Re: Segregation : Thu Feb 20, 2014 8:19 pm  

1 - The lot. Primary, secondary, FE, HE, community club. All schools/FE delivery was to promote sign-up at local community clubs. Same sort of thing that goes on at every pro club community trust.
2 - Quite a few. Jamie O'Callaghan, Olsi Krasniqi, Mike McMeeken, Erjon Dollapi and a few others are all products of the West London development work. It's not 40k people who can or will ever play Super League though, so that's not a bad return. A 7-year-old in 2010 will still only be 11, so is unlikely to play this season. Likewise the girls, students, disability groups and standard amateur-club level kids won't ever get near a SL shirt. It's about getting people knowing about - and playing - the game. The performance pathway then got the right ones to SL level.
3. Again, quite a few. All the kids playing in West London & Surrey benefited from this work in some way. Even if they didn't directly have a schools session, love it and join the local club then the local club was assisted by, their coaches supported by, and in some cases clubs and teams administrated or coached by Broncos people.

Not a bad return at all:

1. It's great that they managed to get the game played during curricular time! this is really how you get things moving. Weekends = Kids don't turn up, but play the xbox. Extra-curricular= schools can't afford to cover teachers! I've often wondered if rugby league could be squeezed in the pe curriculum during the summer term, when cricket and tennis are covered. During the Autumn term its competing with Football and union. During the Second term it is competing with schools who play 2 term union.

2. Also a good return. The population density of students around this area must be higher than some areas in the more traditional heartland therefor it has to be worth a shot at keeping the game alive down here, it seems to be spreading too, only this morning I received a flier from Hemel Hempstead Staggs. Hopefully it won't be long before we see London born players playing for England.

3. This interests me, I have played League and union to a reasonable level. The difference in my opinion is that in union you can play as an 'old timer', be the person who rucks and doesn't make as much contact, also due to the infrastructure there are vets teams and therefore the risk of injury is lower. League on the otherhand, due to constant crashing into each other lack of vets teams is harder to play the older you get. Unless you are Steve Menzies or stanley gene. This means that vets will often kick off early then watch a game on the telly or buy a batch of tickets and go together. It keeps the interest, and that is what I'd like to see happen with league, I know we have the masters, but it would be great if it was build upon.

Another thing I have noticed:

Union is often over coached, a lot of focus on technique rather than reading the game. League to use a Laurie Daley quote is a more "simple game" however league seems to have more some success in that I'm guessing more kids play union, however we could be looking at an ex league back line in the England union team.

Re: Segregation : Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:12 pm  

1. Mixture of both, but given your badly hidden agenda, I am sure you don't care either way. The fact that you'll ignore is that 40,000 kids were exposed to the game.
2. Not sure about the use of drugs in Leeds with regards to the development of youth, but given the Harlequins RL work started in 2006, expecting a SL player to pop out at the far end inside 6 years is asking a bit much. We have had a couple of kids come through the pathway offered by having a team in SL down here.....one'sust signed a contact extension at St Helens whilst the other is on the Books at Wigan and has scored 4 tries for his country at senior level in a COMPETATIVE game. I seem to remember it was hard-on central when little Sammy T scored 4 against a mickey poor France in a mid season friendly.....but I am sure your agenda doesn't allow for such stats.
3. I don't, but given that there are approximately 800% MORE RL Teams in the Region compared to pre-SL and a London SL team, I am sure one or 2 picked it up.

Now, before you scuttle off to think of some witty riposte to the facts above, here's another couple of tit-bits for you to digest.

2. If further proof that it was working were needed, can I suggest you google "Howard of Effingham School win at Wembley"......I mean to say, if a Surrey School can win a national title that is that important it is played as a warm up to the 2nd biggest game in the domestic season, surely the growth of the game should be encouraged down in the 1. Your Coach (the guy that's won a couple of SL's for you) reckons that London offers a massive future to RL if only the game in general would embrace and nurture it. Short termists, like yourself, expect too much too soon and are happy to point to terrible crowds as "proof it's not working" when in fact, up until it was butchered at the end of last year, it was working.
south rather than binned so another pit village team can stumble along with 5k crowds and eventually go tits up?

Thanks for popping in

1. Mixture of both, but given your badly hidden agenda, I am sure you don't care either way. The fact that you'll ignore is that 40,000 kids were exposed to the game.

There isn't a hidden agenda, It's a simple question that somebody on here managed to post a simple reply to. Will I ignore the fact that 40,000 kids were exposed to Rugby League - No, why would I? I have been involved with the game for a lot of years including coaching and scouting often off my own back and have first hand experience of what exposure can do for the game. I asked the question as I'm interested in if Rugby league has managed to make it into schools curriculum in London. In some northern schools it has, Cass Academy is one, Corpus in Leeds is another, and they have had great results in the schools cup. The reason I ask is that you can do much more in curriculum time but getting League into that time is no easy task. Especially in a Union stronghold! For league to be really successful it has to get into both the curriculum and extra curricular!

2. Not sure about the use of drugs in Leeds with regards to the development of youth, but given the Harlequins RL work started in 2006, expecting a SL player to pop out at the far end inside 6 years is asking a bit much. We have had a couple of kids come through the pathway offered by having a team in SL down here.....one'sust signed a contact extension at St Helens whilst the other is on the Books at Wigan and has scored 4 tries for his country at senior level in a COMPETATIVE game. I seem to remember it was hard-on central when little Sammy T scored 4 against a mickey poor France in a mid season friendly.....but I am sure your agenda doesn't allow for such stats.

