The merger of rugby league & rugby union together.

[Vieux Talonneur]

Plenty on death's door,
Toronto and Crusaders went kaput,
Bradford, Harlequins and Widnes all went bankrupt too - and Salford are months if not weeks away from going under, if rumours are to be believed

Yeah, I know. Just being facetious.

There's a lot about league I like, but quite a bit I don't. But can't help wondering what a bit of a hybrid might look like - 13 a side (sorry, flankers!) with lineouts, proper, but 6 man, scrums, a max of 15 contested phases and a small number of rolling subs would be interesting.

 

[LardFingers]

duplicate post

 

[LardFingers]

Interesting OP, as an exile from Rugby league land this is something I often think about but it is never really popular when discussed by either set of fans - next to zero chance it would happen. However, if it did:

I think the rule set you (Vieux Talonneur) mention is the best compromise between the 2 codes. I suspect it is the locks that would be slowly phased out - I have always thought of RL props and second rowers as basically RU 6s and 8s, loose forwards as 7s. Hookers would be fine. Props, well, I think the more mobile players like Genge and Rodd would do really well, the really big lads would probably be able to play as props but lack the mobility for the new code at top level.

How to change it - well, introduce the new rule set in junior rugby of both codes and let the age groups move gradually upwards so both codes slowly transform.

Given the disastrous financial state of both codes in England it could make a lot of sense here to make a bigger more popular game with a much better TV deal. After all RL is RL only because they wanted to go semi pro and the RU wouldn't let them.

It would have to happen worldwide for it to work. If Australia and New Zealand merged they would most likely become World 1 and 2 for a long time until everyone else sorted themselves out. France would be OK. SA could adapt, they have athletes in their team.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Why don't we just combine tennis and badminton whilst we're at it?

They're different sports...

 

[AlRums]

Interesting OP, as an exile from Rugby league land this is something I often think about but it is never really popular when discussed by either set of fans - next to zero chance it would happen. However, if it did:

I think the rule set you (Vieux Talonneur) mention is the best compromise between the 2 codes. I suspect it is the locks that would be slowly phased out - I have always thought of RL props and second rowers as basically RU 6s and 8s, loose forwards as 7s. Hookers would be fine. Props, well, I think the more mobile players like Genge and Rodd would do really well, the really big lads would probably be able to play as props but lack the mobility for the new code at top level.

How to change it - well, introduce the new rule set in junior rugby of both codes and let the age groups move gradually upwards so both codes slowly transform.

Given the disastrous financial state of both codes in England it could make a lot of sense here to make a bigger more popular game with a much better TV deal. After all RL is RL only because they wanted to go semi pro and the RU wouldn't let them.

It would have to happen worldwide for it to work. If Australia and New Zealand merged they would most likely become World 1 and 2 for a long time until everyone else sorted themselves out. France would be OK. SA could adapt, they have athletes in their team.

If Australia and New Zealand merged, then how could they become World 1 and 2?

 

[Kiwiwomble]

In Ireland they could merge rugby and Gaelic football, in Australia rugby and Aussie rules. In New Zealand and Wales rugby and sheep worrying.

...this make me think you've never see Aussie Rules.....its more different to rugby than football in lots of ways....did you mean NRL/League could merge with Union on Aussie...if so then yes, maybe

 

[Derpus]

I mean....how would that even work?
Which ruleset are they combining under? and what does it look like after they've combined? Suddenly Wigan Warriors, and all their players, are a Union side and getting battered by any National League side with a semi-functional scrum/maul?

NRL in Australia is a far more functional professional sporting league than any rugby competition in the world. I do tend to think the simplified rule-set lends itself better to professionalism and broader appeal. From an Australian perspective the only way this could go would be to fold union into league.

How many fully professional NRL competitions even exist outside of Aus/NZ? My understanding is that the English league is on its knees/barely functional. I'd just delete league everywhere else.

As an aside I'm honestly surprised the NRL don't spend some of their filthy gambling money on poaching more international Union players. Even mid/low tier halves are demanding million dollar contracts these days. A guy like Owen Farrell would clean up (and his tackling technique would be celebrated).

 

[Kiwiwomble]

what im always surprised with is the rate some union fans have for League and visa versa...like, there are a lot of similarities, i prefer union but dont hate league...and think i would be a fan of some sort of combined game

 

[Derpus]

Yeah I like both and really only like Union more because of the whole North Sydney Bears saga - and looks like they are coming back in some form.

