A RIDICULOUS text against the Pumas' perfomance in the RWC 2015

[Maverick1987]

Yes, of course, and someone with no access to the most accurate figures can make statements like that, while the rest of us can't argue because neither have we. It's a lovely way to convince yourself you're right, but hardly debate. Now, I've found another source based on registered player numbers, spilt into different categories. You're right, England doesn't have 2 million players registered. It has 1990988. Hence my use of the word approximate. Of course, they're not senior male players, far from it, but I have no real reason to doubt those figures, and "It's a joke" isn't likely to change that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rugby_union_playing_countries

Imo playing numbers mean nothing . As you can see from your reference only 130,000 out of 2 million are senior males which is probably about 7% or so . For some reason there's not a lot of kids that continue playing into the senior ranks

 

[YoungScud]

When significantly more than half of those numbers are u13s, I'll reserve judgement as to how much those inflated numbers mean.

Plus, take a look at the original list of player numbers above; while the US figure above is close to the senior male figures, the 2million that is attributed to England accounts for our world-beating 12D teams. Compare like for like.

And find a better source than Wikipedia. Unless all the federations are calculating in the same way, I'm not sure how you can attribute any value to the figures.

Didn't I point out the disparity between player and senior player numbers? I was very careful to also suggest that player numbers are't the only measure of success. In fact, that's pretty obvious, given the way the RWC went. However, if one of the ways to sigbnify success is growing the game, then player numbers are crucial. Clearly, winning major titles is a different kettle of fish.

 

[YoungScud]

Imo playing numbers mean nothing . As you can see from your reference only 130,000 out of 2 million are senior males which is probably about 7% or so . For some reason there's not a lot of kids that continue playing into the senior ranks

Indeed, as I myself pointed out. However, while that brings South Africa and England much closer together, that still leaves England with around 4 times the number of senior players as NZ, so obviously there is no direct correlation. However, 'resources' has more than one meaning. France and England clearly have a load of money swilling around in the game, although it would seem that a great deal of that isn't targeted where it should be, instead lining a handful of pockets. It's a sad fact that this is inevitable when money enters sport. So, the question remains as to what is different about SH rugby that appears to make it so much 'better' than that of the NH. This might not sound a popular view, but until the Laws of the Game are applied as written and not as interpreted by organisation trying to make the game 'saleable', there can be no level playing field. I am in no doubt that, in an effort to seel the game to sponsors, WR has purposefully moved from a competition to an attempt at making the game faster, with bigger hits and with lots of scores. To that end, interpretation of the Laws has made the game largely one of attack, while depowering defence. Scrums are unattractive, and so an abortive attempt at legislating much more heavily has been made, when all that was required was to do what refs did years ago and let forwards take responsibility for scrummaging. Meanwhile, let's not bother with straight feeds, let's just accept 'credible feeds'. So many arears of the game have been altered in this way, and the SH teams , it seems to me, are better at adapting to this. I suspect there is no way back from this situation, and so I fear that Rugby League Union is on its way. The money boys will love it.

 

[profitius]

Senior males playing in Ireland is 13,200 I believe. They are updated figures. Its in the interest of some unions to exaggerate the numbers because they get more government grants etc.

 

[Manuar]

Jaja this text is ridiculous. Foot and Rugby is different, his mind is that of a footballer, Wordless....