or







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Tough choice.

The pictures say it all.



If you want to start something good, don't waste time with old ideas. Go to new places, with different thinking/perspectives, start winning and attracting winners and then bring it home. Moving at the pace of the old Clubs / towns which have lost their meaning is a sure way to die.



What better for our boys to aspire to. Overseas games - new culture. Stuck in the mud - no way, Jose.

As a small positive, how great for opposing players to get to travel to Canada? If I were a part time player I'd jump at the chance.

But but but how will they get the time off work?!?! They have families dammit!!

Which is the reason we need to grow. We can no longer depend on part-time players but obtain the financial backing for 20+ full-time teams. Which is why I ask about the bigger settlements. Getting into Manchester or Birmingham is a catch-22 issue: we need the interest/support for a local team and the local successful team at the same time!

Some experiments I'd walk away from (e.g. mid-Lancashire/Chorley/etc.). Oxford and Coventry (and Gloucester as well) need nurturing.

Agree with this. I think Birmingham would be a struggle especially as we have little to no presence there. I think we should target Manchester and Newcastle using Salford and Newcastle(Gateshead) Thunder as the basis to start from. I'd like to see internationals held in both those cities with lots of RFL promotion tied in to try and get people to both give RL a try at amateur level and to go down to either Salford or Newcastle. And then do that consistently along with other things like Magic Weekend obviously, the RFL to promote big games for these teams in the cities a couple of times a year etc. But crucially we can't just do it once or twice and then just hope. It has to be consistent investment of time and effort into the areas.

Not wishing to be too pedantic but, there is already 1 major event in Manchester every year and magic weekend is on it's second year in Newcastle (both should be helpful in generating some local interest.

A lot of this is down to the quality of marketing and exposure that are given to the events and perhaps this is the area that needs to improve to give the sport a helping hand.

Not read all the posts but im not convinced rugby league, especially in the UK has the best people in charge when it comes to marketing or spreading the word or if they have anyone for this.



Rugby League could be huge in any country. Its the best sport in the world.

there should be a huge push to get it recognised in the US.



someone in the US owned a bar and watched rugby games and couldnt tell why she really enjoyed some games and hated others.

because like most americans, and some english dont know the difference between league and union.

once i explained, she agreed, even having played football that rugby league is the best sport.

USA is crying out for rugby league.



I also agree that expanding slowly from the current hotbed is important where rugby league is already prevalent but you only have to look at Catalan to see how expansion can work in this way.

London could get a better following if they where situated in the right place, and not in the middle of nowhere where noone can get to.

i think the change in format of playoffs has been a positive change for growth.



Also the rfl should be giving tickets away for every event that is televised to school children. College students, anyone that might be exposed and turned into fans, and to have every game to capacity.

mainly talking about magic weekends, and internationals that may not fill a stadium

Provided that the RFL actually promote the events in those cities.



I remember when the Magic Weekend was in Scotland and there was nothing around the city centre to even suggest there was anything happening.



We can't go into none RL areas and just assume people will know about it.

Totally agree.

We need to promote these things properly, instead of the "build t and they will come" style that we usually come up with.

If we want to sell magic weekend to the locals, we need to be hitting all of the local tv and radio stations up there and stick a great big rugby ball on the "Angel of the North".

SIMPLES: re Magic

between each "proper game" 2 "7 a side" games for 12 - 14 year olds from the local area, say 6 teams of 10 each, a a league for that goes to atrophy.

The kids get into playing in front of people at a big occasion with parents watching.

Easy to play 7 aside across the pitch

I had wondered whether the Toronto side would have been given a home in Birmingham or somewhere like that in an attempt to expand the game on both national and international fronts.