Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 11:29 am  

With sport in general being in major trouble because of the epidemic could it "force" a merger of the rugby codes?
If the financial package was good enough could we see a hybrid game?

It may seem far fetched at the moment, BUT!!!!

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 1:02 pm  

why would RU do that?
if they stay tight they are far better resourced to see RL go down the pan and just inherit the void

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 1:03 pm  

ShortArse wrote:

why would RU do that?
if they stay tight they are far better resourced to see RL go down the pan and just inherit the void

That is the bigger reality I fear

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 1:15 pm  

ShortArse wrote:

why would RU do that?
if they stay tight they are far better resourced to see RL go down the pan and just inherit the void

I can't see Wigan RUFC taking the fan base, more likely a case of 10k people saving several hundred pound a year by not watching professional sport anymore if the worst happens.

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 1:20 pm  

apollosghost wrote:

I can't see Wigan RUFC taking the fan base, more likely a case of 10k people saving several hundred pound a year by not watching professional sport anymore if the worst happens.

they dont have to swap codes. RU would just slowly use the marketing void to make rugby on TV be equated to RU and slowly the gap between the 2 codes could see teams like Sale get more PR, or even create new Liverpool and Manchester franchises.

they have the international game sewn up already, and as club RL dies the International RL games attracts fewer attendees and slips further down the TV order, thus increasing the gap.

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 4:23 pm  

I believe that RL is more likely to be absorbed back into RU than a hybrid game to appear. And that's a big leap of the imagination, as the RFU would most likely rather see us disappear.

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 5:02 pm  

Most rah rah clubs have large debts which they can only service through high corporate matchday income, inflated commercial deals and rich owners (which a number of RL clubs also have).

Their top grade teams are probably no less vulnerable to collapse than ours.

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 7:19 pm  

No

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 8:20 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

With sport in general being in major trouble because of the epidemic could it "force" a merger of the rugby codes?
If the financial package was good enough could we see a hybrid game?

It may seem far fetched at the moment, BUT!!!!

I have feared for our sport over the last decade, even before the virus and even before rumours of a reduced TV deal.

I do think we might be seeing the end of the days for professional RL in this country as we know it. The game will survive in some form, semi pro and Amateur for the foreseeable.

So what about the top RL clubs?

Well I see Wigan, Leeds, Saints and possibly Hull being asked to move across to RU in the future. The only team I could see successfully accomplishing good crowds would be Leeds.

Re: Could it happen? : Sun Mar 22, 2020 8:37 pm  

No, it won't happen.