Question the PNG choice, myself. Assume it was for that Federal grant money but just doesn't seem viable. Would have thought a south island team would have made more sense.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

yeah, new stadium in chch next year would have aligned with a south island proposal

Its a bit mad how we keep stuffing up domestic comps in ANZ...when you can look at AFL and NRL and and see working club comp models...and i think the big thing is local rivalries

if i had to critique, i find league TOO simple....but honestly union is too complicated

 

[McTallshort]

what im always surprised with is the rate some union fans have for League and visa versa...like, there are a lot of similarities, i prefer union but dont hate league...and think i would be a fan of some sort of combined game

In England Rugby league isn't really on the radar of Union fans but League fans have a proper chip on their shoulder when it cames to Union: Posh mans ping pong, yawning, kick and clap. They are very insular and would absolutely not want the cames merging and to be fair why should they?

 

[Kiwiwomble]

In England Rugby league isn't really on the radar of Union fans but League fans have a proper chip on their shoulder when it cames to Union: Posh mans ping pong, yawning, kick and clap. They are very insular and would absolutely not want the cames merging and to be fair why should they?

not speaking for the UK....but as far as ANZ thats kind of what we've been talking about, struggling club comps on one side, almost non-existent international game on the other, in my mind theyre similar enough theyre poaching fans and players off each other...so merging would solve a lot of problems

it will obviously never happen though, this is just a thought experiment

 

[Derpus]

not speaking for the UK....but as far as ANZ thats kind of what we've been talking about, struggling club comps on one side, almost non-existent international game on the other, in my mind theyre similar enough theyre poaching fans and players off each other...so merging would solve a lot of problems

it will obviously never happen though, this is just a thought experiment

Correct. They should work together more and AFL is wiping the floor with both.

I wouldnt hate seeing Cleary lift the Bled and Bill… and im sure hed enjoy some wider recognition for his ridiculous talent.

 

[McTallshort]

not speaking for the UK....but as far as ANZ thats kind of what we've been talking about, struggling club comps on one side, almost non-existent international game on the other, in my mind theyre similar enough theyre poaching fans and players off each other...so merging would solve a lot of problems

it will obviously never happen though, this is just a thought experiment

You have to remember that there is almost no rugby league in France, South Africa, Argentina, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy. So a merger might work for ANZ and England but nowhere else

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

League feels like australias version of gridiron at this point. Massively more popular in a very particular area but likes worldwide appeal.

In England a merger wouldn't happen, rl clubs might convert to union when league goes fully semi-pro in like five years due to economic pressures.

 

[IT157]

Correct. They should work together more and AFL is wiping the floor with both.

I wouldnt hate seeing Cleary lift the Bled and Bill… and im sure hed enjoy some wider recognition for his ridiculous talent.

Is Aussie Rules the most popular sport discipline in each state? Or is cricket, rugby league etc. the most popular in one state?

What's a rough breakdown of each sports popularity in each state?

 

[AlRums]

...this make me think you've never see Aussie Rules.....its more different to rugby than football in lots of ways....did you mean NRL/League could merge with Union on Aussie...if so then yes, maybe

Did the next line not give you a clue it was a joke?

Besides the ball is the same shape

 

[Kiwiwomble]

You have to remember that there is almost no rugby league in France, South Africa, Argentina, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy. So a merger might work for ANZ and England but nowhere else

havent suggested any of that would work and have tried to be clear i was only talking about this very specific thought experiment to make "rugby" sustainable in ANZ....because it isn't at the moment

Is Aussie Rules the most popular sport discipline in each state? Or is cricket, rugby league etc. the most popular in one state?

What's a rough breakdown of each sports popularity in each state?

i would guess that AFL is the most popular sport in all states other than NSW and maybe QLD....BUT! the AFL clubs in NSW and QLD would be bigger than most if not all individual league clubs, its just that there are more league clubs in those states, my club the sydney swans have 70k paying members. Clubs in vic have 60k-+100k paying members. just looking it up and Freemantle and West Coast (the two clubs in Perth) have over 180k members between them

the example i always give is my first year in Melbourne ( and many times since) there was a mid season mid table (ie nothing really to play for) game between Richmond and Carlton...95k people went to it

what doesnt get talked about much is there is a successful secondary comp, the VFL, where a combination of AFL B teams and stand alone clubs play, i also follow the Port Melbourne Boroughs as their ground is about 400m down the road and going down of an avo and standing on a grass embankment in the sun with a couple of beer is very enjoyable, so there is a real development pathway which Rugby is also missing in ANZ

 

[The Seeker]

 

[Derpus]

Is Aussie Rules the most popular sport discipline in each state? Or is cricket, rugby league etc. the most popular in one state?

What's a rough breakdown of each sports popularity in each state?

Cricket is universal and not really in direct competition with any of these.

NSW and Qld are traditional rugby states (both Union and League - though predominantly league for both). Every other state or territory is AFL.

However, AFL is encroaching into Sydney and Brisbane with quite a bit of success and its average attendance is probably higher than either Rugby codes have ever achieved.