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Rugby codes reuniting |
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Greg ![]() First XV regular ![]() Joined: 30 Jan 2020 Location: Norfolk Status: Offline Points: 110 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: 12 Jan 2024 at 17:58 |
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Is this worthy of discussion? The talent pool for rugby players is diluted because of having two codes.We know that the 'Union' game is in a parlous state in many countries (Britain and Australia for certain). I can't comment on the health of the 'League' code because I have no personal experience of it. Would it really be so dramatic to consider and discuss bringing the game back under one code? Clearly there would be hearty discussions about what form the 'new' code would look like:- - 13 or 15 players; - contested or uncontested tackles; - line outs and scrummaging - points awarded What are the other significant differences between the two codes? Will it ever happen?
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Richard Lowther ![]() Coaching staff ![]() ![]() Moderator Joined: 19 May 2007 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 6574 |
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The amateur level Rugby league code has been on a steep decline for years and clubs have stopped putting out open age teams and leagues have shrunk.
At that level there is a lot of interchange of players between the two codes, made easier by the different seasons of each. At the Semi pro level most clubs survive hand to mouth and suffer the same issues as their Union counterparts. At the top Superleague level the game is facing the IMG plan to try and revitalise it. At international level I'm afraid it is a farce. All this just to say it won't happen and uniting two codes with their own financial issues won't solve anything. |
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IonMan ![]() First XV regular ![]() ![]() Joined: 19 Feb 2010 Location: East Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 146 |
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When you here the comments by many rugby league supporters when their academy matches are played at Hull Ionians you realise how different the codes are. Though if the crowds that go to Hull FC and Hull KR came to the Hull Ionians Rugby Union games we would be very happy, but overloaded!
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Stoatgobbler ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 29 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 462 |
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As a fan of both codes, I'd say "not a chance". One day you might see a "hybrid" game, which will be played exclusively for the telly and watched only by the curious, a bit like those Wigan Bath cross code games some years back.
Edited by Stoatgobbler - 13 Jan 2024 at 17:17 |
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CJB1 ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Moseley Joined: 25 May 2007 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 1900 |
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Those weren't hybrid games, they were games where an RU team tried to play RL and the reverse. As expected, the RL team won the RL game and the RU team won the RU game, though Wigan probably put up a better fight in the RU game than Bath did in the RL game. However we must remember that at that time RL had been professional for many years and RU was just starting on that journey.
Not long after that, (1996) Wigan RLFC were invited to the Middlesex Sevens and won the competition. And Bradford Bulls (who I still prefer to think of as Bradford Northern) won it in 2002.
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"What I need is a strong drink and a peer group"
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Camquin ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 11254 |
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I seem to recall it was RU with uncontested scrums.
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Sweeney Delenda Est
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CJB1 ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Moseley Joined: 25 May 2007 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 1900 |
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"What I need is a strong drink and a peer group"
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Halliford ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Joined: 17 Feb 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 4214 |
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I remember Bath just about beating Wigan at RU. Wigan had to use a coach as a lock as they did not have forwards big enough. When they ran the ball, Bath struggled..
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Count Ford ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 20 May 2017 Location: WA4 Status: Offline Points: 412 |
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I can't see it ever happening and while I enjoy both codes, I suspect a lot more Rugby League fans would turn to watching football before Rugby Union or some hybrid version
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islander ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 17 Mar 2010 Location: jersey Status: Offline Points: 7503 |
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Those with partial/total lack of recall about the Bath/Wigan games in '96 can fill in the gaps via this Wikipedia page should they wish...
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Stoatgobbler ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 29 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 462 |
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I was at that game, at Twickenham. Craig Murdock, the Wigan scrum half, ran quite the length to score a cracking try. Graeme West, the Wigan coach, played in the 2nd row, which is where he played as an RU player in his day. The Wigan back row had Scott Quinnell at No 8, with Va'aiga Tuigamala as one of the flankers, Shem Tatupu the other, an all ex-RU back row. The referee was from Leeds.
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Camquin ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 11254 |
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Didn't Andy Farrell play for Wigan? What is he doing now? :-)
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Sweeney Delenda Est
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Stoatgobbler ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 29 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 462 |
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Captained the side that day and partnered West in the second row. No idea what he's doing these days.
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SK 88 ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Location: Leicester Status: Offline Points: 588 |
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It's on youtube. The scrums were contested to begin with but Bath stopped about 20 minutes into the game from memory.
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Raider999 ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 18 Jan 2013 Location: Crawley Status: Offline Points: 4455 |
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Watched both games, bit of a novelty factor - what it did show was there is a huge difference between top level RU and top level RL. I joining at the lower levels might work but not anywhere near the top. |
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RAID ON
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Camquin ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 11254 |
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I think there was a lot of difference. But that was at the dawn of professionalism. John Hall had only just bought Rob Andrew from Wasps and to build Newcastle. Before rugby league coaches came to union and brought not only their defence skills, but also the strength and conditioning. In fact, I suspect these games did a lot to put up the price of those coaches. I am not sure there would be that difference today.
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Sweeney Delenda Est
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SK 88 ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Location: Leicester Status: Offline Points: 588 |
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Sale played St Helens about 10 years ago (maybe more like 15) years ago, I've a feeling that was closer.
Personally I think a united game would be a great thing on many levels off the field, it's just whether their could be a bridging of the egos involved to make it happen. There would need to be delicate public relations to make sure it was genuinely presented as a merger not an acquisition. On the field I struggle a bit more as I like the mixed tempo, tactical kicking & scrums in union; while the continuous play, and tighter focus on the core skills, seems to be a key appeal to many league fans.
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Stoatgobbler ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 29 Jan 2010 Status: Offline Points: 462 |
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It's a funny thing to note that each set of fans tend not to watch the other code as they both think that the other game too "stop-start".
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Paul10 ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 24 Mar 2023 Location: Milton Keynes Status: Offline Points: 692 |
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I used to watch rugby league but find there is so much union on telly nowadays that I'm not missing it.
For me they were noticeably different. Edited by Paul10 - 30 Jan 2024 at 14:22 |
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Greg ![]() First XV regular ![]() Joined: 30 Jan 2020 Location: Norfolk Status: Offline Points: 110 |
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And, meanwhile, American Football gets more coverage each year and a growing interest at junior age groups. Tragic.
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