as they cross into the opposition's territory.



that sounds like a mess!

Huh?

How does that work? Does that mean that when one team is attacking they are always playing league, and when the other is attacking they are always playing union? Surely then whoever is attacking with Union will just be hoofing it into that half constantly.

Cause surely it can't be that you play league in your own half, cause you'd be playing league in your half and the opposition would be then playing union in your half!

Thud

what happens if someone gets tackled on the halfway line?

Mr.Applepie

Thud wrote: »

what happens if someone gets tackled on the halfway line?

I believe soccer rules apply on the halfway line. I can't see it working well though - the amount of blatant handballs will surely affect the flow of the game.

Fishooks12

Thud wrote: »

what happens if someone gets tackled on the halfway line?

Stated here in the rules from the first cross over game in the 80's:


Rule 4.5: "If a player is tackled on the half way line, both the tackler and ball carrier will immediately rise to their feet and perform the safety dance. The most enthusiastic dancer (determined by the referee) will be awarded possession."

errlloyd

The in Goal area on the Rugby League side is governed by American Football rules, so no need to touch the ball down. The in goal area on the union side is actually an ice hockey pitch....

justsomebloke

errlloyd wrote: »

The in Goal area on the Rugby League side is governed by American Football rules, so no need to touch the ball down.

Since when

Podge_irl

justsomebloke wrote: »

Since when

Since roughly the same time a union one was an ice hockey pitch...

errlloyd

justsomebloke wrote: »

Since when

Sorry I made that joke a bit too believable.

justsomebloke

errlloyd wrote: »

Sorry I made that joke a bit too believable.

ah jokes, I get them. sorry I thought you had said the ingoal area was the size of a ice hockey pitch, which at it's maximum it isn't to far off

justsomebloke

actually given the nature of the thread I was going to suggest ice rugby as an alternative seen as though we brought up ice hockey but it seems someone got there before me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDBEGbi7Djs