Switching Codes: League To Union 1/2

Mike Stephenson & Stuart Barnes debate the recent trend of Rugby League players switching code to Union.

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[Mick1990ish]

I2015 RUGBY WORLD CUP its gonna be the biggest rugby world cup ever with record tv ratings, crowds, visitors, sponsors tv rights and PROFITS for the host nations England and the INTERNATIONAL RUGBY BOARD."If we fulfil our ambition to make this the best World Cup ever, then I think we will be more than capable of filling the stadia and selling 2.9 million tickets," ER 2015 Chairman Andy Cosslett told a press conference at Twickenham."We are hoping to make a profit of £100million, maybe a bit more

[Mick1990ish]

The biggest show on earth (FIFA world cup) have finals with scores like 0-0, 0-1, 2-1. So I'm guessing its a world farce springs to your little brain? hahaha

[extroverthermit]

Phil Clarke "What's that banging sound?"

Eddie Hemmings "Oh it's Stevo playing chess"

Phil Clarke "Well it's doing my head in"

Eddie Hemmings "Should have been here yesterday...he was playing solitaire"

[james marsh]

love league, but stevo's such a bellend

[Heil Vichy]

I didn't say rugby or league was number one because who do we measure number one? League had the senior competition that was popular but rugby had the most players in all level in Australia. The war certainly put a stop to rugby gaining anything but then league having their comp on during the war was the nail in the coffin. Most rugby clubs were also taken over by league clubs and rugby took twenty years to recover.

[DavidGigg]

My main point was League was already the dominant code in Sydney BEFORE WWI, but yes I agree continuing playing during the war helped it get even more in front. But it is untrue that Union was #1 and League #2 in popularity in 1914 and that position reversed during the war. There is no argument Union is much more popular worldwide by a huge amount, that is obvious. I just happen to live in one of only two countries in the world where League is the more dominant of the two Rugby codes.

[Heil Vichy]

Rugby crowds are bigger than league at international level in Australia for a long time now, it doesn't say much at all does it?

Rugby had the numbers at grassroots level compare to league but it was the first world war that got league ahead after they carried on with their competition while rugby union stop. Its all there in history.

[DavidGigg]

Rugby League had already overtaken Rugby as the  #1 game in Sydney by 1910, prior to the War. Read Sean Fagan's book. League club matches and Tests were larger than Rugby club & test crowds from 1910 and onwards - this is backed up by facts

[SlowRock1000]

How much did the Challenge Cup final tv ratings get on BBC which is a free to air channel? European Superleague vs European Rugby finals and Rugby won in England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, France and Ireland. Rugby at club and international level is watched by more people on tv and stadiums in the UK over League. Sorry again you just don't make any sense.

[Heil Vichy]

How did the Johnny Come Comparatively Lately code wrest popularity from its parent? By inherent superiority? Crowd-pleasingly open play? Or the fact that for five seasons it was the only game in town?

The NSW and Queensland rugby unions suspended senior competition during World War I. Rugby league did not. When Balmain played Glebe in the 1915 grand final, young men were being sacrificed at Gallipoli. The Queensland Rugby Union was unable to reform until 1929.

The Daily Telegraph

[Heil Vichy]

League's decision to keep playing during World War I while rugby union effectively went into recess gave the 13-man code a huge leg up.

From sydney morning herald 1920

[SlowRock1000]

It has been well documented, however, that Sydney's first-grade footballers did not flock to sign up when WWI broke out.Edward Larkin, who had served as secretary of the NSW Rugby League, died at Gallipoli, and 10 first-grade players and officials died in action during the war, according to the Rugby League 1908 website. Bob Tidyman was the only first-grade member of Easts to sign up and he died on the Western Front. The competition controversially kept going while other sports stopped

From SMH