With Harlequins RL work starting in 2006, expecting a SL player to pop out at the far end inside 6 years is asking a bit much but player who started playing at 12, six years later could play for Broncos at 18, I've seen it happen at clubs. The point of this question was to find out if players were starting to come through yet and if they were who were they? I like to keep an eye on players, especially ones from outside the heartland. I like to see if they stay playing for London Clubs or if they relocate up north. I also like to see how they settle.

3. I don't, but given that there are approximately 800% MORE RL Teams in the Region compared to pre-SL and a London SL team, I am sure one or 2 picked it up.

Good, it's good to see. The reason I asked this question is that I was looking at whether the kids who make it play only 'school rugby' or 'club too'. I know in the North kids usually play for a club first school second. It is though more tribal up there. To mention schools again you have Cas Academy who play and have good pro links, but a lot of their kids also play for Panthers/lock lane, Normonton and Smawthorn, usually depending on who their family are connected to. If players who make it come from clubs I wonder how you get these school kids into clubs too, and if there are enough clubs in a commutable area for them to join and if coaching standards are high enough to keep them progressing.

witty riposte

Thanks, I'm glad you find my replies witty.

1. Your Coach (the guy that's won a couple of SL's for you) reckons that London offers a massive future to RL if only the game in general would embrace and nurture it. Short termists, like yourself, expect too much too soon and are happy to point to terrible crowds as "proof it's not working" when in fact, up until it was butchered at the end of last year, it was working.

I'd have to agree with him.

I think you possibly have me mixed up with somebody else, never once have I commented on "terrible crowds" or league down here isn't "working". The posts I have made have been to ask about how I could attend the games. This is adding to the Broncos support. Although I have to admit it if the majority of supporters are like yourself I won't be attending!

south rather than binned so another pit village team can stumble along with 5k crowds and eventually go tits up?

Sorry I don't understand, but am happy to answer if you rephrase it.

If further proof that it was working were needed, can I suggest you google "Howard of Effingham School win at Wembley"......I mean to say, if a Surrey School can win a national title that is that important it is played as a warm up to the 2nd biggest game in the domestic season, surely the growth of the game should be encouraged down in the

No need, I was there, they played Cuthberts, and the loose forward had a great game! I was also at the final against Cas Academy, hence why I used them as an example above. Out of interest I was also at outwoods win against Brentwood and the High Wycombe win against Cas. Cas have had some great results in the comp, I wonder what they are doing right?

Re: Segregation : Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:36 pm  

leedsleedsleeds wrote:

Not a bad return at all:

Hopefully it won't be long before we see London born players playing for England.
.

I give you LMS and tony Clubb. Also raise you the England half backs from U18s a couple of years ago Bishay and Sarginson. Plus Krasniqi in 18s at prop, Woodburn-Hall u16s, mike mcmeeken 16s etc. the future was bright, but I fear for it now.

Re: Segregation : Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:27 pm  

I give you LMS and tony Clubb. Also raise you the England half backs from U18s a couple of years ago Bishay and Sarginson. Plus Krasniqi in 18s at prop, Woodburn-Hall u16s, mike mcmeeken 16s etc. the future was bright, but I fear for it now.

Haha, in that case I'll play my trump card - Mark Calderwood, although he did come through the Stanningley ranks a year after Jamie Jones and went to school at Intake.

I'll rephrase my comment.

I hope it isn't long until we see more London born players playing for England.

Re: Segregation : Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:36 pm  

Interestingly were LMS and TC both products of Greenwich Admirals?

Re: Segregation : Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:39 pm  

I suppose you could count Offiah too as London born, I think he was anyway, but unfortunately not a product of the junior league system, we have Doug Laughton to thank for him!

Re: Segregation : Fri Feb 21, 2014 2:58 am  

Martin Offiah was a union convert and although from London, went to School at Woolverstone Hall
( ILEA ) Ipswich on the banks of the river Orwell. He played for Ipswich Rugby Club, Rosslyn Park, played sevens rugby union and for the Barbarians before going to League.

Re: Segregation : Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:32 am  

gutterfax wrote:

it was stated that the Hive never expected to have a Pro RL club in residence....I simply pointed out how that came to be!

No, it was stated that the people drawing up the lease never expected to have a Pro RL club. I think the councils view of local playing fields with a couple of non-league sides that have 100-200 supportors was very wide of the mark of what TK had in mind. I know he had been in talks with RU clubs, top level netball (odd I know!!) and trying to get professional boxing matches arranged for the hive and I'm fairly confident that he has been looking for a summer sport to dovetail with the football season ever since the stadium build started, hence the formation of the London Bees.

Re: Segregation : Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:53 am  

meliferra wrote:

No, it was stated that the people drawing up the lease never expected to have a Pro RL club. I think the councils view of local playing fields with a couple of non-league sides that have 100-200 supportors was very wide of the mark of what TK had in mind. I know he had been in talks with RU clubs, top level netball (odd I know!!) and trying to get professional boxing matches arranged for the hive and I'm fairly confident that he has been looking for a summer sport to dovetail with the football season ever since the stadium build started, hence the formation of the London Bees.

Nothing odd about Top level netball!

Re: Segregation : Fri Feb 21, 2014 8:09 am  

Martin Offiah was a union convert and although from London, went to School at Woolverstone Hall 
( ILEA ) Ipswich on the banks of the river Orwell. He played for Ipswich Rugby Club, Rosslyn Park, played sevens rugby union and for the Barbarians before going to League.

I knew I spent time in Ipswich, I'm guessing because his father was involved in politics during times of instability and it is a boarding school, however this is a guess, just wasn't sure if he was born in London. I wonder if St Helens were kicking themselves when he went to widnes. One thing Laughton was good at was spotting a good union convert.