Re: Rugby in Wales : Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:53 pm  

smwrff wrote:

While Soccer is genuine competition - RL is barely a blip on the graph, and will never get in the way of RU. The WRU are openminded about the Crusaders and recognise that they can live with them and can even benefit. But nobody is worried.

whilst i agree with most of what you are saying, its comments like above, that i think annoy most league fans, and also give the impression that union (organisations, press and/or fans) and far to up themselves.

WRU should be a lot more worried about rugby league, then football. as the fans and players are much more interchangeable between league & union, rather than union & football.

: Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:29 pm  

Starbug wrote:

So it follows that if you want to get paid good money to play R Union in Wales the best way would be to play RL at junior level for Celtic

So we end up with more juniors taking up RL in Wales

How is that bad for RL ?

My post on the 1 st page , as another poster pointed out , why be just another ' face in the crowd ' at a RU club when you can ' stand out ' at the Crusaders if you want to get a good Rugby contract

Re: Rugby in Wales : Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:27 pm  

smwrff wrote:

I am a huge Welsh rugby (union) fan and also supporting the Crusaders - and some of the stuff written in this thread is bollox.

First the general feeling among Welsh rugby fans towards the Crusaders is either supportive or at worst disinterested. There is very little animosity, and certainly no worry or fears about RL success.

While there is always an element of an alternative sport competing for spectators cash. the fact that the two seasons do not overlap much has largely eliminated this concern.

I think the real purpose of gatlands statement was to assure any budding youngsters that if they wanted to give League a try it would not preclude a future union career.

Because the second point is that Welsh rugby, while not awash with money, is very well off - the WRU collected 18 million from the Autumn internationals, another 12 million from the 6N games, and another 4 million from the European TV money. Sure they have a 40 million debt in the bank, but that is secured against 120 million Millenium Stadium.

That leaves a lot of money for player development and funding to the 4 regional sides - who each have their own revenue streams.

While Soccer is genuine competition - RL is barely a blip on the graph, and will never get in the way of RU. The WRU are openminded about the Crusaders and recognise that they can live with them and can even benefit. But nobody is worried.

And once more - I am a Crusaders fan and am not attacking RL - just the views of some posters.

Well said, nice to have you on board over here

Re: Rugby in Wales : Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:49 pm  

MHL wrote:

WRU should be a lot more worried about rugby league, then football. as the fans and players are much more interchangeable between league & union, rather than union & football.

Not sure that's true for fans. The fan demographics of RL are a lot closer to soccer than they are to RU. Players, clearly, are more likely to switch between rugby codes, but fans of RL and RU have generally been unlikely/slow to cross over. See the absence of movement between any fans of Wigan/Orrell, Leeds and Leeds Tykes, Harlequins RU and RL, for example.

: Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:57 pm  

SmokeyTA wrote:

how are they supposed to pay market value for them in a salary capped league?

You think they cant afford any of them?


Its life, you keep hold of the good ones at their market value, you get rid of the ones you don't want.

Re: Rugby in Wales : Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:53 am  

Roy Haggerty wrote:

Not sure that's true for fans. The fan demographics of RL are a lot closer to soccer than they are to RU. Players, clearly, are more likely to switch between rugby codes, but fans of RL and RU have generally been unlikely/slow to cross over. See the absence of movement between any fans of Wigan/Orrell, Leeds and Leeds Tykes, Harlequins RU and RL, for example.

I think the Welsh Union fans are different to the rest of the Union fans in Britain and Ireland, they're alot more like us.

There is a chance the Crusaders will be able to gain the interest and support of existing Union fans. They're not going to switch alleigance completely, but if CC start to do well there could be a surge of goodwill

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:40 am  

before this outburst from the welsh union guy there were similar comments fearing the impact of the crusaders on RU in brigend ie commetns that the game would die, they needed help from the WRU etc.

history has shown that RU doesnt like a fair competition with RL because when that happens it always loses.

the sport needs to cheat to survive competition with RL (eg france or england).

if the crusaders are able to showcase good running RL they will do very well in wales.

wales has developed plenty of talented RL players and with the extra space on a RL field allows creative players a chance to show case their wares.

this paranoia form the RU people in wales is very typical of that sport, being seen time and again when RL tries to expand into an area where RU is at.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:53 am  

The Glorious League Freak wrote:

You think they cant afford any of them?


Its life, you keep hold of the good ones at their market value, you get rid of the ones you don't want.

but the clubs they are competing with arent in the same 'market' they are in a bigger one, with a higher Salary Cap, and will be able to offer higher wages, meaning to keep the good ones Celtic will need to offer even higher wages, with a smaller cap, putting them at immediate disadvantage

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:58 am  

SmokeyTA wrote:

but the clubs they are competing with arent in the same 'market' they are in a bigger one, with a higher Salary Cap, and will be able to offer higher wages, meaning to keep the good ones Celtic will need to offer even higher wages, with a smaller cap, putting them at immediate disadvantage

so you do understand how the salary cap works.

id really like to cut and paste your comments above and compare them to a thread about the situation affecting Leeds Rhinos.

you are a dead set classic.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:59 am  

dally messenger wrote:

:lol:

so you do understand how the salary cap works.

id really like to cut and paste your comments above and compare them to a thread about the situation affecting Leeds Rhinos.

you are a dead set classic.

woooooosh